Although he is not planning an official announcement until after Labor Day, liberty conservative Eric Brakey has thrown his hat into the 2nd Congressional District race in Maine on Monday, July 29, 2019. On that day, he filed the requisite paperwork for the Federal Election Commission.
Brakey said on Friday that he has raised over $100,000 for his campaign against incumbent Congressman Jared Gold, a first-term Democrat.
So far, Brakey is the only challenger to Gold’s seat, which is expected to be an expensive race.
In 2018, Golden won his seat after defeating two-term Republican Bruce Poliquin in the nation’s first ever ranked-choice voting election at the federal level.
It remains to be seen if Poliquin will try to reclaim his seat. If Poliquin does throw his hat into the ring, Brakey stated that he will seek Republican support during the primary next June to determine who will be the Republican challenger to Golden in the general election.
The 2nd District is one of the most competitive districts in the country, going for Barack Obama twice before giving Donald Trump his sole electoral vote in the Northeast.
At the moment, Golden has raised approximately $600,000 for his re-election campaign, while having nearly $500,000 on hand.
Brakey has made a name for himself by championing pro-gun Constitutional Carry legislation during his time in the Maine Senate.
The former Maine Senator decided to run against incumbent U.S. Senator Angus King last year but ended up losing.
Given the smaller electorate in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, Brakey should have an easier path to victory on paper. A Brakey victory would be a major win for liberty conservatives nationwide.
