Democratic Rep. Jared Golden says he's not endorsing anyone in the race for the White House — and he's clearly not happy that the topic keeps coming up.
Golden, who represents Maine's more conservative 2nd Congressional District, had raised concerns about President Biden's ability to serve another term. After Biden withdrew from the race, Golden said he wanted to learn more about Vice President Kamala Harris's priorities when she became the presumptive nominee. The Democrat has also said, however, that he will not vote for former President Donald Trump.
On Thursday, Golden said he is focused on his own campaign to win a fourth term in Congress.
“Let me be as clear as I can be: I will not be endorsing in the presidential race," Golden said in a statement. "The reason is simple: I am running to represent all the people of this district, regardless of who they vote for at the top of the ticket."
Golden was responding to repeated media requests on the Democratic ticket. He has also been the target of near-daily attacks on the topic from the campaign of his Republican opponent, Austin Theriault, who is supporting Trump.
"Jared Golden isn't being honest or straight with the voters of Maine," Theriault campaign manager Shawn Roderick said in a statement later Thursday. "We have a right to know who Jared is voting for — regardless of who he's endorsing or not endorsing. Jared Golden has worked with VP Harris for four years. So is he voting for her? It's a simple yes or no question."
Golden then pushed back hard on Friday against a newspaper reporter's follow-up questions about who he planned to vote for and whether there was a chance he would unenroll from the Democratic Party.
"Now I will make my last statement about how I plan to vote: Who I vote for is no one’s business but my own," Golden said. "I want the people of Maine’s Second District to understand this: I don’t care if you plan to vote for Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, or none of the above. I intend to seek your support to be your representative based upon the merits of the work I have done for all of our communities the past five and a half years."
Roderick responded with, "LOL. So who is Jared voting for?"
A Marine Corps veteran and former state lawmaker from Lewiston, Golden is a moderate Democrat in a swing district that supported President Obama but then voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020. The 2nd District is considered by both national parties as one of the most competitive House races in the country this year.
Golden, 42, has voted opposite of his caucus leadership and Biden more than any other Democrat in the House. Those votes have often frustrated more progressive members of the Democratic Party in Maine. His campaign ads have also portrayed him as an "independent" voice in Washington and highlighted his votes against some Biden administration policies.
At the same time, he is a strong supporter of abortion rights, organized labor and other issues that are key parts of the Democratic platform.
His opponent in November, Theriault, is a 30-year-old former NASCAR driver who now represents his hometown of Fort Kent in the Maine House. Theriault has highlighted his Aroostook County roots — coming from a logging, trucking and farming family — as well as his business experience running racing teams and driver recruitment business.
