This story will be updated.
Maine voters headed to the polls across the state Tuesday, choosing candidates in primary races for governor, for the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts.
Polls closed at 8 p.m., and campaigns were gathering at events throughout the state, including in Portland, Bangor, Old Town and Blue Hill, where Graham Platner gathered with a throng of national media at the YMCA to await results.
A crowd gathered at Wild Oats Bakery in Brunswick for Nirav Shah's campaign event even before the polls closed. Speaking with reporters around 7:30 p.m., Shah said he was feeling great.
"We are so excited for what tonight brings, but honestly, the next 147 days. We are not going to stop until Election Day," he said.
He described his Democratic competitors as "exceptional" and said he fully expects the race to go to ranked-choice voting.
"I support ranked-choice voting, and even if takes a couple more days to get a result, we still are looking toward November," he said.
Just after 9 p.m. Jackson addressed a crowd of supporters in Portland.
“Across the state I feel like so many people are being held back, like they have no option, they have no hope,” he said. "This race is that. We can make it so that working class people don't have to kill themselves day in and day out just to survive in this state. I'm tired of it. I'm damn tired of it.”
Jackson said he felt hopeful about the impact of his campaign on Mainers.
Earlier in the day, Chief Deputy Secretary of State Kate McBrien said voter turnout looks strong.
"All the clerks have told me there's just been a consistent flow of people throughout the day and we've even heard what they think are higher numbers than in the past. So, I think we've got a really strong interest, great turnout this year," she said.
In Newport, where turnout was slow this afternoon, the economy and affordability was top of mind for Emilie Morton, who works in the local school system.
"It is so expensive to just like live right now," she said. "I'm like a single person, so I don't have that second income that I can, like, that can help out a household."
In particular, Morton said she's feeling the squeeze of higher gas and grocery prices.
A registered Democrat, she said she was leaning toward voting for Graham Platner for Senate, despite some concerns about him being a political newcomer.
She said she is also concerned about cuts to social service programs, including a nutrition education program that used to work with students and adults in the community.
Showing up to cast his ballot in Newport, Jacob Sinclair said he was motivated to support conservative policies.
"I'm mostly looking for like lower taxes locally, a little bit less government intervention in general. There's definitely good uses for our money, but just minimizing overspending," he said.
A Republican, Sinclair said he's supporting Bobby Charles in the GOP gubernatorial primary.
As a resident of the more conservative second congressional district, Sinclair said he feels his views are often drowned out by the more liberal stances of voters in southern Maine.
In Freeport, registered Democrats Reed Lonsdale and Emily Lozoraitis said they're not enthusiastic about Senate primary frontrunner Graham Platner, but believe he's the best choice.
"We're both kind of of the mindset that it would be great if politicians could just be boring professionals again," Lonsdale said. "And for some reason they're not anymore, and it's exhausting. So hopefully he straightens himself out."
Londsale said it was hard to choose between the five Democratic candidates for the governor's race, but Nirav Shah resonated with them because of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as the head of the Maine CDC.
Andra Fillmore of Freeport said she found it especially difficult to choose a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate race due to revelations about Platner's past behavior.
"What is worrisome is other people that have made it into office, who you were led to believe were a certain way and then once they got in office they weren't that person," she said.
Fillmore said her top pick was Gov. Janet Mills, who dropped out of the race in April, but remained on the ballot.
Zach Griffith of Portland said as a Marine Corps veteran, he identifies with a lot of Graham Platner's struggles after he got back from touring overseas.
"In the Marine Corps violence is the first and only solution to all of life's problems. It's cultish in that way, and that really does mess with your head. It took me a long time to get out of that mindset — of that violence mindset," he said.
Griffith said he believes Platner when he says he's working to undo the damage he caused and that's why, despite the controversies, Platner still earned his vote.
"Right now I think where we are as a country, it's like triage. If Graham Platner is the candidate we hope for and expect, he'll be the first responder, our working-class hero. Worst case is he's the dirt you pack in a bullet wound until you can get to a hospital, right? My hope is that he is who he says he is," he said.
Alyson Quinnelly of Kennebunk said she's a Republican who has sometimes been challenged by votes made by longtime incumbent Susan Collins, but respects her independence.
"I also am impressed by that she's head of the Appropriations Committee. That contract for BIW no doubt was because of her. A new person is not going to have that clout. She has clout," she said.
Deirdre Klimcsak of Kennebunkport said she was most driven to vote in support of using municipal funds to pay for first responders to work during the community's Christmas Prelude event. She said she ignored all the negative TV ads this primary season.
"To be honest, I did not watch them. I listened on radio or read newspapers or read online. I tried not to watch the news, all the different opinions. I try to make my own," she said.
Unenrolled voters also cast ballots, taking advantage of the state's semi-open primaries. Among them was Karenina Cooper of Newport.
Cooper said she makes a her decision based on a candidate's track record, not party affiliation.
"I do it based on what's happening and how I feel these candidates are addressing it, and right now I don't think the Republicans are addressing anything that needs to be addressed," she said.
Historically, Cooper said she has voted for members of both parties. She said health care policy is one of the most important issues for her this election.
