Former President Donald Trump has weighed in on the 2024 Republican primary race in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, throwing his “Complete and Total Endorsement” behind former NASCAR driver and State Rep. Austin Theriault (R-Fort Kent).
[RELATED: NASCAR Driver Austin Theriault Joins the Race for Maine’s Second Congressional District…]
“Former NASCAR Driver Austin Theriault is running for Congress in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District against Democrat Jared Golden, who poses as a ‘bipartisan politician,’ but is instead completely beholden to the Radical Left,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Wednesday afternoon.
“Jared Golden supports Joe Biden’s Open Borders Agenda, Out-of-Control Spending, and Costly Regulations that hurt Maine’s Great Lobstermen,” Trump continued. “In Congress, Austin Theriault will work hard to Secure the Border, Protect our always under siege Second Amendment, Stop Crime, Cut Taxes, and Support our Brave Law Enforcement, Military, and Veterans.”
“Austin Theriault has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” the former commander-in-chief wrote.
Theriault thanked Trump for his endorsement in a statement posted to X, writing that he is “looking forward to working with [Trump] to take Maine’s 2nd Congressional District back for the people.”
“Secure the border, stop crime, protect our 2nd Amendment, and get rid of Joe Biden,” Theriault wrote.
Theriault still has to get past his primary opponent, his fellow State Rep. Mike Soboleski (R-Phillips), to see which one of the two Republicans will take on Democrat incumbent Jared Golden in November.
Earning Trump’s endorsement puts Soboleski, who has been trailing Theriault’s campaign fundraising by about a ten-to-one ratio thus far, in a tough position in advance of the June 11 primary election.
[RELATED: Maine CD-2 Challenger Austin Theriault Collects Over $350,000 in Donations Through End of 2023…]
In addition to Trump, Theriault has picked up endorsements from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) — whose fundraising committee is also helping Theriault — and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La).
Soboleski, who has styled himself as the more solid conservative in the race and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, has criticized his fellow first-term Republican lawmaker Theriault over his votes on bills related to phasing out the state income tax, safe injection sites, prostitution, and a major wind power development in Aroostook County.
Jared Golden, whose approval ratings hit a low of 27 percent last fall among CD-2 voters, according to a Critical Insights poll — down from 56 percent in the fall of 2020, is in a particularly precarious position going into the November general election.
Prominent election forecaster the Cook Political Report moved Maine’s 2024 2nd District race to a “Democrat Toss Up” designation in November following Golden’s flip-flop on an assault weapons ban.
Read more on the state of the 2024 CD2 Republican primary race: Exotic Dancers, Tax Liens & Debauchery: Maine’s CD2 Republican Primary Is Getting Fiery…
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="26949 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=26949">5 Comments
Golden will prevail in a fortified election by a pre-determined margin, receiving %100 of the deceased Mainer vote, as well as %100 of the “newcomer” vote
Theriault gets My vote,….
Golden voted against gun control bills when Dems were in charge only because he knew his vote didn’t matter.
As long as “ranked choice voting” exists in Maine, there will never be another Republican elected, anywhere in the state. We are stuck under one party rule, and they can, and will, do anything they want to us. I moved away from Mass 25 years ago for this reason. Time to sell my home and move on….I hear the Chinese are buying houses all over Maine.
Has Goulden sent that Soris campainge money back yet?