AUGUSTA, Maine — National Democrats are working quickly to recruit a candidate to run in Maine’s 2nd District following U.S. Rep. Jared Golden’s stunning Wednesday decision to leave the 2026 race for the battleground seat.

The behind-the-scenes wrangling underscores the difficulty that the congressman’s party will have in replacing him in a rural district won three times by President-elect Donald Trump. Former Gov. Paul LePage is now the odds-on favorite to flip a seat that could be crucial to keeping the House in Republican hands come next year.

House Democrats’ campaign arm is “actively recruiting” a candidate for the seat, a person familiar with its plans said Thursday. That indicates a lack of confidence in State Auditor Matt Dunlap, who was running a primary against Golden and may have to contend with more candidates entering the fray.

“Following the lead of insiders in Washington has taken us to minority status,” Dunlap said in a statement. “I think the people of Maine know what they want in a candidate. I believe I am that candidate, and I am going to win.”

One name to watch is former Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, who is running for governor with strong support from organized labor. His campaign released a noncommittal and cryptic statement on Thursday amid rumors that he was considering flipping races.

It will be an uphill battle for any Democrat getting into the 2nd District race. Trump pushed it firmly into the Republican column with his 2016 victory. Golden was able to eke out victories by appealing to a small segment of that party’s base, narrowly defeating former state Rep. Austin Theriault in a 2024 election that came down to military and overseas ballots.

LePage led Golden in two polls of the district conducted by the University of New Hampshire, including one last week. Golden used a Bangor Daily News Op-Ed to say he was confident that he would have beaten LePage but was pushed to drop out by increasing political incivility and cases of violence that led him to reassess threats against him and his family.

Republicans were giddy after he dropped out. LePage’s campaign shared the poll results to push the idea that Golden was hesitant to run against the former governor and dismissed the idea that there were any Democrats to fear in the 2nd District given LePage’s record there.

“I don’t know that it really matters that the Democrats are fighting amongst themselves or have political operatives from D.C. trying to tell them who they should elect,” Brent Littlefield, LePage’s strategist, said.

Jackson released a statement on Thursday saying he was flattered by those reaching out to him about switching races, noting that he represented a Maine Senate district based in the St. John Valley that is socially conservative and has swung toward Republicans.

But he did not clearly answer a question about whether he was considering it. He also attacked LePage, with whom he shared a long history with in the State House. In 2013, LePage famously targeted Jackson with a crude remark during a dispute over budget issues, saying he “claims to be for the people but he’s the first one to give it to the people without providing Vaseline.”

“Paul LePage is a disgraced grifter from Florida who cares more about tax cuts for wealthy donors than fighting for hard working Mainers,” Jackson said.

Another possibility is Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation, who was on the verge of a Democratic U.S. Senate primary when he was arrested on a drunk-driving charge last May.

“In the short time since Congressman Golden announced he is not running for re-election, [Francis] has been approached by numerous people encouraging him to run,” a person familiar with Francis’ decision-making process said Wednesday. “He will be discussing with his family, friends and supporters to determine if this is the right time for him to run for Congress.”

A condo in a restored Hallowell mansion that was once home to a former Maine governor is for sale for $329,000.

The one-bedroom, one bathroom condo is on the top floor of the Second Empire-style home that was built in 1850 and owned by Joseph Bodwell when he served as Maine’s governor in the late 1880s.

Bodwell renovated the house in 1875 to give it its Victorian details that remain on the building’s exterior today, according to the Maine Memory Network. The home is among the most recognizable in Hallowell and stands out from the less ornate homes along Middle Street.

Born in Massachusetts in 1818, Bodwell was a farmer and businessman who founded Hallowell Granite Works before launching a political career, according to Friends of the Blaine House. He served as Hallowell’s mayor and a State Representative before he was elected Maine’s 40th governor and sworn in on Jan. 6, 1887. His term lasted until he died in the Hallowell home on Dec. 15, 1887.

The home fell into disrepair long after Bodwell’s death and was placed on Maine Preservation’s Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2000. The organization’s list began in 1996 and seeks to call attention to derelict historic buildings throughout the state.

The mansion was slowly restored within the last decade and broken into four units, all of which are occupied except the unit for sale. The current owner bought the condo in 2022, according to local property records.

With an asking price of $329,000, the condo is less expensive than the price of an average home in Hallowell, which rested at nearly $374,000 as of Tuesday, according to Zillow. Like elsewhere in Maine, home prices in Hallowell spiked dramatically during the pandemic, but have started to drop slightly in recent months.

The home is perfect for “someone that appreciates classic architecture blended with modern efficiencies,” said Tyler Gaudet of Sprague & Curtis Real Estate, the listing agent for the property.

“The units are quite energy efficient and they have updated systems throughout them, but they did a really good job of preserving the exterior and the original woodwork,” Gaudet said. “They really preserved the past.”

With more than 1,200 square feet of living space, the condo has an open floor plan with large windows that let in natural light, cathedral ceilings, hardwood floors and granite countertops. The unit has access to the widow’s walk at the top of the building that could be used as an art studio, office or space for guests, Gaudet said.

“This is the only place I’ve ever sold with an accessible widow’s walk,” Gaudet said. “It’s pretty unique.”

The buyer would also have access to one spot in the detached garage and the shared courtyard on the property, Gaudet said.