JUST IN: Key Swing District Democrat Announces He’s Not Running For Reelection

(Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)

Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) will not be seeking reelection, possibly opening up a seat for Republicans as the Democrat is in a district that has largely favored President Donald Trump.

“I have never loved politics,” Golden wrote in an op-ed for The Bangor Daily News. “But I find purpose and meaning in service, and the Marine in me has been able to slog along through the many aspects of politics I dislike by focusing on the good work that Congress is capable of producing with patience and determination.”

Golden has held office in Maine’s 2nd district since 2019, and he’s now facing a primary challenge from the left as well as a challenge from former Republican Maine Governor Paul LePage. The district Golden is in has been won by Trump three times.

Golden said he’s grown tired of the “increasing incivility and plain nastiness that are now common from some elements of our American community.”

He insisted that challenges against his seat are not a factor in his decision.

The lawmaker wrote:

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.

I don’t fear losing. What has become apparent to me is that I now dread the prospect of winning. Simply put, what I could accomplish in this increasingly unproductive Congress pales in comparison to what I could do in that time as a husband, a father and a son.

Golden has broken with Democrats in some major areas, leading to the incoming primary challenge. He refused to publicly endorse former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, and he broke with Democrats by voting for a continuing resolution to fund the government.

Golden told The Wall Street Journal he disagreed with his party’s strategy of tying extending healthcare subsidies to funding the government.

“I’m just uncomfortable lying about the strategy to win and shutting down the government,” he said. “We’ve never been the party that does that.”