02-06-2025
Cost of living dominates concerns for Maine voters, poll finds
According to a May 2025 survey of Mainers, 67% of respondents cited cost of living as their top concern. (Photo by Getty Images)
A new statewide poll found that Maine voters are overwhelmingly worried about the cost of living — more than any other issue by a wide margin.
According to the poll from Pan Atlantic Research, 67% of respondents cited cost of living as their top concern. Immigration was second, with 39% identifying that as one of the top issues Maine is facing, while 33% said housing and 31% said high taxes are their top issues of concern.
The poll asked Mainers an array of questions about policy and included favorability ratings of Maine's congressional delegation, Gov. Janet Mills, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
It was conducted May 12-26, surveying 929 adult Mainers (840 of whom are likely voters) and offers a snapshot of an electorate. Respondents were divided on whether the state is headed in the right direction, whether they approved of federal government oversight into Maine policies and the transgender athlete debate, which has put Maine in the national spotlight.
Despite growing discontent over living costs, the state's top political figures maintain relatively strong approval ratings, with only President Donald Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk having more negative responses than positive.
Independent Sen. Angus King leads with a +38% net favorability rating, and Rep. Chellie Pingree was popular in her district, with a 29% net positive rating.
Mills fell slightly from a net favorability rating of +11% in September 2024 to +8%, while Sen. Susan Collins rose from +2% net favorability to +4%.
Overall, Rep. Jared Golden was still favorable by a small margin, with 48% of 2nd Congressional District voters viewing him very or somewhat favorably, compared with 41% rating him as very or somewhat negatively.
But Mainers largely disapproved of Trump, with a net rating of -9%, and Musk, who has said he's stepping back from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, had an approval rating of -19%.
The poll asked respondents about Maine's inclusive transgender athlete policy, which allows students to play on teams aligning with their gender identity in adherence to the Maine Human Rights Act. The policy was the reason behind several federal agencies threatening the state with loss of federal funding, and is being challenged in courts by the U.S. Department of Justice.
A majority of respondents (53%) said that they believe that Maine should comply with the federal demands to change its trans athlete policies to avoid losing federal education funding. Thirty-two percent of respondents said that Maine should not comply with federal demands, while 14% were undecided on this question.
The responses roughly fell along political lines, with 82% of Republicans, 52% of independent voters and 32% of Democrats agreeing that Maine should comply with federal demands.
Overall, a majority of Mainers did not think the federal government's involvement in Maine policy was beneficial, according to the poll results. Forty-nine percent of Republicans, 20% of independents, and 17% of Democrats said that federal government involvement is 'generally beneficial.'
The poll also asked respondents to weigh in on candidates for next year's gubernatorial election, for both rumored and confirmed candidates.
Among likely Democratic voters, businessman Angus King III, son of the independent U.S. senator, led the field, with 33% of voters saying they would 'likely support' him, and 47% said they would consider supporting him.
Twenty-four percent said they would likely support Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and another 50% said they would consider it. Twenty percent also said they would support former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives Hannah Pingree, with another 39% saying they would consider supporting the congresswoman's daughter, though she has yet to officially announce a run.
Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, who recently joined the race, came in fourth among the potential Democratic candidates, with 31% of respondents saying they would either likely or consider voting for him.
State Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), who also has not officially joined the race, led the Republicans, with 27% saying they would likely support her and 28% saying they would consider it. Former U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin polled similarly, with 23% percent of respondents saying they were likely to vote for him and 36% saying they would consider it.
Businessman and former Republican gubernatorial candidate Shawn Moody was a close third, with 21% and 34% respectively saying they would likely vote for him, or consider it.
The only official Republican candidate included in the survey is Bangor resident Bobby Charles, who previously worked in the federal government during the George W. Bush administration. Forty percent of likely Republican voters said they would likely or consider supporting Charles.
Republicans and independents were more skeptical compared with Democrats about the direction the state is headed in. Overall, 39% of respondents said the state is headed in the right direction, while 41% feel it's on the wrong track, and 20% remain unsure.
That is a significant drop compared with 2022, when 47% of respondents thought the state was headed in the right direction, according to the poll results.
The division is more pronounced along political lines, with 66% of Democrats expressing optimism, contrasted with only 25% of independents and 20% of Republicans sharing that view. Forty-five percent of residents in the more liberal 1st Congressional District feel positive about the state's direction, compared to 35% in CD2.
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