Unlike most of his Democratic colleagues, Maine Congressman Jared Golden still isn't endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid for the White House.
Meanwhile, Golden is also highlighting his disagreements with Biden administration policies as the moderate Democrat seeks another term in Maine's conservative 2nd Congressional District.
Golden said earlier this week that Biden made "the right decision for the good of the country" by dropping his campaign for a second term. Golden had previously said, following Biden's disastrous debate performance against Trump, that he needed more assurances that the 81-year-old could physically and mentally lead the country for another four years.
But unlike the vast majority of other Democrats in Congress and most party leaders back in Maine, Golden is also taking a wait-and-see approach toward Harris.
“I expect to have to work to earn Mainers’ votes and our candidates for president should expect the same," Golden said in a statement earlier this week. "Kamala Harris has been a candidate for president for less than a week and I look forward to learning more about what kind of leader she would be."
Golden said he wants to learn more about Harris' plans on issues like safeguarding Social Security, lowering costs for Mainers and maintaining America's international leadership. And he added that "our choice in leaders should never be a knee-jerk decision driven solely by party loyalty."
Golden's opponent this November, Republican state lawmaker and former NASCAR driver Austin Theriault, has spent weeks blasting Golden for not saying whether he supported Biden and now Harris for president. His campaign continued those attacks this week while accusing Golden of changing his position on issues like government spending and border security.
"Jared Golden has gone full Washington as he changes his positions in desperation to win in November," Theriault said in a statement on Thursday. "First, Golden flip-flopped on the border, then he took the position of every other slippery Washington politician who refuses to disclose who they're supporting for president. As I grew up in Fort Kent, I learned to put people over politics — and Jared Golden's not doing that right now. I'm running to bring more balance and less extremism to Congress."
Maine's 2nd District race is once again expected to draw massive spending from the national parties and their allies with control of the House at stake. The seat has been held by Democrats for all but a few years since the mid-1990s. But the rural district is increasingly conservative, as evidenced by Trump's victories there in both 2016 and 2020.
Golden has repeatedly said he won't vote for Trump, who he said recently lacks the moral character to lead the nation. His campaign said he wasn't available for comment on Friday, But earlier this month before Biden's withdrawal, Golden said he thought Democrats would be "best served by somebody who comes out of nowhere" winning the nomination for president.
"And I think that's what the country is kind of hungry for," Golden told Maine Public. "I think that they are tired of the same old re-treads. I think they want fresh thinking, energetic and new thinking from people who aren't burdened by the complexities of party politics."
Meanwhile, Golden launched its first television ad of the campaign this week in which he portrays himself as an "independent leader." The ad highlights Golden's vote against Biden spending bills and an electric vehicle mandate while pointing out that he worked with the Trump administration and Republicans on issues for veterans and border security.
Theriault's campaign responded by saying the ad was "full of flip-flops and lies."
"This guy spends 30-seconds claiming he voted against trillions of dollars in Biden's spending, while in the exact same ad touts his support of trillions of dollars in Biden's spending through the laughably named Inflation Reduction act," Shawn Roderick, Theriault's campaign manager, said in a statement. "He thinks Maine's people are suckers, but Austin Theriault will hold him accountable this fall."
Golden hit back on Friday in another indication that the campaign for the swing district is heating up.
“I’ve yet to hear my opponent Austin Theriault say one thing about why the people of Maine should support him or why he wants to represent them in Congress," Golden said in a statement. "He has spent his entire campaign talking about Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and now Kamala Harris. That’s because he is a follower, not a leader."
