Jared Golden of Maine is Prepared to Challenge His Fellow Democrats
Rep. Jared Golden could be seen as the successor to West Virginia’s Joe Manchin in efforts to pull Democrats away from the progressive side on topics such as energy and the environment.
TroibNews 
**RANGELEY, Maine —** Democratic Rep. Jared Golden has long occupied a unique position within his party but is now poised to emerge as a significant power broker.
During a rainy ATV ride to Quill Hill, a scenic lookout about 3,000 feet above sea level in Maine’s northern logging country, Golden opened up about his political aspirations this summer.
The combat veteran is seeking a fourth term in Maine’s expansive, rural, and politically diverse 2nd District as a self-identified outsider not tied to party obligations. He faces Republican Austin Theriault, a former NASCAR driver turned state legislator, in what is considered one of the nation’s most expensive battleground races.
If he wins, Golden could significantly increase his influence. He is leading a group of independent-minded young lawmakers who are eager to leverage their positions and challenge party leadership to achieve their goals. This group is working to revitalize the Blue Dog Coalition, a centrist bloc that has been seen as outdated in recent years.
A modest Democratic majority in November, bolstered by Blue Dog candidates, would empower Golden and his colleagues to shape legislation on critical issues such as climate change and immigration.
"We’re building, we hope, a team of young Blue Dogs who actually want to legislate and use leverage to get things done the way they should be done for their districts," Golden stated in an interview at Oquossoc Grocery, a local market in his district.
"One way you have to do that is a willingness, if the margins are tight, to say 'no' to your own leadership, and be, like, look, here’s the list of things that really matter to our constituents," he added.
Golden's image resonates in this working-class region, where logging trucks frequently pass and paper mills continue to operate. He arrived at the grocery store in a Chevy pickup, dressed in a raincoat, khaki utility pants, and sturdy boots.
In the crowded store, no one seemed to recognize him as he quietly bought breakfast, his voice barely rising above a jackhammer outside.
He detailed an ambitious vision for transforming the Blue Dogs into a populist faction of Democrats that can effectively counterbalance the party’s left wing, which has dominated the party's direction for the last decade.
“We basically reject party loyalty, the idea that there should be some kind of national party with a series of cascading litmus tests and everyone’s gotta follow suit,” Golden remarked. "I view us as much more populist … it’s about establishing leverage and exerting force and power, political power, for very specific means."
No one in Congress has wielded their influence as a centrist swing vote quite like Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia.
Manchin, during his time when Democrats controlled Congress, held the party's leadership in suspense for months, using his vote strategically to negotiate concessions, notably regarding the Inflation Reduction Act.
With his retirement approaching, Manchin is now backing Golden. “The best of the best,” he said of Golden. “What we’re trying to do — and I’m trying to help him any way I can, I'm with him 1000 percent — is try to create support for the middle.”
For Manchin, that support includes aiding independent-minded challengers in primaries who could disrupt the status quo.
"A person that comes here and wants to be independent ... vote your conscience and vote what’s best for the country first, don’t follow the party lines,” Manchin emphasized. “We’re going to make sure they have support."
While Golden may not have the individual clout of a senator, he doesn’t need many more Blue Dogs to wield considerable influence.
“As congressional majorities have gotten so much narrower, it’s not obvious that you need so many members, as long as you’ve got just enough,” explained Ruth Bloch Rubin, a political science professor at the University of Chicago who examines the effects of intraparty divisions on lawmaking.
“Golden’s working from a point of advantage, because whatever congressional majority if Democrats are to retake the House, it’s going to be a narrow one,” she noted. “To have someone like Golden who recognizes the importance of organization and institution building, that’s where the action is and that’s where moderates are going to find success.”
If the electoral landscape favors Golden, he could find himself at odds with some of the most powerful leaders in his party, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has indicated intentions to revisit extensive climate legislation.
