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U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree won a 10th term in Congress in Tuesday’s election, beating Republican Ron Russell for the second straight time in Maine’s 1st District.
Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, had 89.39% of votes to 10.61% for Russell when the Bangor Daily News and its national partner, Decision Desk HQ, called the contest featuring ranked-choice voting at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Pingree, 71, who first won election to the House in 2008, had been expected to easily win in the heavily Democratic district covering southern Maine up to the Waterville area and the midcoast. She beat Russell with more than 65% of first-place votes in 2024.
She shared the ballot with her daughter, former Maine House Speaker HannahPingree, the Democratic nominee for governor. The younger Pingree was favored over Republican Bobby Charles and independent state Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford.
The congresswoman ran against the Trump administration, opposing the Iran war and criticizing ICE after an agent fatally shot a man in Biddeford in July.
“Throughout this campaign, I heard from Mainers who are tired of Donald Trump and Republican policies that have made everyday life more expensive, brought fear and chaos into our communities, threatened our democracy, and damaged relationships with our allies,” Chellie Pingree said in a statement after the BDN and DDHQ called the race.
“They want leaders who will listen, solve problems, and put working people ahead of powerful interests. Those concerns — and those expectations — will continue to guide my work in Congress and strengthen my resolve for the fights ahead.”
Russell, 72, a retired Army colonel who grew up in Fort Fairfield, backed President Donald Trump’s agenda while saying he would not be a rubber stamp, supporting the Iran war and immigration enforcement.