Jared Golden narrowly fends off Austin Theriault in Maine’s 2nd District

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine’s 2nd District clinched a fourth term over state Rep. Austin Theriault in a tight Tuesday election that is one of the closest in Maine history and is almost certainly headed to a recount.

Golden, a Marine veteran who first won election to Congress in 2018, had 50.4 percent of votes to 49.6 percent for Theriault, a former NASCAR driver endorsed by former President Donald Trump, when the Bangor Daily News and its national partner, Decision Desk HQ, called the race at 1:25 p.m. Wednesday. 

The result was only settled after military and overseas ballots — the last ones to be counted — came in heavily in favor of Golden. It served as another reminder of his durability as one of the few Democrats representing districts friendly to Trump, who won the 2nd District by 8 percentage points en route to capturing the White House in a romp.

To do it, Golden had to convince a sliver of Republicans to keep his seat. The result showed that he was successful in doing so, contrasting with a horrible night for national Democrats. Republicans won the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, and they had a 92 percent chance of keeping control of the House as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to Decision Desk HQ.

During a Wednesday news conference in his home city of Lewiston, Golden complimented Theriault as a “fierce competitor” and thanked his constituents.

“I want you to know that I am going to continue on with this work for the next two years with everything that I have to give to deliver results for you and your family,” he said.

It was the toughest reelection fight yet for Golden, 42, who frustrated voters on both the right and left during the campaign by saying he would not vote for Trump but was “OK” with the Republican winning while refusing to say if he would vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee who replaced President Joe Biden on the ticket this summer.

Theriault’s campaign issued a statement after the race was called on Wednesday that noted the race falls well within the 1.5-percentage-point difference that triggers a state-funded recount. There are no automatic recounts in Maine, so the campaign must request one.

“This race still remains too close to call,” Theriault’s campaign said.

Theriault, 30, who was backed by national Republicans, criticized Golden over his decision last October to no longer oppose an assault-style weapons ban following a mass shooting in his hometown of Lewiston. Theriault and Republican allies also claimed Golden was in lockstep with Democrats and President Joe Biden’s administration on issues such as border security.

In reality, Golden voted against Biden’s policies more than any other House Democrat in 2023 and mentioned his work with the Trump administration in ads that touched on his advocacy for veterans or efforts to fight regulations opposed by Maine’s lobstermen.

The 2nd District contest was one of the biggest congressional races in the country, with outside groups spending around $25 million to try to influence voters as polling ahead of Tuesday indicated the contest was tight. Golden’s victory gives Democrats hope as they sought to chip away at the GOP’s slim House majority that stood at 220-212 ahead of Tuesday.

Golden pointed to his independent streak and bipartisanship during the campaign, and voters in cities such as Bangor and smaller towns throughout the rural district mentioned that Tuesday. Even if not agreeing with Golden on various issues, voters pointed to abortion rights and health care in explaining why they supported him over Theriault.

At the polls in Milford on Tuesday, Stephanie Lombardo, 42, embodied the ticket-splitting phenomenon that clinched the election for Golden. She supported Golden while also supporting state Rep. Gary Drinkwater, a Republican from her town.

“[Golden] thinks of what’s best for us and not just what’s best for [his party],” Lombardo said.