Second District Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME) put to rest speculation about his 2026 plans on Tuesday morning when he declared that he will seek a fifth term, which also means he will not be throwing his hat into the growing field of those seeking the Democrat nomination to run for governor.
“While the election is still 18 months away and I remain focused on my responsibilities to my constituents and my family, I also know the path to the majority runs through Maine,” wrote Golden in a statement. “And I am going to do what it takes to make sure no one like Paul LePage blusters his way into Congress.”
In previous elections, Rep. Golden has prevailed thanks to Maine’s ranked choice voting (RCV) system. Initially in 2018, he trailed Republican Congressman Bruce Poliquin by more than 2,000 votes in the first round, but because neither major candidate won 50 percent, the newly-adopted RCV procedure kicked in, giving Golden the edge in a second count. Last year, he narrowly beat former state representative Austin Thierault also in a second round.
Earlier this month, former Maine Governor Paul LePage that he will seek the Republican nomination for Maine’s geographically vast Second Congressional District, and on Monday Thierault said he would not run and instead back LePage’s candidacy. Given the two-term governor’s clout among Maine Republicans, it is unlikely he will face any serious competition for his party’s nod next June.
[RELATED: Former Governor Paul LePage to Announce for Second District Congressional Seat]
The second district has been a national battleground because it skews Republican, unlike the rest of Maine. In the last three presidential elections, Donald Trump won the district. Because of this environment, Golden has bucked his party on occasion from his initial vote in Congress against Nancy Pelosi’s speakership to more recent support of the Trump tariffs.
This has subjected the former Marine to friendly fire from Democrats, but also earned him praise from groups like No Labels.
[RELATED: Leftist Groups He Once Supported Turn on Jared Golden as Democrats Embrace Purity Tests]
An early indication of how hotly contested this race is likely to be was seen late last week when the National Republican Congressional Committee deployed trackers to “doorstep” Golden and ask him why he has been flip-flopping on his position about whether biological males should be allowed to compete in female school sports — a hot button issue in Maine in recent months.
Last year, more than $50 million was poured into both sides in the election for this seat. With LePage in the running for next year, that total is entirely likely to climb even higher as he can tap into his network and Democrats will seek to claw back control of the U.S. House, requiring them to invest in vulnerable holds like Golden’s.
Should a third-party candidate enter the fray, that too could impact the math next November.
