(The Center Square) — Democratic Rep. Jared Golden dropped his reelection bid Wednesday in a move that could frustrate the party’s efforts to win a House majority in next year’s midterm elections.
In an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News, Golden said his decision not to seek another two-year term in Congress was driven partially by the “unnecessary, harmful” government shutdown. But he also expressed uneasiness about the “increasing incivility and plain nastiness” in American politics and cited threats of violence against him and his family.
“Last year we saw attempts against Donald Trump’s life, and more recently we witnessed the firebombing of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home, the assassination of Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota and the horrific murder of Charlie Kirk,” he wrote. “These have made me reconsider the experiences of my own family, including all of us sitting in a hotel room on Thanksgiving last year after yet another threat against our home.”
Golden was elected to a fourth term in last year’s election, after narrowly beating Republican challenger Austin Theriault in a ranked-choice tabulation. He is considered vulnerable in the right-leaning congressional district, which is one of the most competitive in the nation and carried twice by President Donald Trump.
But recent polls showed him trailing behind former Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican who jumped into the race in May, raising concerns among national Democrats about efforts to win back the House in next year’s midterms.
But he also drew a primary challenger from the party’s progressive wing — Maine State Auditor Matthew Dunlap — who announced last month and vowed to “take a harder line” against President Donald Trump’s policies and legislative agenda. Dunlap claimed Golden isn’t doing enough for the congressional district and has sided with Republicans on key issues, including Golden’s recent vote to keep the government open.
The 2nd District, one of Maine’s two congressional seats, is considered competitive and closely watched by political observers as Republicans push to retake the House of Representatives in the midterms.
Republican President Donald Trump carried the district handily in the 2020 elections, peeling off one of the state’s four electoral votes. Trump also won the district in the Nov. 5, 2024 elections.
In his op-ed, Golden said he hopes that opening up the congressional seat will allow for a “competitive primary for both Democrats and Republicans, as Paul LePage and Matt Dunlap are a far cry from being standard bearers of the generations that will inherit the legacy of today’s Congress.”
“An open, competitive primary is the best way to ensure we have strong candidates prepared for what will undoubtedly be a tough general election,” he wrote. “The Democratic Party just recently saw what happens when someone steps down and a new candidate is appointed untested.”
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene issued a statement praising Golden for his service and “all the work he has done for Mainers, from lowering costs to protecting lobstermen’s jobs and fighting for veterans.”
“His efforts to revitalize the Blue Dog Coalition have helped to grow our party, and his willingness to cross the aisle and find bipartisan solutions was deservedly rewarded time and time again by his constituents who continued to re-elect him despite bruising campaigns,” she said. “He embodies Maine’s independent spirit and I wish him and his family all the best in their next chapter.”
