State Rep. Austin Theriault defeated fellow Republican Rep. Mike Soboleski Tuesday in a primary race to determine who will compete against U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D-2nd District) in November.

The Trump-backed, well-funded former NASCAR driver is expected to speak to supporters in Bangor this evening.

Unofficial election night results showed Theriault winning by a margin of 70-30 early on, according to the Associated Press.

Federal campaign finance reports show Theriault raised more than $1.2 million during the primary, while Soboleski had less than $120,000. Golden — who did not face a Democratic primary challenger — reported $3.7 million in receipts as of the May 22 reporting deadline.

In debates and in interviews, Theriault often mentioned his endorsement from former President Donald Trump, emphasizing the border wall and tax cuts.  

The win sets up a fall contest between a Theriault, 30, a virtual political novice in his first term as a state lawmaker against Golden, 41, a former state legislator with six years under his belt in Congress.

The seat is highly competitive and is currently listed as a “Democrat Toss Up” by the Cook Political Report, which rates the competitiveness of all 435 House elections.

The sprawling 2nd District — the largest by area east of the Mississippi River — is fertile ground for Republicans. Trump has done well here, winning the district in 2016 and again in 2020.

Golden first won the seat in 2018, narrowly knocking then-U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, a Republican, out of the seat in a race that featured the first use of the state’s ranked-choice voting system.

Golden easily won reelection in 2020, defeating state Rep. Dale Crafts. Then in 2022, in a rematch with Poliquin and independent Tiffany Bond, Golden again prevailed in the ranked-choice count 53-47 percent.

During the primary, Soboleski and Theriault criticized Golden for coming out in support of an assault weapons ban following the mass shooting in Lewiston in which 18 people were killed in October.

Theriault said improving mental health services is the way to help prevent future tragedies like the one in Lewiston.

“I’m not in favor of gun control,” he said during a May interview with Spectrum News. “I don’t think gun control is going to solve that problem. I think it’s going to take rights away from people who follow the law. I support the 2nd Amendment. I do support increasing funding for community mental health.”