“I don’t want to talk about a climate bill, I’m not doing any more of that,” Golden said, expressing reservations regarding one of the Democrats' key issues for the upcoming year.
Despite his reservations about mainstream Democratic positions, Golden does not consider himself a pariah within the party. He positions his style of politics—what he calls "progressive conservatism"—as a potential remedy for the party's struggles in rural, working-class districts that have turned against Democrats in recent election cycles.
“I’m still the most popular Democrat that has been on the ballot in Maine’s Second District since before I started running for office,” Golden asserted, referencing internal polling that claims he enjoys 90 percent support among Democrats. “So who’s out of whack with Democrats in rural America?”
He sees Vice President Kamala Harris — the Democratic presidential nominee — echoing his strategy by adopting more left-leaning economic policies while taking stances that align more with traditional views on issues like border control, crime, and environmental concerns.
“If you wanna win, then fine, follow me,” Golden said. “I’ll be a bit of your thought leader on how to really represent working class and rural communities where if we were doing as well as we used to, we’d be quite dominant nationally."
The Blue Dog Coalition played a crucial role during the Obama administration, particularly during the health care debate, but its membership has dramatically declined, from 54 members in 2009 to just 10 today.
Golden leads the group alongside Reps. Marie Glusenkamp-Perez of Washington and Mary Peltola of Alaska, all of whom are in tight races.
A recent poll from Pan Atlantic Research in Portland, Maine, showed Theriault leading Golden 47-44, within the margin of error. However, Golden holds an advantage in fundraising.
“Hopefully, I’ll have a team of Blue Dogs around me [next year], and part of it will just be to try and use our collective leverage to make sure that what gets done meets our priorities," Golden explained.
Golden and his fellow Blue Dogs have a range of priorities that are often local and practical in nature.
He frequently challenges the Biden administration over regulations affecting lobster fishermen. Peltola has criticized the administration’s land protections in Alaska alongside some Republicans, while Glusenkamp-Perez, a former auto mechanic, has broken ranks with the party on electric vehicles, emphasizing their unsuitability for rural areas and advocating for farmers' right to repair their own equipment.
Golden’s opposition to President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats often centers around energy and environmental policy. He holds an 82 percent lifetime score and a 53 percent score for 2023 from the League of Conservation Voters.
Among the few Democrats supporting H.R. 1, a Republican-backed package that seeks to streamline environmental reviews and promotes fossil fuel projects, he took a position that's rare within his party.
"You want to talk about doing an energy bill, let’s do an energy bill," he stated regarding the potential legislative focus for the upcoming year.
Golden supported the IRA but only after expressing months of objections to its predecessor, the "Build Back Better Act," which he criticized as a “poorly-targeted and fiscally irresponsible agenda put forward by the Biden administration.”
"I voted for a bill that was drafted by Joe Manchin," he noted, echoing Manchin's concerns about the administration's methods of promoting electric vehicles and renewable energy.
“Their approach to it in the White House has been to get the lawyers out and figure out how they can use waiver authority and all kinds of other shit."
“They’re not committed to an energy focus that’s about American energy strength, about making an effort to bring new energy sources and technology to America rather than buying from China or from even our allies in Europe,” he continued. “That’s what I’m for, whether it’s oil and gas, or nuclear, or wind or solar, all the above, all great as long as it’s all made in America.”
Golden maintains that his constituents prioritize affordable energy over concerns about climate change. For him, addressing local issues trumps adherence to national party agendas.
“I think that stems from a very constituency-oriented mindset,” said Ryan LaRochelle, a political science professor at the University of Maine. “Lots of Mainers are, like, ‘yeah, climate change is important,’ but it’s probably not the most pressing issue for a lot of them.”
With a median household income hovering around $62,000—below the national average—and about 7 percent of residents lacking health insurance, the area struggles, with 13 percent living below the poverty line.
While speeding on his ATV, Golden was more animated discussing the funding of off-road wheelchairs for disabled children than he was about the climate crisis.
