Is This The Time For Maine Democrats To Correct The Mistake They Made By Electing Jared Golden?

Maine Blue Dog and MAGA-Democrat Jared Golden has been worse than useless since being elected to Congress in 2018. That said, his opponent for reelection, former governor Paul LePage, is far worse. So what do Mainers who detest Golden do? Vote for the lesser evil, which is what the DCCC always counts on? Bend down, grab their ankles and hope for the best? Stay home and wash their hands of the whole mess? Let Golden go down to defeat in the hope of defeating Le Page in 2028? So many choices. And I don’t have the answer… although, personally, there’s nothing that would ever get me to vote for someone like Jared Golden and watch him further muddy the Democratic Party brand.

I might add that Progressive Punch ranks Golden’s lifetime voting record (64.52) as the 4th worst of any Democrat in the House, slightly better than Henry Cuellar’s, Jim Costa’s and Sanford Bishop’s— and fractionally better than Josh Gottheimer’s. Needless to say, overall, they rate him “F.”

Roland, my closest friend is from Lewiston, the heart of the district and Golden’s base. His family is still there and so are many of his school friends. Most of them have become completely disillusioned with Golden’s conservatism and don’t want to vote for him again. All of them detest LePage. Without a big Democratic turnout in Androscoggin County (Lewiston-Auburn), Golden will have no chance at all. In 2024 Trump beat Kamala countywide 52.0% to 45.9%. Golden won convincingly in both Lewiston and Auburn.

Yesterday, Alex Roarty reported that a new Republican poll shows that LePage is leading Golden 48-43%. “The survey found the former Republican governor was boosted by Trump’s popularity in the district and Golden’s struggles with his party’s political base… Golden’s own favorability image is underwater, according to the poll, in part because of his struggles with the Democratic base. The lawmaker is viewed favorably by 39% of voters, compared to 45% who see him unfavorably. Among Democrats, just 54% saw him favorably, compared to 38% who didn’t. Golden angered Democrats recently after embracing some of Trump’s positions, including on tariffs.”

But Golden hasn’t just supported Trump’s protectionist tariffs, which have hurt Maine’s economy more than helped it— especially in sectors like lobstering and manufacturing— he’s also broken with the Democratic base in other consequential ways. Aside from being an AIPAC shill, he voted against Biden’s Build Back Better plan, siding with Republicans and corporate Democrats to kill the most ambitious investment in working-class infrastructure, childcare and climate action in a generation. Just like the Republicans, he framed his opposition as “fiscal responsibility,” but what it really meant was sacrificing the needs of struggling families in favor of appeasing Wall Street, MAGA voters and the donor class. He was one of only a handful of Democrats to vote against banning assault weapons, even as gun violence continues to plague American communities, and even as mass shootings continue to traumatize schoolchildren. In doing so, he stood firmly with the NRA, not with the people who elected him. He also joined Republicans in opposing student debt relief, calling it unfair to those who had already paid off their loans— a classic right-wing talking point that ignores the broader economic crisis crushing young people. His voting record suggests not a commitment to representing Maine’s working class, but rather a consistent and cringey willingness to undercut progressive priorities while wearing the Democratic label. He has become the kind of Democrat who does the right’s work for them, providing bipartisan cover for reactionary policies while insisting he’s just “voting his conscience” or his district.

State Auditor Matt Dunlap is considering a primary challenge against Golden. That would make it a lot easier for everyone.