Matthew Dunlap

Matthew Dunlap

Nonpartisan

Maine State Auditor

Tenure

2022 - Present

Term ends

2025

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Jacob Norton

Prior offices

Maine House of Representatives

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Maine Secretary of State

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Maine State Auditor

Successor: Jacob Norton

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Compensation

Base salary

$103,210

Elections and appointments

Appointed

November 14, 2022

Education

High school

Mt. Desert Island High School

Bachelor's

University of Maine

Graduate

University of Maine

Other

Harvard University

Personal

Religion

Christian: Episcopalian

Profession

Executive

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Matthew Dunlap is the Maine State Auditor. He assumed office on November 14, 2022. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.

The state legislature elected Dunlap as state auditor on December 2, 2020. He took an oath of office on January 4, 2021. Under Maine statute, Dunlap was required to have certification as a public accountant, internal auditor, or information systems auditor within nine months from the day he assumed office. He resigned on October 1, 2021, because he failed to obtain those credentials before the deadline. At the time of his resignation, Dunlap said he intended to continue pursuing internal auditor credentials.

Before becoming the state auditor, Dunlap was the Maine Secretary of State from 2013 to 2021 and from 2005 to 2011. He left office on January 4, 2021, at the end of his fourth term, the constitutionally-mandated term limit in Maine. Dunlap was originally sworn into office on January 7, 2005.

Before returning to the Secretary of State's office, Dunlap was a 2012 Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate election from Maine. He was defeated by state senator Cynthia Dill in the Democratic primary on June 12, 2012.

Biography

Dunlap earned a bachelor's degree in history and master's degree in English literature from the University of Maine in 1987 and 1994, respectively. In addition to his political career, Dunlap worked for 25 years as a journalist and columnist for The Northwoods Sporting Journal and other publications. For nearly one year he was the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. Dunlap also worked in commercial food service, nonprofit administration, textiles, and farming.

Dunlap is a founding board member of the Maine Youth Fish and Game Association. He was a board member of the University of Maine Board of Visitors; the Bangor Symphony Orchestra; the Vestry of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Old Town, Maine; and a chair of the Episcopal Diocesan Council on Indigenous Recognition. He is also a notary public and a volunteer auctioneer.

Political career

Maine State Auditor (November 2022-Present)

Dunlap was appointed to state auditor on November 14, 2022 by Troy Dale Jackson (D).

Maine State Auditor (January 2021-October 2021)

Dunlap served as the state auditor from January 4, 2021, to October 1, 2021. The state legislature elected him to the position on December 2, 2020. He resigned in October 2021 because he failed to obtain the required credentials within nine months of assuming office.

Maine Secretary of State (2012-2021)

Dunlap was confirmed for the position on December 4, 2012, and re-confirmed in 2014, 2016, and 2018. He left office on January 4, 2021, at the end of his fourth term, the constitutionally-mandated term limit in Maine.

Maine Secretary of State (2005-2010)

Dunlap was the Democratic Maine Secretary of State from 2005 until 2010. After being elected by the state legislature to serve as Maine's 47th Secretary of State, he was sworn into office on January 7, 2005.

Maine House of Representatives (1996-2004)

Dunlap's political career in the state of Maine began with his election to the Maine House of Representatives in 1996. In the course of his eight-year tenure in the Legislature, he served three terms as House Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He was also Democratic Chair of the 2003 Legislative Apportionment Commission, a member of the House Standing Committee on Elections, served as House Chair of the Citizen's Advisory Commission to Secure the Future of Maine's Wildlife and Fish, and was the first House Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Program Evaluation and Governmental Accountability. Dunlap was also Chair of the Old Town Democratic City Committee in addition to being Chair of the Marsh Island Community Deer Committee. Dunlap chaired a special task force in 2006 to plan for the future of the state's Cultural Building, and was the Chair of the 2006-2007 Maine State Employees Combined Charitable Appeal.

Dunlap served in the Maine House of Representatives from 1996-2004.