On the occasions he does align with party positions, it concurrently fits his district’s needs. Golden supports higher taxes on the wealthy, increased wages for workers, wider access to affordable healthcare, and reduced prescription drug costs.
He criticized Republicans for their attempts to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act—not for its climate initiatives but because it allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices and caps insulin costs at $35 per month.
“With Golden, part of his appeal comes from this sort of pragmatism, that I think is very rooted in rural areas, like ‘who cares about what party you’re from let’s just get shit done’ sort of thing,” LaRochelle noted.
An example of Golden’s bipartisan appeal can be seen through his relationship with former Maine state Sen. Tom Saviello, who accompanied him on the ATV ride.
Saviello, a Republican, initially supported then-Rep. Bruce Poliquin but switched allegiance to Golden in 2018 out of frustration with Poliquin’s support for Trump-era policies.
“Where do you have a congressman that shows up at Farmington, Maine, at your local bar? ... That’s who Jared is, he’s part of the fabric and he’s independent in how he thinks," Saviello said in a phone interview.
Golden’s journey has roots in this region; he left the University of Maine at Farmington in 2002 to enlist in the Marine Corps and completed his degree at Bates College after returning from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Taking a turn in politics, he worked on then-Senator Susan Collins’ staff before running for state office as a Democrat. He won and climbed the ranks to become assistant House majority leader.
“He hasn’t forgotten the poverty we have up here,” Saviello observed of Golden. “The Democrats have forgotten that. ‘Oh we’re gonna have electric cars.’ How much does an electric car cost?”
As Golden positions himself for a potential clash with Democratic leadership, the party is focused on ensuring his victory in what is regarded as a key seat.
Republicans are also determined to defeat Golden and have heavily invested in Theriault's campaign.
“I’m going to go to work on day one and look at reforming our energy policy so that we can bring more American energy online in our country," Theriault proclaimed during a debate.
Golden countered: "Since we passed [the IRA], we have drilled more oil and gas in this country than ever before in the history of the United States. That's the result of that law he's talking about."
In August, House Speaker Mike Johnson made a campaign appearance in Auburn, Maine, to rally support for Theriault, who carries the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. “Make America Great Again” hats were prevalent in the crowd gathered at a GOP office in a local strip mall.
Theriault emphasized his roots, saying, "I'm not just a race-car driver. I'm very, very proud to have come from a logging family from one of the most rural parts of the state of Maine. My grandfather was a logger, his father was a farmer and my dad is a trucker."
He labeled Golden a “flip-flopper,” accusing him of being “against border security at every turn,” while attributing inflation to Golden and Democratic leadership.
“We have an influx of these illegals coming across our country. They’re stressing our social safety net. We got veterans that are homeless on the street,” Theriault stated. “What about the Americans that paid their taxes, who served our country? We need to be putting them first.”
Johnson echoed those sentiments, stating, “This election and this race with Austin is one of the most important America, and it will decide the fate of our freedom. I am not overstating this."
Golden dismissed the Republican attacks.
“They’ve been pounding on me, tens of millions of dollars, and yet my favorables are still significantly higher than my unfavorables. Not to say that I can’t lose, I certainly could, but not because of Mike Johnson or anything he does," Golden said.
“If [House Democratic Leader] Hakeem Jeffries came up here, a whole bunch of Democrats would pack the room. But you know, who wouldn't be in the room, the types of voters that are going to determine the outcome: swing voters.”
Supporters of Golden believe that many swing voters in Maine appreciate an independent spirit. The state has a history of electing representatives like William Cohen, one of the early Republicans to support the impeachment of President Richard Nixon, who later served as defense secretary under President Bill Clinton.
"I think Jared’s got the potential to be in the same category where those people communicated and they voted with what their constituents wanted, not what the party wanted," Saviello commented. "He knows he’s elected by people that want that kind of person down there."
