Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who represents a Maine district that has delivered its Electoral College vote to Donald Trump in the past three elections, is running for another term instead of seeking statewide office.
“While I have considered many options for how best to continue serving the people of Maine, I have decided to run for re-election because the surest way to restore balance in Washington is for Democrats to win back the House of Representatives,” the fourth-term congressman said in a statement Tuesday.
Golden, who had been touted as a candidate for either the open governor’s race or Senate, said the path for House Democrats to gain the majority next year runs through Maine.
“And I am going to do what it takes to make sure no one like Paul LePage blusters his way into Congress,” he said.
LePage, a Republican former governor, announced earlier this month that he was running for Golden’s seat in the sprawling 2nd District, which includes much of Maine outside of the Portland and Augusta areas.
A Marine veteran and former state legislator, Golden was first elected to Congress in 2018, unseating GOP incumbent Bruce Poliquin after a ranked-choice voting tabulation. He’s been a frequent GOP target since and narrowly won reelection last fall, defeating Maine state Rep. Austin Theriault by less than a point under the state’s ranked-choice voting system.
Theriault announced Monday that he would not run for the House seat next year.
“After a lot of thought, I’ve decided that a crowded, divisive primary hurts our party and most importantly our chances to win in November,” he said in a statement.
Golden, a member of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition, could face a Democratic primary challenge next year, with state Auditor Matt Dunlap saying recently that he was exploring a bid for the seat.
“Today, in these uncertain times, we are the leaders we are looking for, and for someone like me, with accumulated knowledge and experience, to step away from the service of my country I feel would be an abrogation of my patriotic duty,” Dunlap said in a statement that did not mention Golden, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Dunlap, a former longtime Maine secretary of state, also unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2012.
Earlier this month, CQ Roll Call included Golden on its initial list of the 10 most vulnerable House members of the 2026 cycle. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales currently rates the contest for the 2nd District as Tilts Democratic.
Golden is also on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s initial list of House Democrats it plans to target next year.
“We look forward to making out of touch Democrat Jared Golden wish he ran for governor,” NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said in a statement Tuesday.
The race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has already attracted a crowd, with more said to be weighing bids. The Democratic field already includes Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows; businessman Angus King III, the namesake son of the state’s junior senator; and former state Senate President Troy Jackson, who formally announced his campaign on Monday. Republican hopefuls include Bobby Charles, a veteran of the Reagan and both Bush administrations, while state Sen. Jim Libby reportedly filed paperwork for a bid last week.
Meanwhile, on the Senate side, all signs point toward Republican Sen. Susan Collins, the chair of the Appropriations Committee, seeking a sixth term in 2026.
“It’s certainly my inclination to run, and I’m preparing to do so,” Collins told CNN earlier this month.
Mills has been mentioned as a potential challenger to Collins, though the governor said in late April that she didn’t have plans to run for another office. Former congressional staffer Jordan Wood launched a campaign for the Democratic nomination last month.
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