In a major blow to House Democrats, Rep. Jared Golden announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection.
Golden, a three-term incumbent who represents Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, wrote in the Bangor Daily News that he will not run in 2026, citing partisan gridlock and recent acts of political violence that have made him “reassess the frequent threats” toward him and his family.
Golden was facing a primary challenge from Maine state auditor Matthew Dunlap, but Golden said he felt confident he would win if he stayed in the race.
“I know that if I were to continue my campaign, I would prevail,” Golden wrote. “My record of winning the most challenging district held by any Democrat — of outperforming the top and bottom of the ticket four times — speaks for itself. Regardless of what angry partisan commentators may say, I retain the trust of the coalition of Democrats, independents and Republicans that has repeatedly defied the trends of political polarization by electing me.”
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“I don’t fear losing,” he continued. “What has become apparent to me is that I now dread the prospect of winning.”
Golden, the only House Democrat to vote for the spending bill that is currently stuck in the Senate, said the longest shutdown in U.S. history motivated his decision.
“This unnecessary, harmful shutdown and the nonstop, hyperbolic accusations and recriminations by both sides reveal just how broken Congress has become,” he said.
His decision to remove himself from the race likely puts the seat in jeopardy for Democrats, who need to both hold and gain seats to win the House majority. President Donald Trump won in the district by a 9.6-percentage point margin in 2024, while Golden led his Republican opponent by half a percentage point. Many Democrats saw Golden as the party’s best hope for keeping Maine’s 2nd Congressional District in the party’s hands.
The National Republican Congressional Committee said in a statement after the announcement that they expect Republicans to win the seat in 2026.
“Serial flip-flopper Jared Golden’s exit from Congress says it all: He’s turned his back on Mainers for years and now his chickens are coming home to roost,” spokesperson Maureen O’Toole said in a statement. “He, nor any other Democrat, has a path to victory in ME-02 and Republicans will flip this seat red in 2026.”
Dunlap launched his primary campaign for the seat in early October.
“What I’ve heard from folks is they think we can do better. They’re unhappy with our current situation,” Dunlap told NOTUS at the time. “You know, Jared Golden, people feel like he’s been bad for us. He has developed a consistency of voting with the Republican caucus on very important issues that affect real Mainers.”
Former Republican Maine Gov. Paul LePage is also running for the seat.
Golden criticized Dunlap and LePage in his retirement announcement.
“My sincere hope is that by creating an open seat, my departure makes space 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,” he wrote.
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This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS, VTDigger and The Maine Monitor.
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