NASCAR Driver Austin Theriault Files Bid For Maine’s Battleground U.S. House Seat

September 25, 2023

Theriault is running to fight and WIN for struggling Mainers under attack from out-of-touch, out-of-state elites

Theriault has deep roots in the district & a track record of success

For Immediate Release

FORT KENT, ME – Fort Kent native, small businessman, state representative, and championship-winning race car driver Austin Theriault today filed formal paperwork announcing his intention to run for Maine’s battleground 2nd Congressional District seat.

Maine’s 2nd Congressional District is expected to be one of the most competitive races in the country in 2024.

Theriault in Victory Lane

“Regular hardworking folks are getting held down by out-of-touch, out-of-state elites who are clueless about how hard it is to make a living in Maine,” Theriault said. “And some of our leaders are not very effective in fighting back – and I will be.

Inflation and the cost of living is out of control, the drug crisis is tearing apart rural Maine, our borders are wide open, our small towns are dying – and I will come in with the fire to confront these issues.

Joe Biden has failed us and Jared Golden more times than not fails to stand up, speak out, and get the job done for a part of the state that desperately needs leadership. Golden is a nice guy, but he is still part of the problem.

Maine doesn’t need old, failed leaders like Biden, Pelosi, and Schumer – or those will fail to hold them accountable. We need a new generation of leaders who will be effective in fighting back against them and standing up for you.

Here’s why I’m the guy to do that:

My story is similar to that of many rural Maine families: my grandfather, who couldn’t read or write, left school in 4th grade to work on the farm to feed his family. From the grip of poverty, through hard sacrifices and labor from his bare hands, our family built a logging business in Aroostook County. My family taught me the values that govern my life: love of family, respect for people, the value of hard work, and perseverance.

I grew up in Fort Kent, started racing at 13, started managing my business at 16, and graduated from Fort Kent Community High School. After I stepped back from competing across the country at NASCAR’s most legendary tracks to focus on the business side of racing, I was elected to the Maine House of Representatives, where I represent part of Aroostook County.

I know what Mainers face: the working class is being priced out and attacked by people in government who hold too much power and not enough common sense. It’s time for relentless, energetic, and effective leadership for Maine at a national level. Mainers in the Second Congressional District need a louder, more involved voice in Washington who understands their way of life and will effectively fight for that way of life. I will be that voice.”

About Austin:

Theriault, 29, currently represents the 1st District in the Maine House of Representatives. Traditionally a Democratic stronghold, Theriault won the 1st District with more than 70 percent of the vote in 2022. He’s an Aroostook County-born entrepreneur and former NASCAR driver who is committed to making Maine’s 2nd Congressional District a better place for working-class Mainers to live.

He hails from a multi-generational logging and farming family with deep roots in Aroostook County’s St. John Valley.

Austin’s family in 2003 and 2023

He started racing at 13, and at age 16, he took over the management of his racing career handling contract negotiations, sponsorship agreements and all administrative tasks. During this time he used these skills and hard work to pursue authentic partnerships and forge relationships across multiple industries.

Austin drove the “Maine Car” at Kentucky Speedway in 2014

His efforts paid off in 2017 when he captured the ARCA Racing Series national championship, driving for NASCAR legend Kenny Schrader, in a record breaking season.

After Austin stepped away from driving, he fully focused on the business side of the sport where he excels in mentoring, managing and training new drivers. Austin is someone who works to build bridges and will use all he has learned from his family and entrepreneurial efforts to do the same in Washington.

During his first term in Augusta, Austin wasted no time – he got bipartisan legislation passed that will help fix Maine’s roads. He also helped create a new bipartisan law that will bring more forest industry jobs and lower energy costs to rural Maine.

However, he also saw that much more needs to be done for rural Maine immediately – and that’s why he’s running for the United States House of Representatives.

Mainers in the Second Congressional District need a voice in Washington who understands their way of life – and will fight for that way of life while forging relationships that will benefit Mainers for years to come. That’s Austin Theriault.