Bruce Poliquin | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 2nd district | |
In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Mike Michaud |
Succeeded by | Jared Golden |
49th Treasurer of Maine | |
In office January 5, 2011 – January 7, 2013 | |
Governor | Paul LePage |
Preceded by | David Lemoine |
Succeeded by | Neria Douglass |
Personal details | |
Born | Bruce Lee Poliquin November 1, 1953 Waterville, Maine, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouses | Jane Carpenter
(m. 1989; died 1992)Judith Arbuckle
(m. 2004; div. 2009) |
Children | 1 |
Education | Harvard University (BA) |
Bruce Lee Poliquin (/ˈpɒlɪˌkwɪn/; born November 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Maine's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. Poliquin was first elected to Congress in the 2014 general election.[1] From 2010 to 2012, he was the 49th Maine State Treasurer.[2] He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2012, finishing second in the primary election. In January 2017, at the start of the 115th Congress, Poliquin was the sole Republican representing a U.S. House district in New England.
Poliquin was defeated by Democrat Jared Golden in his 2018 run for reelection; he became the first incumbent to lose his seat in Maine's second congressional district since 1916. Poliquin claimed the ranked-choice voting process used in the election was unconstitutional and declared himself the winner because he led after the initial tally. He sued to be declared the winner and have ranked-choice voting declared unconstitutional, but his lawsuit was rejected. He conceded to Golden on December 24, 2018. Poliquin lost his attempt to reclaim the seat in 2022.