Angus King claims victory in third bid for U.S. Senate

Incumbent U.S. Senator Angus King will serve a third term in Congress. Though he held a sizable lead for most of election night, he chose not to claim victory until Wednesday because of the possibility that the four-way race might go to ranked choice voting.

King finished with 52% of the vote — a nearly 20 point spread from his closest competitor, former state Republican party chair Demi Kouzounas. Democrat David Costello garnered 10% of the vote, and Independent Jason Cherry over 2%.

As he declared victory in his hometown if Brunswick, King vowed to continue a bipartisan approach in Washington in the wake of a divisive presidential election and a Senate now under Republican control.

"I heard this morning from a number of my colleagues, including several Republican colleagues, who are looking forward to working together to try to move forward with a positive agenda for the country," King said.

King cited some key issues that need attention, including housing, inflation, and border security. And noting the unusual 70 degree weather in November, he added climate change to the list.