After completing their ATV ride, Golden returned to his truck and pulled out a bag that had gotten wet.
“It’s soaked,” he remarked, extracting a holstered pistol from the bag and placing it in the truck. “Gonna have to clean it.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a rainy ATV ride to Quill Hill, a scenic lookout about 3,000 feet above sea level in Maine’s northern logging country, Golden opened up about his political aspirations this summer.
The combat veteran is seeking a fourth term in Maine’s expansive, rural, and politically diverse 2nd District as a self-identified outsider not tied to party obligations. He faces Republican Austin Theriault, a former NASCAR driver turned state legislator, in what is considered one of the nation’s most expensive battleground races.
If he wins, Golden could significantly increase his influence. He is leading a group of independent-minded young lawmakers who are eager to leverage their positions and challenge party leadership to achieve their goals. This group is working to revitalize the Blue Dog Coalition, a centrist bloc that has been seen as outdated in recent years.
A modest Democratic majority in November, bolstered by Blue Dog candidates, would empower Golden and his colleagues to shape legislation on critical issues such as climate change and immigration.
"We’re building, we hope, a team of young Blue Dogs who actually want to legislate and use leverage to get things done the way they should be done for their districts," Golden stated in an interview at Oquossoc Grocery, a local market in his district.
"One way you have to do that is a willingness, if the margins are tight, to say 'no' to your own leadership, and be, like, look, here’s the list of things that really matter to our constituents," he added.
Golden's image resonates in this working-class region, where logging trucks frequently pass and paper mills continue to operate. He arrived at the grocery store in a Chevy pickup, dressed in a raincoat, khaki utility pants, and sturdy boots.
In the crowded store, no one seemed to recognize him as he quietly bought breakfast, his voice barely rising above a jackhammer outside.
He detailed an ambitious vision for transforming the Blue Dogs into a populist faction of Democrats that can effectively counterbalance the party’s left wing, which has dominated the party's direction for the last decade.
“We basically reject party loyalty, the idea that there should be some kind of national party with a series of cascading litmus tests and everyone’s gotta follow suit,” Golden remarked. "I view us as much more populist … it’s about establishing leverage and exerting force and power, political power, for very specific means."
No one in Congress has wielded their influence as a centrist swing vote quite like Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia.
Manchin, during his time when Democrats controlled Congress, held the party's leadership in suspense for months, using his vote strategically to negotiate concessions, notably regarding the Inflation Reduction Act.
With his retirement approaching, Manchin is now backing Golden. “The best of the best,” he said of Golden. “What we’re trying to do — and I’m trying to help him any way I can, I'm with him 1000 percent — is try to create support for the middle.”
For Manchin, that support includes aiding independent-minded challengers in primaries who could disrupt the status quo.
"A person that comes here and wants to be independent ... vote your conscience and vote what’s best for the country first, don’t follow the party lines,” Manchin emphasized. “We’re going to make sure they have support."
While Golden may not have the individual clout of a senator, he doesn’t need many more Blue Dogs to wield considerable influence.
“As congressional majorities have gotten so much narrower, it’s not obvious that you need so many members, as long as you’ve got just enough,” explained Ruth Bloch Rubin, a political science professor at the University of Chicago who examines the effects of intraparty divisions on lawmaking.
“Golden’s working from a point of advantage, because whatever congressional majority if Democrats are to retake the House, it’s going to be a narrow one,” she noted. “To have someone like Golden who recognizes the importance of organization and institution building, that’s where the action is and that’s where moderates are going to find success.”
If the electoral landscape favors Golden, he could find himself at odds with some of the most powerful leaders in his party, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has indicated intentions to revisit extensive climate legislation.
“I don’t want to talk about a climate bill, I’m not doing any more of that,” Golden said, expressing reservations regarding one of the Democrats' key issues for the upcoming year.
