Democratic Senate nominee holds two-point lead over Republican incumbent in Maine poll

A New York Times/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll released Monday shows the Democratic Senate nominee holding 49 percent support among likely Maine voters compared with 47 percent for the Republican incumbent, with 3 percent undecided or refusing to answer.

The two-point margin falls within the survey's sampling error, indicating a statistical tie. The contest is one of several races that will determine whether Republicans retain their 53-47 Senate majority after November's midterm elections.

Primary outcome and candidate background The Democratic nominee, a military combat veteran and oyster farmer, defeated two longshot rivals and two-term Democratic Gov. Janet Mills in the state's Senate primary earlier this month. The governor had suspended her campaign after trailing in fundraising and polling.

The nominee is backed by progressive champions including Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Ro Khanna of California. He advocates an economically populist agenda focused on corporate influence and working-class issues.

Controversies and voter views The nominee has faced multiple controversies, including inflammatory Reddit comments, a tattoo later covered after it was identified as resembling a Nazi symbol, and allegations from ex-girlfriends regarding personal conduct.

He has called allegations of violence untrue and apologized for the Reddit posts. More than 9 in 10 of his supporters said they had heard about the controversies but based their vote on policy positions. The poll found 54 percent of respondents want Democrats to regain Senate control, five points higher than the 49 percent supporting the nominee.