AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) A federal judge is tossing a lawsuit by a Republican congressman that aimed to nullify the outcome of Maine’s first ranked-choice congressional election.

Democrat Jared Golden defeated U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin in the contest after voters from two trailing candidates were eliminated and reassigned to the remaining field.

Poliquin contends the system was unconstitutional.

But Judge Lance Walker, a recent Trump appointee, rejected Poliquin’s requests in his lawsuit, which asked the courts to declare him the winner or order a new election for the 2nd Congressional District.

Poliquin’s lawyer argued the ranked system required voters to “guess” at which candidates would survive until the second, runoff-style round of tabulations. Walker heard arguments about the case last week at U.S. District Court in Bangor.