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U.S. Rep. Jared Golden doesn’t expect to run for office again after leaving Congress next year, he said in an exclusive interview with the Bangor Daily News last week.
The Democrat from Maine’s 2nd District dropped out of his 2026 race for a fifth term last month in a move that shook up state politics. It left former Gov. Paul LePage as the prohibitive favorite to flip the seat for Republicans next year with two politically tied Democrats running for the nomination so far.
Golden announced that he would leave Congress in a BDN Op-Ed last month that cited increasing polarization and political violence. His interview was the first lengthy one he has given since leaving the race. He said he has “zero plans” to run for office again.
“I’ve had enough people counsel through the years never to say never,” he said. “I don’t know what’s ahead for me, but I currently don’t suspect that I will be running for any other offices.”
The congressman said he has not thought about what he will do after leaving office in early 2027. Until then, he said undoing President Donald Trump’s executive order on collective bargaining, an Affordable Care Act tax credits extension and permitting reform are among his biggest priorities.
Despite two polls in which Golden trailed LePage, he said he was confident that he could have won the 2026 race. He also said that he would play no role in the race to replace him. National Democrats are trying to recruit a challenger. For now, State Auditor Matt Dunlap and former political operative Jordan Wood are the best-known party members seeking the nod.
“I think it’s a decision for the people of Maine’s 2nd District to make,” he said. “I’m not going to try to influence the outcome at all.”
