Here’s where GOP candidates for Maine’s 2nd District stand on key election issues

Reps. Austin Theriault (left) and Mike Soboleski (right) are both vying for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden in November. (Photos via Maine House Republicans)

After two debates this week, Republican candidates for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District have articulated their top priorities and shared their stances on key issues such as drug policy and border control. 

Two members of the Maine House of Representatives are running for Congress with the hope of unseating the incumbent Jared Golden, a Democrat. Mike Soboleski and Austin Theriault will face off in a Republican primary on June 11.

A former professional racecar driver, Theriault drove home how his experience as a businessman would serve him well in Congress. He also described himself as a “political outsider,” which he also said of former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Theriault’s campaign.

Soboleski said he’s the candidate to beat Golden because “a veteran going up against another veteran is the only way” to make that happen. Soboleski and Golden both served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He also said he will fight to see legislation through to the end without playing “the D.C. game.”

Here’s a closer look at four topics that dominated the debates. 

Top priorities

Both candidates were asked in a televised debate Tuesday what their first priority would be if they got elected.

Theriault said his number issue is border control. While he largely spoke about the Southern border with Mexico, Theriault later in the debate said he believes the U.S. needs to be tougher with its northern border, too.

Soboleski said if he goes to Washington D.C., he wants to take action against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to the president, for his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Giving a two-part answer, Soboleski also said he wants to put in legislation aimed at supporting veterans acclimating back to civilian life after they leave service. 

Immigration and borders

At a debate held at the Maine GOP convention last weekend, both candidates said they would support the continued construction of a wall at the Southern border along Mexico. 

Theriault talked about this multiple times in both debates, saying that — if both are elected — he will work with Trump, who is running again for president, to finish a wall on the Southern border because he said he believes it will stop fentanyl and organized crime from flowing into the country. 

Drug policy

In response to the Drug Enforcement Administration announcing its plan to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, both candidates said they would be OK with it being legalized federally, as it is in Maine, so long as it is regulated. 

However, Soboleski and Theriault were divided on a bill that went through the Maine Legislature last year seeking to prevent overdose deaths by studying the use of overdose prevention sites. 

Theriault supported the bill because he said substance use disorder is a personal issue to him because people in his family have struggled with addiction. He said he believes people deserve second chances and should be able to access recovery resources, but those aren’t always available.

Soboleski said he voted against the proposal because he doesn’t believe it’s the right way to help people stop using drugs. 

Gun safety

After the Oct. 25 shooting in Lewiston, Golden said he changed his opinion and would be in favor of an assault weapons ban. Golden has yet to introduce legislation on the matter, but two gun safety reforms will soon take effect, including a 72-hour waiting period for certain firearm sales.

Both Soboleski and Theriault opposed the reforms and said they support an individual’s Second Amendment rights and would not support any new gun safety measures if they were elected to Congress. 

Soboleski said he doesn’t think guns should be restricted in any way. 

Theriault said Mainers respect their guns and that they are important for self-defense, especially in rural areas where police response can be slow. Instead, Theriault said he believes there’s an issue with unaddressed mental health needs.

Foreign policy

Neither Theriault nor Soboleski said they supported the recent $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. 

Soboleski called the bill a “bad move,” saying it funds both sides of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and that too many people will die. The package included $26.38 billion for Israel, though $9.15 billion of that total is for humanitarian assistance for Gaza.

Theriault said he doesn’t believe the U.S. should be sending money to Ukraine when borders here aren’t secure and American people aren’t taken care of. Soboleski also said he wouldn’t support additional money for Ukraine and similarly made a point about the money being better used to help Americans, specifically veterans. 

Both candidates also condemned the pro-Palestine protests on college campuses across the country claiming students are expressing antisemitism.

Missed the debates?

If you missed the debates, both are available to watch online. The televised one can be found on the WGME CBS 13 News Facebook page. The entire debate hosted at the Maine GOP Convention was published on Soboleski’s campaign Facebook page.

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