Paul LePage

Paul LePage grew up speaking French in Lewiston, left an abusive home at 11 and spent part of his childhood without a permanent place to sleep.¹ His early jobs included shining shoes, washing dishes and hauling boxes, with two local families helping house him as a teenager.² His campaign identifies him as the oldest son in a family of 18 children.²

He entered Husson after being allowed to take its admissions examination in French, supported himself as a cook and bartender, and later earned an MBA from the University of Maine.¹ His business career included manufacturing and consulting before he became general manager of Marden's, the Maine discount retailer, in 1996.¹ He and his wife, Ann, raised their family in Waterville.¹

LePage went from Waterville mayor to governor, serving from 2011 to 2019, and unsuccessfully challenged Governor Janet Mills in 2022.³ His record includes repeated vetoes of Medicaid expansion legislation, a position he maintained in an October 2026 debate.³ His campaign says hospital reimbursement rates should be a focus of federal health policy.⁴

For Congress, he emphasizes border enforcement, business growth and lower federal spending, arguing these would help reduce inflation and strengthen Maine employment.² He faces Democratic state Auditor Matt Dunlap for Golden's open seat in a district that has repeatedly backed Trump while electing Democrats to Congress, putting local familiarity and contrasting health policies at the center of the race.⁴