Elections

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Maine, 2012

Dunlap ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. Senate, representing Maine. Dunlap sought the nomination on the Democratic ticket. He faced Benjamin Pollard, Cynthia Dill, and Jon Hinck in the June 5 primary. Dunlap was defeated by Cynthia Dill in the Democratic primary. Republicans Scott D'Amboise, Richard Bennett, Charles Summers, Debra Plowman, Bruce Poliquin, and William Schneider ran in the Republican primary. Third party candidates Andrew Ian Dodge, Aaron Marston, and Angus King also ran in the general election.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Matthew Dunlap campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2002	Maine State House District 121	Won	$4,350	N/A**
2000	Maine State House District 121	Won	$1,375	N/A**
1998	Maine State House District 121	Won	$3,766	N/A**
1996	Maine State House District 121	Won	$2,974	N/A**
Grand total			$12,465	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Noteworthy events

Dunlap sued to force implementation of ranked-choice voting in June 12, 2018, primary election

See also: Implementation of ranked-choice voting in Maine

In 2016, Maine voters approved the Maine Ranked Choice Voting Initiative, which provided for the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in both primary and general elections for United States senators, United States representatives, the governor, state senators, and state representatives. In late 2017, the state legislature adopted LD 1646, a bill providing for the delayed implementation of ranked-choice voting pending approval of a constitutional amendment allowing for its use. Soon thereafter, proponents of ranked-choice voting launched what was ultimately a successful veto referendum campaign to suspend LD 1646 and force implementation of ranked-choice voting in the June 12, 2018, primary election.

On February 16, 2018, eight candidates for political office in Maine sued Dunlap in Kennebec County Superior Court to implement ranked-choice voting for the primary election on June 12, 2018. The Committee for Ranked Choice Voting, which backed both the initiative to enact ranked-choice voting in 2016 and the veto referendum to keep ranked-choice voting in effect in 2018, announced the lawsuit. Dick Woodbury, chairman of the committee, said ranked-choice voting “is the law and it must be implemented now to ensure the validity of the upcoming primaries.” The plaintiffs indicated that Dunlap’s inaction on implementing the voting system left them “guessing which method of election will decide their respective races.”

Dunlap responded to the lawsuit, calling the action premature. He said, “The accusations that we are not doing anything are completely groundless. It’s very disappointing that they would take this action now. … We’re in the middle of certifying the petitions. Assuming they have gotten the signatures, we are going to be moving forward [with ranked-choice voting.] If we move forward, the lawsuit will be moot.” On March 5, 2018, Dunlap announced that a sufficient number of valid signatures had been submitted to place the referendum on the ballot.

On March 29, 2018, Dunlap announced that he had been notified by Assistant Attorney General Phyllis Gardiner of "legal concerns regarding the implementation of ranked-choice voting" that might prohibit its use in the June 2018 primary election. Dunlap told the legislature's Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee that he believed lawmakers should adopt legislation to address this issue: "It is our intention to continue on with the implementation schedule laid out because we do not have time to do anything else, but I do bring this to the Legislature as a real conflict that could be challenged [in court]. I do not presuppose the outcome of that challenge. And I do not agree that we should just leave it to a challenge and see where the chips fall. I think it needs to be addressed."

On April 3, 2018, Kennebec County Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy issued an opinion in Committee for Ranked-Choice Voting v. Dunlap ordering state officials to proceed with the implementation of ranked-choice voting in June. Murphy wrote the following in her opinion: "The uncertainty that halting the ranked-choice voting implementation process at this late date is significant. Clarity, stability and public confidence are essential to ensure the legitimacy of Maine elections."

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Dunlap resides in Old Town, Maine, with his wife, Michelle Dunphy, and their daughter, Emily.

Dunlap has served in the following other roles:

• Chairman, Citizen's Advisory Commission to Secure Future of Maine's Fish and Wildlife (1998-2000)
• Democratic Chair, Legislative Apportionment Commission (2002)
• Chair, Cultural Building Task Force (2006)
• Chair, Maine State Employees Combined Charitable Appeal (2006-2007)
• Vice-President, Friends of Maine Track
• Maine COLT
• Member, Maine's Youth Fish and Game Association
• National Poetry Foundation
• National Rifle Association (NRA)
• Member, New England Outdoor Writers Association of America
• Vice-Chair, Old Town Democrats
• Old Town Grange
• Member, Outdoor Writers Association of America
• Penobscot County Conservation Association
• Sportsmans Alliance of Maine
• President, University of Maine M-Club
• Narragaugus Bay Chapter, Waterfowl USA
• Member, House Standing Committee on Elections
• House Chair, Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
• House Chair, Joint Standing Committee on Program Evaluation and Governmental Accountability
• Chair, Marsh Island Community Deer Committee
• Board Member, National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council
• Chair, Old Town Democratic City Committee

External links

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Jacob Norton	Maine State Auditor 2022-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Maine State Auditor 2021-2021	Succeeded by Jacob Norton
Preceded by -	Maine Secretary of State 2013-2021	Succeeded by Shenna Bellows (D)
Preceded by -	Maine Secretary of State 2005-2010	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Maine House of Representatives 1996-2004	Succeeded by -