By Chris Wade
The Center Square

Democratic Rep. Jared Golden has drawn a primary challenger from the party’s progressive wing, which could complicate Democrats’ efforts to win back the House in next year’s midterms.

Maine State Auditor Matthew Dunlap announced Monday that he is challenging Golden in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, vowing to “take a harder line” against President Donald Trump’s policies and legislative agenda.

In his campaign launch, Dunlap said Golden isn’t doing enough for the congressional district and has sided with Republicans on key issues, including Golden’s recent vote to keep the government open.

“Mainers are stuck with skyrocketing health care costs, a government shutdown, and a broken Congress,” said Dunlap, a former lawmaker and secretary of state who has served as auditor since 2022. “Jared Golden caved to Trump instead of fighting for us. Jared Golden said Trump is ‘OK’ and that we’ll be ‘just fine’ but Mainers are being hurt by his policies.”

Golden was elected to a fourth term in last year’s election, after narrowly beating Republican challenger Austin Theriault in a ranked-choice tabulation. He is considered vulnerable in the right-leaning congressional district, which is one of the most competitive in the nation and carried twice by President Donald Trump. A leaked poll showed him trailing behind former Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican who jumped into the race in May.

In a statement, Golden said he is “focused on doing the job voters sent me to Congress to do” and claimed he’s the Democratic party’s best shot at holding onto the seat amid a challenge from the firebrand former governor.

“If Matt Dunlap thinks this district will choose him over Paul LePage, he’s got another thing coming,” Golden said in a statement. “A 30-year party crony like Matt Dunlap won’t cut it — the last time Matt held elected office he was a pro-life Democrat at a time when that unfortunately wasn’t unusual. Watching Dunlap try to recreate himself as a progressive would be amusing if it were not so cynical.”

The 2nd District, one of Maine’s two congressional seats, is considered competitive and closely watched by political observers as Republicans push to retake the House of Representatives in the midterms.

Republican President Donald Trump carried the district handily in the 2020 elections, peeling off one of the state’s four electoral votes. Trump also won the district in the Nov. 5 elections. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the congressional district a “toss-up” in next year’s midterm election.

National Republicans view the race as an opportunity to widen their control of Congress and win down-ballot races in next year’s midterm elections. They welcomed Dunlap’s entry into the race.

The National Republican Committee posted on social media that Dunlap’s challenge is a sign that “Golden must go” in next year’s midterms.

“Maine’s worst flip-flopper just got primaried from the left by far-left Matt Dunlap, pushing a socialist government takeover of healthcare on his agenda,” the NRCC posted on X.