Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump will make his third stop in Maine when he holds a town hall meeting in Portland on Thursday.
The real estate mogul and television personality is continuing to target the Pine Tree State as his campaign attempts to find a favorable path in the Electoral College map. So far, national pundits have predicted a difficult road because his rival Hillary Clinton has shown appeal in voting blocs that traditionally turn out in presidential elections.
However, Trump is still hoping to court disaffected Bernie Sanders supporters who flocked to the Vermont senator’s criticism of foreign trade deals, a message that resonated with the economic anxieties of rural voters.
A recent poll by CNN shows Clinton gaining support following last week’s Democratic National Convention. She leads Trump 45 percent to 37 percent, with two third-party candidates, Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, polling in the single digits.
While some Maine pundits were puzzled by Trump’s decision to hold his event in the state’s liberal epicenter, he is expected to benefit from statewide media coverage. That coverage will also carry over the border into New Hampshire because the Portland media market expands into the Granite State.
Trump is also targeting a slice of one Maine’s four electoral votes. The state is one of just two that allows a candidate to pick up a electoral vote if he or she loses the statewide vote, but wins in one of the two Congressional Districts.
The Trump event begins at 2 p.m. at the Merrill Auditorium. Doors open at 11 a.m.
Correction: This event has been rescheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to Trump's website.
