Those hoping for reflections from U.S. Rep. Jared Golden on his political future or sweeping takeaways on his narrow reelection victory this month in Maine’s conservative 2nd District will not get many words from the Democrat.
“I’ve won four elections, and people can reach their own conclusions,” Golden said Thursday. “I get more votes than the competition.”
But friends and colleagues are much more open about discussing what is next for Golden after he serves two more years in Congress, and the conclusion is nearly unanimous: Democrats should view him as the ideal candidate to succeed Gov. Janet Mills in 2026.
“I’ve told Jared I’m worried that Democrats will nominate somebody who can’t win statewide,” Taylor Asen, an attorney from Falmouth who is friends with Golden, said. “What I do feel pretty confident about is I think if he runs and wins the nomination, he’s going to be the next governor.”
That nods to the fact that Golden has frustrated fellow Democrats by opposing President Joe Biden’s policies on issues including student loan relief, refusing to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris before she lost to President-elect Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election and arguing that the nation’s institutions would stand up to a second Trump presidency.
Like Mills, he stands more at the political center than most of his party’s politicians. But he does so in a different way, criticizing the governor from the right on gun control policies while aligning with progressives in the fight to get Mills to agree to a sweeping tribal sovereignty overhaul.
Unlike any other Democrat in Maine, Golden has a proven ability to win his Trump-friendly district by attracting ticket-splitting voters. That has made him a popular name to mention ahead of 2026 for those who see electability as the top trait in a politician.
“I think he would be an unbelievable governor,” former state Sen. Tom Saviello of Wilton, who switched over the years from being an independent to a Democrat and then a Republican, said.
The gubernatorial talk started long before Golden beat state Rep. Austin Theriault, R-Fort Kent, this month in a race decided by fewer than 3,000 votes, with a ranked-choice count confirming Golden’s victory in the district Trump won by 9 percentage points. Theriault, whom Trump and national Republicans endorsed, requested a recount that will happen in December.
Golden, a 42-year-old Marine veteran from Lewiston, was more focused during a Thursday interview on his plans for the next Congress that will feature Republican control of both chambers and the White House.
He mentioned “10 to 20” earmarks he hopes to get for Maine projects focused on infrastructure, wastewater system upgrades and veterans. He also touched on continuing to protect lobstermen from certain federal regulations and staying active on energy policy debates.
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Golden complimented his Blue Dog Coalition of centrist Democrats, which took a hit with Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, losing this month but has put forward sweeping electoral reforms, and he said his “willingness” to work with Trump has not changed.
No loved ones or colleagues “can tell you what’s in my future, because I don’t even know the answer to that myself,” Golden also said. He dismissed speculation that he would run in the future as an independent instead of a Democrat and said he is “laser focused” on his next term.
“I take that trust that is expressed through these election results very seriously,” Golden said. “I don’t think this is a stepping stone for personal ambition.”
Saviello said Golden’s behavior as “a regular person” at district events who is sometimes not easily recognized as he wears a hat and drinks a beer with constituents is part of his appeal. Saviello and Asen each said Democrats should not assume they will easily maintain their hold on the governor’s office that Mills has occupied since 2018.
Democrats with progressive credentials whose names also arise among 2026 candidates include Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash. Bellows declined to comment Thursday, and Jackson did not respond to a request for comment.
Sharon Treat, a Hallowell attorney and former Democratic state representative, said Golden is unlike many in Congress who are wealthier and struggle to connect with constituents because he “comes across as a real person as opposed to a so-called career politician.”
Gubernatorial talk surrounding Golden has been intensified due to Maine’s relatively few statewide positions and lack of a lieutenant governor, Treat mused, though she acknowledged the power of his support from voters in rural and poorer parts of the state.
“That doesn’t mean he’s the only person who can get elected statewide,” Treat said.
Golden and his friends all mentioned the importance of his family that includes his wife, Izzy, and two daughters, Rosemary, 3, and Shirley, who is almost 8 months old. The congressman said it has felt like a “sacrifice” to frequently travel to Washington and miss time at home. He said his Izzy’s parents are getting older, and the kids keep them busy at home.
Politics is never far away. Golden has been reading a children’s book to Rosemary that teaches about government through a fictional Congress run by mice.
“She’s started telling her day care teachers and little friends, ‘My daddy goes to the mouse Capitol, and he tries to help people,’” Golden said. “That’s what I want her to understand.”
