Maine voters will choose nominees for a House of Representatives seat that could be critical to determining which party wins the majority in November.

Democrats have held on to a swing U.S. House district in Maine.

A midterm rematch in Maine could help decide which party will control Congress.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina has been ousted from Congress in his Republican primary after voting to impeach Donald Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Golden was the only Democrat lawmaker to break with his party and vote against the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. Rep. Jared Golden, who has represented Maine's 2nd Congressional District since 2019, was the only lawmaker from either party to break ranks on the bill. AdThe only other Democrat to oppose the relief bill in its first time through the House was Kurt Schrader of Oregon. It was the sole congressional district in New England to support President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Lewiston is about 35 miles north of Portland, the largest city in the state and the heart of the very liberal 1st Congressional District.

Maine's use of ranked voting comes as Alaska and Massachusetts voters consider statewide votes to adopt the voting method. Ranked voting arrives on Maine’s presidential ballots in a year when three of the state’s four electoral votes could be up for grabs. ___HOW WE GOT HEREVoters in the state approved the adoption of ranked voting in a 2016 referendum drive. Opponents, including the Maine Republican Party, have said ranked choice voting is too confusing and violates the principle of one person, one vote. They sued unsuccessfully to try to stop the state from using ranked choice voting for president this year.

PORTLAND, Maine – Ranked choice voting will be used for the first time in a presidential race in the U.S. under a ruling Tuesday by the Maine Supreme Court, which concluded that a GOP-led petition drive intended to prevent its use came up short. The Supreme Judicial Court concluded the Maine Republican Party failed to reach the threshold of signatures needed for a “People’s Veto” referendum aimed at rejecting a state law that expands ranked choice voting to the presidential election. “This is a powerful moment for ranked choice voting supporters: Voters will, for the first time, use ranked choice voting to elect the highest office in the country,” said Rob Richie, president and CEO of FairVote, which advocates for the voting reform. Supporters say the ranked choice voting system eliminates the impact of so-called “spoiler candidates” and produces a majority winner. However, ranked voting is not used in the governor’s race or legislative contests because it runs afoul of the Maine Constitution.