NEW: Dunlap Doubled Down on Raising the Gas Tax. And That’s Just the Tip of His Tax-Raising Record…

October 6, 2026

In an unbelievable admission, Matt Dunlap doubled down on his vote to raise Maine’s gas tax.

Even scarier, that wasn’t the only time Dunlap tried to hike taxes and fees. In fact, the scandal-ridden State Auditor has a long record of doing just that. 

Take a look ⬇️

“As State Auditor, Matt Dunlap let fraud run rampant and squandered Mainers’ tax dollars. As a legislator, Dunlap continually voted to hike taxes and fees, siphoning away even more of Mainers’ hard-earned cash. His record says it all: Dunlap isn’t a good steward of Mainers’ tax dollars, and he simply cannot be trusted to represent them in DC.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole

Read the full story here or see excerpts below:

Matt Dunlap Doubles Down on Increasing Maine’s Gas Tax
Townhall
Amy Curtis
October 5, 2026

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In Maine, Matt Dunlap’s record has been defined by being a failure at the one job he had and taking more money from hardworking Maine taxpayers. During his time in the State House, Dunlap voted to increase the gas tax and the vehicle registration fee, putting Maine among the top 20 states for gas tax at the time.

Just a few short years later, Dunlap voted to index the gas tax to inflation, which led to an eight-cent increase by 2011.

And just last week, Dunlap doubled down on increasing the gas tax and called it “absolutely…the right vote.”

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But Dunlap’s love of taxes isn’t limited to the gas tax. During his time in the State House, Dunlap voted for numerous tax-loving policies.This includes Dunlap voting against two bills that would have made it more difficult for the state legislature to raise taxes. He voted against freezing property taxes for low-income seniors in Maine, too.

Dunlap also tried to increase the costs of Maine’s recreational activities, including tripling the cost of fishing licenses for those who fish year-round, raising the annual registration fee for ATVs, which an official with ATV of Maine warned would “destroy a major recreational activity,” and proposing to raise other hunting and fishing fees by 50 percent.

In 1990-2000, Dunlap went so far as to vote to tax Social Security benefits for Mainers making more than $25,000 a year. Even then-Gov. Angus King vetoed that bill, saying it would “serve as a disincentive for many retirees to remain in or return to Maine’s workforce.”

If elected to Congress, Dunlap refused to sign a pledge not to raise federal taxes on Mainers, and he opposes the Working Families Tax Cuts, which means Dunlap supports a 24 percent tax hike on Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, would have voted against eliminating tax on tips and overtime — which boosted take-home pay for hardworking Mainers by $1,300–$1,400 — and would have voted against ending taxes on Social Security, something that benefits more than a quarter million seniors across the state of Maine. Dunlap’s radical policies meant he would’ve voted against a tax deduction for banks on loans made to fisheries and aquaculture facilities, which frees up credit for Maine’s lobstermen, too.

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The bottom line is this: Matt Dunlap took every chance he had to vote for bigger government over bigger paychecks. His record of fiscal mismanagement and support for higher taxes proves he cannot be trusted to protect Mainers’ hard-earned money.

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