Despite his reservations about mainstream Democratic positions, Golden does not consider himself a pariah within the party. He positions his style of politics—what he calls "progressive conservatism"—as a potential remedy for the party's struggles in rural, working-class districts that have turned against Democrats in recent election cycles.
“I’m still the most popular Democrat that has been on the ballot in Maine’s Second District since before I started running for office,” Golden asserted, referencing internal polling that claims he enjoys 90 percent support among Democrats. “So who’s out of whack with Democrats in rural America?”
He sees Vice President Kamala Harris — the Democratic presidential nominee — echoing his strategy by adopting more left-leaning economic policies while taking stances that align more with traditional views on issues like border control, crime, and environmental concerns.
“If you wanna win, then fine, follow me,” Golden said. “I’ll be a bit of your thought leader on how to really represent working class and rural communities where if we were doing as well as we used to, we’d be quite dominant nationally."
The Blue Dog Coalition played a crucial role during the Obama administration, particularly during the health care debate, but its membership has dramatically declined, from 54 members in 2009 to just 10 today.
Golden leads the group alongside Reps. Marie Glusenkamp-Perez of Washington and Mary Peltola of Alaska, all of whom are in tight races.
A recent poll from Pan Atlantic Research in Portland, Maine, showed Theriault leading Golden 47-44, within the margin of error. However, Golden holds an advantage in fundraising.
“Hopefully, I’ll have a team of Blue Dogs around me [next year], and part of it will just be to try and use our collective leverage to make sure that what gets done meets our priorities," Golden explained.
Golden and his fellow Blue Dogs have a range of priorities that are often local and practical in nature.
He frequently challenges the Biden administration over regulations affecting lobster fishermen. Peltola has criticized the administration’s land protections in Alaska alongside some Republicans, while Glusenkamp-Perez, a former auto mechanic, has broken ranks with the party on electric vehicles, emphasizing their unsuitability for rural areas and advocating for farmers' right to repair their own equipment.
Golden’s opposition to President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats often centers around energy and environmental policy. He holds an 82 percent lifetime score and a 53 percent score for 2023 from the League of Conservation Voters.
Among the few Democrats supporting H.R. 1, a Republican-backed package that seeks to streamline environmental reviews and promotes fossil fuel projects, he took a position that's rare within his party.
"You want to talk about doing an energy bill, let’s do an energy bill," he stated regarding the potential legislative focus for the upcoming year.
Golden supported the IRA but only after expressing months of objections to its predecessor, the "Build Back Better Act," which he criticized as a “poorly-targeted and fiscally irresponsible agenda put forward by the Biden administration.”
"I voted for a bill that was drafted by Joe Manchin," he noted, echoing Manchin's concerns about the administration's methods of promoting electric vehicles and renewable energy.
“Their approach to it in the White House has been to get the lawyers out and figure out how they can use waiver authority and all kinds of other shit."
“They’re not committed to an energy focus that’s about American energy strength, about making an effort to bring new energy sources and technology to America rather than buying from China or from even our allies in Europe,” he continued. “That’s what I’m for, whether it’s oil and gas, or nuclear, or wind or solar, all the above, all great as long as it’s all made in America.”
Golden maintains that his constituents prioritize affordable energy over concerns about climate change. For him, addressing local issues trumps adherence to national party agendas.
“I think that stems from a very constituency-oriented mindset,” said Ryan LaRochelle, a political science professor at the University of Maine. “Lots of Mainers are, like, ‘yeah, climate change is important,’ but it’s probably not the most pressing issue for a lot of them.”
With a median household income hovering around $62,000—below the national average—and about 7 percent of residents lacking health insurance, the area struggles, with 13 percent living below the poverty line.
While speeding on his ATV, Golden was more animated discussing the funding of off-road wheelchairs for disabled children than he was about the climate crisis.
On the occasions he does align with party positions, it concurrently fits his district’s needs. Golden supports higher taxes on the wealthy, increased wages for workers, wider access to affordable healthcare, and reduced prescription drug costs.
