On Tuesday, Maine state Rep. Austin Theriault, a Republican best known as a former NASCAR driver and 2019 ARCA Menards Series champion, was projected to win the Republican nomination for Maine's 2nd Congressional District.
He defeated Navy veteran Mike Soboleski in the district, which covers a plurality of the state, including much of its rural expanse.
Theriault, who was endorsed by former President Trump, said during his campaign that people look for candidates with business experience, like the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and himself.
Theriault's hometown of Fort Kent is known as the “other” 'Mile 0' of U.S. Route 1 (opposite Key West, Florida) and as a key international border crossing.
To that end, Theriault made border security a hallmark of his campaign.
UPPER HOUSE REPUBLICAN BACKS FORMER NASCAR DRIVER IN CONTENTIVE MAINE RACE
Austin Theriault, driver of the #22 Discount Tire Ford, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR XFINITY Series US Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway on July 29, 2016 in Newton, Iowa. (Jonathan Moore/NASCAR via Getty Images)
“I know we live thousands of miles from the southern border, but it's a huge problem because of the drugs coming across and the human trafficking,” he told WMTW.
Theriault, who also raced several times in the NASCAR Cup Series, will face “blue dog” Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, in November.
Golden, who notably split his 2019 votes on both of Trump's impeachment charges at the time, represents a district that also leans right in New England.
MAINE MOTHER, FURIOUS, AFTER-SCHOOL STAFF, WILL TRY TO TRANSITION TO HER 13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER
Since the early 1900s, the district has gone from blue to red and back again every few terms. Golden has been in the seat since he defeated Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine, in 2018.
Golden's victory over Poliquin at the time was an early test of the controversial practice of ranked-choice voting adopted by a growing list of states since then.
In his Monday endorsement of Theriault, Trump said Golden “poses himself as a bipartisan politician,” while the Republican nominee “will work hard to secure the border, protect our ever-under siege Second Amendment, stop crime, cut taxes and defend our brave men. compliance with the law.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Theriault's last big win came in 2017, when he won what is now called the Hard Rock Bet 200, a premier ARCA race during Daytona Speedweeks at the proverbial “World Center of Racing.”
The Second Congressional District has a Cook PVI of R+6, making Golden a vulnerable Democrat in November.
