U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from the 1st Congressional District, cruised to her seventh term on Tuesday over Republican Jay Allen.
The outcome was called at 12:13 a.m. by the Bangor Daily News and its national election results partner, Decision Desk HQ. Results show Pingree ahead in every county in the district, with 59.5 percent of the vote compared to 40.5 percent for Allen with 73 percent of precincts reporting.
Pingree, who is serving her sixth term in the House and has never faced an especially competitive reelection race, was a clear favorite all along and largely eschewed campaigning. Neither she nor Allen ran TV ads.
Allen, a physician and Army veteran, never gained significant traction in the solidly blue district. He made headlines after debates in October for saying systemic racism did not exist in the U.S. and for questioning the efficacy of masks in preventing the spread of the coronavirus, despite clear evidence that mask use helps reduce transmission. Republicans have not run a candidate with prior public office experience in the increasingly safe Democratic district since 2012.
A member of the House appropriations and agriculture committees, Pingree is a reliably liberal representative who is vocal on the issue of climate change. She has been a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, including on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.