UPDATE: Just before 7 a.m. this morning, Adrienne Bennett announced she was cedeing the race to Dale Crafts. 

“Today, we unite as Republicans. I spoke with Dale this morning to congratulate him on becoming the Republican nominee for Congress,” she said in a statement. “He has my full, 100 percent support.”

AUGUSTA — With more than 70 percent of ballots tallied across the State of Maine by 1 a.m. on Wednesday morning, according to the Bangor Daily News, it appears the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives District 2 seat currently held by Jared Golden, a Democrat, will need a ranked-choice count. 

As it stands at publishing time, Dale Crafts holds 45.5 percent of votes statewide, Adrienne Bennett 31.7 percent and Eric Brakey 22.8 percent. 

As results were still being tabulated late Tuesday night, Brakey announced he was ceding the race citing no clear path to victory. 

With some Waldo County towns yet to report their results, Bennett holds a small lead over Crafts in Waldo County. 

Ranked-choice voting provides voters the opportunity to, if they wish, rank candidates in order of preference by marking candidates as their first, second and third choices.

“The votes are tabulated in rounds, with the lowest-ranked candidates eliminated in each round until there are only two candidates left,” explains the Maine Secretary of State’s Office. “The one who is determined to have received the majority of the votes (more than 50%) in the final round is declared the winner.”