Jared Golden to Not Seek Re-election in 2026, Impacting Maine Swing District

Representative Jared Golden of Maine, a Democrat, attends a news conference opposing a ‘union-busting executive order by President Donald Trump’ that eliminated collective bargaining rights for federal workers at the Capitol Visitor Center on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images

Democratic Congressman Jared Golden of Maine announced that he would not seek reelection in 2026, presenting the Democratic Party with a difficult challenge in one of the country’s most competitive districts, which is due for redistricting ahead of the next elections.

“I am not afraid to lose. What has become clear to me is that I no longer take joy in the prospect of victory,” Golden wrote in The Bangor Daily News. “Plainly speaking, what I could achieve in this increasingly unproductive Congress pales in comparison with what I could accomplish in the time I have as a husband, father, and son.”

Golden’s decision deprives Democrats of the incumbent’s edge in one of the country’s key swing districts. Last year he won by less than one percentage point, while Donald Trump drew roughly ten percent support there.

The “Decision Excavator,” a Marine Corps veteran who first entered Congress in 2018, defended Maine’s split 2nd District the way Donald Trump did in his time. Although Golden helped strengthen the Democratic caucus in the House, he had long felt a disconnect with party leadership in Washington.

On Wednesday Golden drew attention to the record-long government shutdown, noting:

“Constant, hyperbolic accusations and mutual slights from both sides show how broken Congress has become.”

His frustration with top-level party leadership had been evident earlier this month when he sharply criticized members of his own party for a strategy he described as “driven by demands from some in the Democratic base and left-leaning groups for the party to explicitly fight Donald Trump.”

Against the backdrop of intra-party tensions, Maine’s primary challenger Matthew Dunlap, the state auditor, emerged, accusing the moderate congressman of a string of public ruptures with Democrats since his election in 2019.

In his announcement, Golden voiced skepticism about his opponents, among whom were Dunlap and former Republican governor Paul LePage.

“I sincerely hope that by creating an open vacancy, my departure will create space for competitive primaries for both Democrats and Republicans, because Paul LePage and Matt Dunlap are far from the standard-bearers of the generation that will inherit the legacy of today’s Congress.”

The four-term congressman and father of young children also recalled the latest high-profile incidents of political violence and threats against his family, explaining his decision – notably, he said that his family “sat in a hotel room on Thanksgiving Day last year after yet another threat to our home.”

Golden himself rejected that his decision was tied to any calculation of electoral victory.

“I know that if I had continued the campaign, I could have won. My record of winning in the most challenging district among Democrats – and leading by margins at both ends of the ballot four times – speaks for itself.”

In response, Golden stressed that he wants to create an open vacancy for both parties’ chances in future primaries, noting that the extreme and aggressive elements in his party should not dictate the agenda in Washington.

“His efforts to revive the Blue Dog Coalition helped grow our party, and his willingness to cross the aisle and seek bipartisan solutions was rightly recognized by his voters, who continued to reelect him despite smear campaigns.”

“Yesterday’s election results clearly showed that voters are ready to elect a Democratic majority that will uphold promises to lower costs and fight for everyday people.”

“This year, in light of losses from previous elections, too many Democrats have yielded to demands to use the same uncompromising, obstructionist tactics as in the GOP.”

Ultimately, Golden stressed: “they allow the extreme, aggressive elements of our party to drive the process,” but also added that his departure aims to open the path to competitive primaries so that both parties can find the best path forward in 2026.

Implications for the future makeup of Congress

Following his decision, the focus will shift to whether Democrats can hold the seat in this district, which in recent years has become a symbol of the bond between centrism and a demand for real action. Golden’s decision will force party committees to rethink strategies and perhaps adjust how they recruit candidates in 2026 to reflect Maine voters’ mood.