He criticized Republicans for their attempts to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act—not for its climate initiatives but because it allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices and caps insulin costs at $35 per month.
“With Golden, part of his appeal comes from this sort of pragmatism, that I think is very rooted in rural areas, like ‘who cares about what party you’re from let’s just get shit done’ sort of thing,” LaRochelle noted.
An example of Golden’s bipartisan appeal can be seen through his relationship with former Maine state Sen. Tom Saviello, who accompanied him on the ATV ride.
Saviello, a Republican, initially supported then-Rep. Bruce Poliquin but switched allegiance to Golden in 2018 out of frustration with Poliquin’s support for Trump-era policies.
“Where do you have a congressman that shows up at Farmington, Maine, at your local bar? ... That’s who Jared is, he’s part of the fabric and he’s independent in how he thinks," Saviello said in a phone interview.
Golden’s journey has roots in this region; he left the University of Maine at Farmington in 2002 to enlist in the Marine Corps and completed his degree at Bates College after returning from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Taking a turn in politics, he worked on then-Senator Susan Collins’ staff before running for state office as a Democrat. He won and climbed the ranks to become assistant House majority leader.
“He hasn’t forgotten the poverty we have up here,” Saviello observed of Golden. “The Democrats have forgotten that. ‘Oh we’re gonna have electric cars.’ How much does an electric car cost?”
As Golden positions himself for a potential clash with Democratic leadership, the party is focused on ensuring his victory in what is regarded as a key seat.
Republicans are also determined to defeat Golden and have heavily invested in Theriault's campaign.
“I’m going to go to work on day one and look at reforming our energy policy so that we can bring more American energy online in our country," Theriault proclaimed during a debate.
Golden countered: "Since we passed [the IRA], we have drilled more oil and gas in this country than ever before in the history of the United States. That's the result of that law he's talking about."
In August, House Speaker Mike Johnson made a campaign appearance in Auburn, Maine, to rally support for Theriault, who carries the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. “Make America Great Again” hats were prevalent in the crowd gathered at a GOP office in a local strip mall.
Theriault emphasized his roots, saying, "I'm not just a race-car driver. I'm very, very proud to have come from a logging family from one of the most rural parts of the state of Maine. My grandfather was a logger, his father was a farmer and my dad is a trucker."
He labeled Golden a “flip-flopper,” accusing him of being “against border security at every turn,” while attributing inflation to Golden and Democratic leadership.
“We have an influx of these illegals coming across our country. They’re stressing our social safety net. We got veterans that are homeless on the street,” Theriault stated. “What about the Americans that paid their taxes, who served our country? We need to be putting them first.”
Johnson echoed those sentiments, stating, “This election and this race with Austin is one of the most important America, and it will decide the fate of our freedom. I am not overstating this."
Golden dismissed the Republican attacks.
“They’ve been pounding on me, tens of millions of dollars, and yet my favorables are still significantly higher than my unfavorables. Not to say that I can’t lose, I certainly could, but not because of Mike Johnson or anything he does," Golden said.
“If [House Democratic Leader] Hakeem Jeffries came up here, a whole bunch of Democrats would pack the room. But you know, who wouldn't be in the room, the types of voters that are going to determine the outcome: swing voters.”
Supporters of Golden believe that many swing voters in Maine appreciate an independent spirit. The state has a history of electing representatives like William Cohen, one of the early Republicans to support the impeachment of President Richard Nixon, who later served as defense secretary under President Bill Clinton.
"I think Jared’s got the potential to be in the same category where those people communicated and they voted with what their constituents wanted, not what the party wanted," Saviello commented. "He knows he’s elected by people that want that kind of person down there."
After completing their ATV ride, Golden returned to his truck and pulled out a bag that had gotten wet.
“It’s soaked,” he remarked, extracting a holstered pistol from the bag and placing it in the truck. “Gonna have to clean it.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
