The candidate swapping may not be done after U.S. Rep. Jared Golden decided not to seek reelection in Maine’s 2nd District, with allies of former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson speaking with him about running for that seat rather than for governor.
Jackson would further upend Maine’s midterm contests if he left the Democratic primary field of five contenders hoping to succeed Gov. Janet Mills and joined a 2nd District primary. The field on the Democratic side expanded Wednesday after Jordan Wood said he is leaving the U.S. Senate race to instead seek Golden’s seat, joining State Auditor Matt Dunlap in the race.
Awaiting the Democratic nominee is former Gov. Paul LePage, the Republican who filed his 2nd District bid in May and is now the prohibitive favorite in the district that has been won three straight elections by President Donald Trump. Golden’s party has no clear answer, but Jackson is the center of attention on their side of the race.
The national campaign arm of House Democrats said last week it is “actively recruiting” a candidate to replace Golden, indicating a lack of confidence in Dunlap’s ability to beat LePage. A source familiar with the national group’s plans said Wednesday nothing has changed after Wood’s decision to leave a primary that he was struggling in against Mills and Sullivan oysterman Graham Platner for the chance to face U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
Jackson, a 57-year-old logger from Allagash who lost a 2nd District primary in 2014, has labor union endorsements in his gubernatorial bid and led the Maine Senate until getting term-limited last year while representing the socially conservative St. John Valley region in northern Maine.
Interviews with allies and friends of Jackson gave no firm indication of Jackson’s next steps. Jason Shedlock, president of the Maine State Building & Construction Trades Council, said Wednesday he has had separate conversations with Jackson, Golden and Dunlap along with hearing sentiment among those in his union community that only Jackson can beat LePage.
But Jackson believes “he can make the most impact as governor,” Shedlock said. For now, unions are “not there yet” on backing either Dunlap or Wood. Bath Iron Works union officials are also among those who have spoken with Jackson about his next steps.
“I think that regardless of Troy, it’s like the weather in Maine,” Shedlock said. “If you don’t like it, wait a minute.”
Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Bangor, who has endorsed Jackson’s gubernatorial campaign, said the candidate will listen to people who approach him about the 2nd District but thinks he is “full speed ahead on running for governor.”
“He’s invested about a year into it already,” Baldacci said. “I don’t get the sense from him that he’s going to change races anytime soon.”
Jackson’s campaign spokesperson did not provide updates Wednesday but reiterated a statement from last week in which he did not rule out running for Golden’s seat, noting his past victories in rural Maine and calling LePage “a disgraced grifter.”
LePage led Golden in two previous 2nd District polls conducted by the University of New Hampshire, though Golden said last week he was confident he would have beaten LePage, whose campaign team has said it is not worried about facing any Democrat.
Dunlap, a former Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine leader from Old Town who also served as a state representative and secretary of state, has expressed confidence in his ability to beat LePage and stood firm amid national Democrats seeking another candidate. Dunlap also shared Wednesday how several former Golden backers, including former state Rep. Tina Riley of Jay and former state Sen. Tom Saviello of Wilton, are now endorsing him.
“This race belongs to Mainers, not Washington insiders and big money special interests,” Dunlap said in a statement.
