Republican Ron Russell won Tuesday’s primary in Maine’s 1st Congressional District for his second consecutive longshot run against U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree in November.
Russell had 54.1% of votes to 45.9% for Joshua Pietrowicz of New Gloucester when the Bangor Daily News and Decision Desk HQ, its election results partner, called the race at 12:37 a.m. Wednesday.
Russell served 30 years in the Army before starting a company focused on operations and intelligence for the Defense Department. Pietrowicz, a political newcomer from New Gloucester, ran on a middle-class tax cut, energy independence and preserving the nuclear family.
Pingree, a nine-term Democrat from North Haven, has not faced a serious Republican challenge since 2010, two years after she first won the heavily Democratic seat in southern Maine. In 2024, she beat Russell with nearly 59 percent of votes.
Pingree is the most liberal member of Maine’s congressional delegation and a reliable vote for House Democratic leadership. She sits on the House appropriations and agriculture committees, with her political profile heavily shaped by her time running an organic farm and boutique lodge on her home island.