The two Republican candidates seeking to take on U.S. Rep. Jared Golden this fall in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District will face off Tuesday evening in their first televised debate.
While the Maine Republican Party Convention over the weekend also featured a debate, Tuesday’s forum moderated by WGME’s Gregg Lagerquist at the Portland television station’s studio gives freshmen state Reps. Austin Theriault of Fort Kent and Mike Soboleski of Phillips a primetime opportunity to differentiate themselves ahead of the June 11 primary.
How to watch the 2nd District debate
Tuesday’s hour-long debate will air live on CBS 13 from 7-7:30 p.m., and the entire debate will be streamed on the station’s Facebook page and on the Bangor Daily News’ website starting at 7 p.m.
Who are the candidates?
Theriault, 30, a former NASCAR driver, entered the race last year with backing from national Republicans and has since picked up an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
Soboleski, 67, a Marine veteran like Golden, with a wide-ranging background, including time spent as a small-business owner, car salesman and actor, has cast Theriault “as establishment Austin,” pointing instead to his support from county caucus straw polls and a perfect Conservative Political Action Conference voting record.
Theriault has the clear money advantage by so far raising more than $1 million, while Soboleski has taken in more than $100,000, according to campaign finance data. Theriault led Soboleski in a February poll that also showed Trump up on Biden by six percentage points in Maine.
Golden has not been shy to buck his party on certain issues, particularly economic ones, and opposed Biden more than any other House Democrat in 2023 while taking more liberal positions on other matters such as tribal sovereignty and campaign finance reform.
