No.
Maine candidates who lose a primary election cannot appear on the general election ballot as independents or third-party candidates. They can, however, run as write-in candidates.
Maine law bars “cross-filing,” meaning a candidate may seek nomination either by party primary or by nonparty (independent) petition, “but not by both methods.”
The state’s filing deadlines also prevent double-dipping. Independent candidates must file nomination petitions with the Secretary of State’s Office by 5 p.m. on June 1 of the election year. Maine’s primary is held on the second Tuesday in June — which is June 9 next year — preventing unsuccessful primary candidates from filing as independents.
Maine does allow declared write-in candidacies for the general election if they file a declaration by 5 p.m. on the 70th day before the election and otherwise meet the qualifications. But that path does not get the candidate’s name on printed ballots.
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Sources
- Maine Revised Statutes: Elections: Nomination authorized
- Maine Revised Statutes: Elections: Petition requirements
- Maine Revised Statutes: Elections: Timing and nature of election
- Maine Revised Statutes: Elections: Determination of declared write-in candidate