Maine Rep. Jared Golden — a moderate Democrat who won a district Donald Trump carried by 9 points in 2024 — has drawn a primary challenger from his left, complicating his path to reelection in a seat Republicans are eager to flip next year.
State auditor Matt Dunlap announced his campaign on Monday, after months of speculation that saw Golden’s campaign leak polling that showed Dunlap trailing Republican former Gov. Paul LePage by 10 points in a general election matchup.
But Dunlap was undeterred. He says Golden is not doing enough for the district and has sided with Republicans too often, citing Golden’s recent vote to keep the government open.
“I mean how many times has Jared Golden been one of the only Democrats to vote with Republicans on these key issues?” Dunlap said in an interview ahead of his campaign launch.
Dunlap dismissed questions about his viability, saying “the only poll that matters is the election.”
Golden says he is the only viable candidate to defeat LePage, and his allies are already highlighting Dunlap’s long record as a state representative.
“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.”
Dunlap is adamant he is pro-choice, and his allies were quick to refute Golden’s claim.
“Matt Dunlap is pro-choice and has a 30 year record of pro-choice votes and advocacy,” Maine state Rep. Michele Meyer said in a statement.
Republicans immediately cheered Dunlap’s run. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Maureen O’Toole said his “entrance into this race proves what we’ve been saying all along … Golden has got to go.”
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