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Maine's 2nd District Race Turns on Medicaid. LePage Vetoed It 5 Times.

Resist Now 3 min read

Maine’s 2nd District Race Splits on Medicaid History

Medicare and Medicaid are the defining issue in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District race, as Democratic nominee Matt Dunlap and Republican nominee Paul LePage offer sharply different records on the programs’ futures. The race to replace Rep. Jared Golden is now one of the most closely watched House contests heading into November 2026.

LePage says he will protect Social Security and Medicare. His record as governor tells a different story on Medicaid specifically.

While serving two terms as Maine’s governor, LePage vetoed five separate bills that would have expanded MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program. He also refused to implement a voter-approved Medicaid expansion after Mainers passed it at the ballot box.

59% of Maine voters approved a referendum to expand MaineCare in 2017. LePage refused to implement it anyway.

LePage blocked the expansion by vetoing the funding bill, then let legal challenges drag out through the end of his term. MaineCare expansion only began when Democratic Gov. Janet Mills took office in January 2019 and used her first executive order to implement it.

Dunlap held a press conference in Bangor on July 30 to mark the 61st anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing Medicare and Medicaid into law, and to draw the contrast directly.

“People should not have to live in fear of a slip and fall on the ice driving them into bankruptcy.”

Matt Dunlap, Democratic nominee, Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, July 30, 2026

Dunlap is campaigning on Medicare-for-all and says healthcare is the issue he hears about most on the campaign trail. The Trump administration’s Medicaid cuts, which took effect after the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed in 2025, have left millions without coverage nationally, sharpening the stakes in races like this one.

Maine’s 2nd District is a rural, working-class district with high rates of Medicaid enrollment. Hospitals in the district, including Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, have warned that federal Medicaid cuts threaten their ability to serve uninsured patients.

What You Can Do Now

  1. Call your U.S. senators at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to restore Medicaid funding cut in the 2025 reconciliation bill. Ask specifically that they oppose any further work requirement expansions that reduce enrollment.

  2. Contact Maine’s 2nd District candidates directly. Dunlap’s campaign is at mattdunlap.com. LePage’s campaign is at paullepageformaine.com. Ask LePage specifically whether he supports reversing the Trump Medicaid cuts, given his veto record.

  3. Check your own Medicaid eligibility or a family member’s. Federal rule changes took effect in 2025 and 2026. Use KFF’s updated eligibility tool at kff.org to see what changed in Maine.

  4. Attend a local town hall or candidate forum. The Maine People’s Alliance (mainepeoplesalliance.org) is organizing public events around this race. Show up and ask candidates on the record where they stand on restoring Medicaid coverage.

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