Democratic Rep. Jared Golden announces retirement in Trump district

Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate Democrat who represents a Maine district that President Donald Trump won by 9 points in 2024, announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election next year

Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate Democrat who represents a Maine district that President Donald Trump won by 9 points in 2024, announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election next year.

Golden’s exit creates an even better opportunity for House Republicans to pick up a red district currently held by a Democrat, in what could be a closely contested battle for control of the House of Representatives.

In an op-ed in his hometown's Bangor Daily News, Golden said he has grown tired of Congress and its ineffectiveness, and he added that he was worried about the risks to his family as the result of the rise in political violence.

Golden also dismissed any notion that he would have lost re-election, as he faced a primary challenger and a tough general election contest ahead in 2026. Democrats need a net gain of three seats nationally to retake the House.

Jeffries says election results ‘will be replicated’ in midterms05:55“I don’t fear losing. What has become apparent to me is that I now dread the prospect of winning,” Golden wrote. “Simply put, what I could accomplish in this increasingly unproductive Congress pales in comparison to what I could do in that time as a husband, a father and a son.”