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Former GOP governor heads to Capitol Hill before election count is complete: 'Already at work'

And it would be rare good news for the GOP after getting trampled by a blue wave that saw Democrats storm back to grab a large House majority as well as recapture the Senate.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 1 source•2 min read•Updated November 9, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC
Key points
  • MAGA VOTERS WEIGH IN ON WHO THEY'D LIKE IN 2028 The former governor is expected to take part Tuesday in a scheduled vote by returning GOP congressional lawmakers and newly elected House Republicans to choose the next minority leader in the race between current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Judiciary Chair Rep.
  • Asked how he succeeded when so many Republicans went down to defeat last week, LePage pointed to "my brand." "I've been governor twice.
  • The mostly rural seat is the largest congressional district east of the Mississippi River by area and was won by President Donald Trump in all three of his presidential elections.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST RESULTS FROM THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS Even though Dunlap conceded to LePage last week, a ranked-choice count kicked off Monday morning.

Paul LePage of Maine is in Washington this week after declaring victory in his congressional race, even as the state’s ranked-choice count continues.

Additional details
  • People know me and people trust me and know what I'll say, I'll do," LePage said in a Fox News Digital interview last Wednesday in Bangor, Maine, after declaring victory.
  • That's because while LePage topped Dunlap by more than 5,000 votes, he fell short of grabbing a majority, which would have prevented ranked-choice voting.
  • Just like our opponent, who conceded, we are confident in the outcome," longtime LePage campaign strategist Brent Littlefield told Fox News Digital.
  • The apparent victory by LePage would be the only flip from blue to red by House Republicans in a non-redistricted seat in the midterm elections.
  • LePage narrowly edged out Democratic rival Matt Dunlap, and last week declared victory in the race for Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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