Alliances pave path to victory in democratic Ranked Choice Voting races

AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) - Will this election impact campaign strategy in Maine moving forward?

Of the three major races decided early this morning in Ranked Choice Voting, only Republican Bobby Charles came out of primary day with a lead and left with the nomination.

CD2 winner Matt Dunlap was trailing after election day but was complimentary of Paige Loud in debates and on the campaign trail.

That appeared to pay off when her votes were redistributed.

Nirav Shah had the lead after the primary, but in the end, the consortium of Hannah Pingree, Troy Jackson and Shenna Bellows toppled his candidacy.

“It changes the game,” explained University of Maine Political Science Chair Mark Brewer. “It changes the game when you are using RCV. I think a lot of candidates will learn from this election. The significance, especially when you are talking about 5,6,7,8 candidate races, the significance of trying to build those alliances.”

Charles does offer a counter to the argument.

He chose to go it alone, asking his supporters to vote for him and no one else and in the end, he was victorious.