President Donald Trump on Thursday gave former Gov. Paul LePage his “Complete and Total Endorsement” in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District race.

Trump said in a social media post that LePage, the prickly two-term governor who once described himself as “Donald Trump Before Donald Trump,” would be a “tremendous Congressman.”

“A proven America First Fighter, Paul has been with us from the very beginning, helping us, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump said on Truth Social. “Paul LePage is a WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also endorsed LePage.

The endorsements are not surprising, since Maine’s 2nd District is seen as a prime pickup opportunity for Republicans. Incumbent Democrat Jared Golden announced in November that he would not seek reelection.

Both Trump and Johnson endorsed Austin Theriault, a state representative and former NASCAR driver, in his bid to unseat Golden last year. Theriault closely aligned himself with Trump, but the strategy didn’t pay off, and Golden won another close election.

LePage has been lavishing praise on Trump since entering the race. On Thursday, LePage welcomed Trump’s endorsement in a statement of his own.

“”I look forward to working with President Trump in growing our economy, increasing jobs and wages, fighting high prices and protecting our citizens from crime with the removal of criminal illegal aliens,” LePage said.

His handling of Trump is starkly different from LePage’s 2022 bid to unseat Janet Mills as governor, when he deflected questions and sought to distance himself from the former president. At the time, Trump was under federal investigations for allegedly tampering with the 2020 elections and helping to incite the 2021 riot at the Capitol.

As governor, LePage racked up a $22,000 bill on the state dime to pay for stays at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. LePage’s trips coincided with efforts to land a job in the administration when his term ended in 2018. Trump no longer owns the hotel.

LePage, who grew up in Lewiston, has a built-in advantage in the Republican-leaning district, which has voted for Trump in all three of his presidential elections. The former governor won a majority there against Mills in 2022.

There is no clear Democratic successor to Golden.

State Auditor and former Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap of Old Town announced a primary challenge before Golden dropped out. And Jordan Wood, a Lewiston native who lives in Bristol, ended his U.S. Senate campaign to run for the congressional seat.

Trump predicted that Dunlap would win the primary, calling him “a Radical Left Democrat,” even though he recently had to explain an anti-abortion vote he took years ago as a state lawmaker. Dunlap is also a former board member and director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, which pushes pro-gun policies at the State House.

President Donald Trump on Thursday gave former Gov. Paul LePage his “Complete and Total Endorsement” in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District race.

Trump said in a social media post that LePage, the prickly two-term governor who once described himself as “Donald Trump Before Donald Trump,” would be a “tremendous Congressman.”

“A proven America First Fighter, Paul has been with us from the very beginning, helping us, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump said on Truth Social. “Paul LePage is a WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also endorsed LePage.

The endorsements are not surprising, since Maine’s 2nd District is seen as a prime pickup opportunity for Republicans. Incumbent Democrat Jared Golden announced in November that he would not seek reelection.

Both Trump and Johnson endorsed Austin Theriault, a state representative and former NASCAR driver, in his bid to unseat Golden last year. Theriault closely aligned himself with Trump, but the strategy didn’t pay off, and Golden won another close election.

LePage has been lavishing praise on Trump since entering the race. On Thursday, LePage welcomed Trump’s endorsement in a statement of his own.

“”I look forward to working with President Trump in growing our economy, increasing jobs and wages, fighting high prices and protecting our citizens from crime with the removal of criminal illegal aliens,” LePage said.

His handling of Trump is starkly different from LePage’s 2022 bid to unseat Janet Mills as governor, when he deflected questions and sought to distance himself from the former president. At the time, Trump was under federal investigations for allegedly tampering with the 2020 elections and helping to incite the 2021 riot at the Capitol.

As governor, LePage racked up a $22,000 bill on the state dime to pay for stays at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. LePage’s trips coincided with efforts to land a job in the administration when his term ended in 2018. Trump no longer owns the hotel.

LePage, who grew up in Lewiston, has a built-in advantage in the Republican-leaning district, which has voted for Trump in all three of his presidential elections. The former governor won a majority there against Mills in 2022.

There is no clear Democratic successor to Golden.

State Auditor and former Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap of Old Town announced a primary challenge before Golden dropped out. And Jordan Wood, a Lewiston native who lives in Bristol, ended his U.S. Senate campaign to run for the congressional seat.

Trump predicted that Dunlap would win the primary, calling him “a Radical Left Democrat,” even though he recently had to explain an anti-abortion vote he took years ago as a state lawmaker. Dunlap is also a former board member and director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, which pushes pro-gun policies at the State House.