Former Gov. Paul LePage (R-ME) launched a campaign to oust Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), one of the most vulnerable Democrats in Congress, from his House seat. 

LePage announced Monday that he was running to represent Maine’s 2nd congressional district in order to bring a “new voice” to the political discourse and help President Donald Trump “fix Washington.” 

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“The entrenched interests are fighting President Trump at every turn as he works to fix problems. We need more straight talk to help take back Washington,” LePage, who was governor from 2011 to 2019 and lost a bid for another term in 2022, said in a post to X. “We need more real-world business experience, those who know how to create jobs.” 

“I do not need a job, I am running to protect our Maine jobs,” he continued. “I am running to serve the people of Maine and help the President fix Washington. We’ve had too many years of Washington, D.C., trying to control the people. It is time to put the people before politics.” 

Golden has fought to keep his seat in the deeply purple district by appealing to Trump voters with centrist positioning, bucking his part repeatedly in recent months on critical pieces of legislation. 

In April, he voted with House Republicans to pass the SAVE Act, which requires proof of citizenship to register to vote. In March, Golden defied party leadership again when he became the sole House Democrat to vote in favor of a government spending bill backed by Trump. And in January, the Maine congressman was one of 48 Democratic House lawmakers who crossed the aisle to pass a Trump-backed immigration reform bill called the Laken Riley Act. 

The congressman’s reputation as a “Blue Dog” Democrat has invited comparisons to former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), a Democrat turned independent known for his contrarian takes in the upper chamber. 

MAINE’S JARED GOLDEN EMBRACES MANCHIN ‘BLUE DOG’ COMPARISON IN FIGHT FOR HOUSE SEAT

Golden’s moderate stance comes after he won his last election in Maine’s 2nd congressional district by a razor-thin margin. In November 2024, Golden’s district was one of just 16 districts nationwide that backed Trump, a Republican, for the presidency while voting a Democrat representative into office—a phenomenon known as split-ticket voting. Since the November election, Golden has urged party elders to turn down the rhetoric against Trump. 

Golden’s seat is currently rated as a “toss-up,” according to Cook Political Report.