A poll released Thursday shows Gov. Janet Mills leading former Gov. Paul LePage in the race for governor by 10 percentage points with just over two weeks to go until Election Day.
The same poll, conducted by Pan Atlantic Research of Portland, found that the cost of living (71%), inflation (43%) and high taxes (26%) are the top three key issues facing the state.
In general, 44% said they feel the state is on the wrong track, 41% said the state is headed in the right direction and 15% are unsure.
The survey compiled answers from 800 likely voters from Oct. 7-Oct. 15. The margin of error is 3.5%.
The poll results come as campaigns across the state head for the Nov. 8 finish line in high-profile races featuring Mills, a Democrat who is the state’s first female governor, and LePage, a Republican, who served two terms and is looking to make a comeback. Voters can also choose independent Sam Hunkler of Beals.
The poll shows Mills with 49% support, LePage with 39%, Hunkler with 2% and a surprising 10% undecided.
Broken down by congressional district, Mills leads in the southern, coastal 1st District 57% to 33% over LePage, but trails him in the sprawling more rural 2nd District, where LePage leads with 45% to Mills’ 41%.
In the race for the hotly contested 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat, leads with 47%, former Rep. Bruce Poliquin, a Republican, has 39% and independent Tiffany Bond has 8%. That election will be decided by ranked choice voting, which means if no candidate gets more than 50% on the first round, the third-place finisher will be eliminated from the race and their second-place votes will be counted.
In the 1st Congressional District, incumbent U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, leads Republican challenger Ed Thelander by 34 percentage points. About 62% said they would likely vote for Pingree, 28% chose Thelander and 7% were undecided.
In releasing the poll, Pan Atlantic cautioned that the survey is an indication of public opinion at a single point in time and that it does “not project final election results."