Jared Golden will run for reelection in Maine’s 2nd District in 2026

By Billy Kobin, Bangor Daily News Staff

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden said Tuesday he will run for a fifth term in Maine’s 2nd District next year, declining a run for governor and setting up a potential race with former Gov. Paul LePage as long as the congressman can beat back a primary threat.

Golden, a 42-year-old Marine veteran and Democrat from Lewiston, had been floated for months as a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2026, when Gov. Janet Mills is termed out of office. Instead, Golden is on course for a high-profile matchup with LePage, a combative Republican who led Maine from 2011 to 2019 and launched his comeback bid this month.

The rural and conservative half of Maine is a perennial canvas for races of national importance. Golden’s district has backed President Donald Trump three times, and both national parties view it as key to determining control of the House. The fourth-term congressman barely held his seat in 2024 against former state Rep. Austin Theriault.

In a statement, Golden said while he “considered many options for how best to continue serving the people of Maine, I have decided to run for reelection because the surest way to restore balance in Washington is for Democrats to win back the House of Representatives.”

“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,” Golden said. “And I am going to do what it takes to make sure no one like Paul LePage blusters his way into Congress.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, and other Democratic lawmakers in leadership positions joined state lawmakers, union leaders and others in endorsing Golden in a news release from the congressman’s campaign. 

“Jared’s dedication to representing all of his constituents — no matter their party affiliation — makes him uniquely suited to once again win one of the toughest seats in the country for Democrats to hold,” read a statement from Jeffries and three other leaders.

Speculation surrounding the 2nd District field also ramped up last week after State Auditor Matt Dunlap, a former secretary of state and Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine leader from Old Town, said he was considering running against the incumbent in a Democratic primary next year.

Former state lawmakers who previously supported Golden were among those joining the calls for Dunlap to challenge the congressman, but the national House Democratic campaign arm stood by Golden and nodded to his ability to win a district that Trump has carried.

Golden was first elected in 2018 and narrowly beat a former state representative and NASCAR driver from Fort Kent, by fewer than 3,000 votes last November. Golden has irked progressives by voting with Republicans on certain hot-button issues, including a bill to require proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

Dunlap cited a conversation he had with Golden over his support for that legislation and how Golden “kept doubling down” on his stances in explaining why he was mulling a 2nd District bid. Dunlap also said Thursday a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee official had called him to suggest he should not challenge the incumbent. 

Since winning reelection last year, Golden had been a question mark in terms of whether he would seek to stay in Congress, run for governor or leave office to spend more time with his wife and two young children. 

Golden supporters argue he has represented the diverse views of his constituents. He has also received praise from groups within his party’s coalition for his more progressive stances on labor issues, abortion rights and campaign finance. He remains among the House members closest to the political center, particularly on economic issues, according to VoteView.

National Republicans have tried to link him to more progressive members of his party during past campaigns, a tactic that has continued in the early part of Trump’s second term. LePage sent out a fundraising email last week nodding to Golden’s situation, saying Mainers “don’t know if he will be voting with the liberals one day or claiming he is a moderate the next.”

“Maine people want a stronger, more consistent, conservative voice who won’t back down in fighting for our values,” LePage wrote.