Democrat Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, of Lewiston, who represents Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, announced he will not seek reelection in 2026.
Golden said his decision followed “much deliberation,” and that he is proud of his service. He added that he is ready to “step away from elected office.”
He wrote for the Bangor Daily News that he has “never loved politics” but has always found purpose in public service.
After 11 years as a legislator, Golden said he has grown weary of the “increasing incivility and plain nastiness” that he said define much of American politics.
He said he and his team have “strived to stay above the fray,” but the constant threats and rising violence have changed his perspective.
Golden pointed to assassination attempts and political attacks against figures from both parties, including President Donald Trump, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and conservative leader Charlie Kirk, as signs of a country fraying at its edges.
He recalled spending Thanksgiving in a hotel with his family after another threat to their home and said his daughters should not grow up in fear.
“I have to consider whether the good I can achieve outweighs everything my family endures as a result,” he wrote.
Golden said his decision was also shaped by what he called “the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history,” which he blamed on both parties’ “hyperbolic accusations and recriminations.”
He said he would likely have won reelection but now “dreads the prospect of winning.”
“What I could accomplish in this increasingly unproductive Congress pales in comparison to what I could do as a husband, father, and son,” he wrote.
Golden criticized Republicans for letting their party be “hijacked first by Tea Party obstructionists and then by the MAGA movement.”
But he warned Democrats are following the same path, “allowing the most extreme, pugilistic elements of our party to call the shots.”
He accused both parties of embracing tactics that “fuel division and turn it into corporate profits,” while most Americans remain moderate and “neither diehard right-wingers nor resistance progressives.”
Golden said he leaves Congress proud of his record, from funding veterans’ mental healthcare to helping Maine lobstermen and tribes.
“These accomplishments reflect the best of what we can do when we channel our energies toward service and solutions, not ego and division,” he concluded.
“I am forever grateful for the trust bestowed on me by my fellow Mainers.”
Golden’s exit immediately puts Maine’s 2nd Congressional District in play.
The seat has been one of the most competitive in the country, and Trump won it handily in the 2024 election.
With Golden stepping away from his seat, Republicans have an opportunity to pick up another seat in the House, a key target as they look to expand their narrow majority in the midst of a major redistricting battle nationwide with Democrats.
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