48 Days to Go: Jared Golden

Sep 18, 2024

Who: Jared Golden

Where: ME-02 (the northernmost 80% of the state)

Why: Jared Golden is guided by the same independent mindset that’s characterized so many of Maine’s politicians. It’s why he co-chairs the Blue Dog Coalition, which includes some of the most fiscally-conservative House Democrats. It’s also why he changed his mind on gun safety legislation in the wake of the October 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston, his hometown.

Soon after the shooting, Golden announced that “the time had come to take responsibility” for his failure to ban assault rifles and he called on Congress to act. This change in position earned Golden a downgrade from the NRA—from a B rating to an F—demonstrating Golden’s courage in taking that stand.

As a college student, Golden interrupted his college education to enlist in the Marines following 9/11. He served on the staff of GOP Sen. Susan Collins before he was elected to the Maine legislature and then Congress in 2018. Trump won his district in both 2016 and 2020.

Challenging Golden is 30-year-old Austin Theriault, a former NASCAR driver who was recruited to run in this district by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Theriault, who has been a Maine legislator for just 21 months and also runs a North Carolina-based business, has tapped into the deep pockets of the racing network around the country to raise money.

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