Welcome is proud to endorse Rep. Jared Golden as part of our 2026 Win the Middle slate.
If you’ve been a WelcomeStack reader for a while, you know we’ve written extensively about Jared – particularly his ability to win cycle after cycle in what has been a Trump district since Trump’s name was first on the ballot in 2016.
From Jared’s progressive conservatism to his differentiated voting record and his role as a leader in the Blue Dog Coalition, he has been successful in each of his bids to convince Mainers to split their ticket, most notably last cycle in 2024’s presidential election year.
As a former Blue Dog Co-Chair and the current PAC chair, Jared proves that winning in a Trump +10 district as a Democrat is not only possible, but replicable. His record provides a roadmap other Democrats running in rural and red districts can follow.
Without the Jared Goldens of the world, we wouldn’t have a chance at a Democratic House majority. We need Jared Golden, and more members like him, in Congress.
Why Jared Can Win
Jared can win in 2026 because he’s been winning in a Trump district longer than anyone else in Congress.
As the only Democrat in the entire country to win four consecutive congressional races in a district that Trump also won, the cornerstone of Jared’s continued success is based on his cross-partisan appeal as a self-described “progressive conservative.”
Jared’s ability to connect with working-class and independent voters, his bipartisan approach to governing, and his authentic personal style make him one of the most effective and resilient Democrats in the House.
He wins by focusing on issues that matter to Maine and impact voters in his district – things like lobstering, logging, and agriculture – and not on the issues Democrats obsess about in DC. His populist-style focus on issues like healthcare and keeping USPS locations open while pushing for Democrats to align more closely with the median voter on immigration and crime have been key to this Blue Dogs’ electoral over-performance.
The District
Maine’s second congressional district covers the northern two-thirds of Maine, ranging from just outside of Portland in southern Maine all the way up to the Canadian border. It includes the state’s second- and third-largest cities, Lewiston and Bangor, the capitol city, Augusta, and sprawling rural counties and communities along the coast, in the state’s interior, and along the extensive Canadian border.
Not only is this district the second-largest congressional district east of the Mississippi River, it’s also the second-most rural district in the entire country. It’s home to a large group of working-class, rural, and deeply independent-minded voters who appreciate the straight talk, no BS type of personality that Golden brings.
This independent-mindedness is apparent in the district's voting history. In 2020, on the same ballot, this district voted for Trump by almost 7 points, Susan Collins by 22 points, and Jared Golden by 6 points. In 2024, Trump carried the second by nearly 10 points. Independent Senator Angus King won the district with 49% of the vote in a three-way race, while Golden won re-election with over 50%, winning by less than a point. Voters in Maine’s second congressional district vote for the person they trust the most and are not bound by party loyalty.
Support Rep. Jared Golden
Just as in the past three cycles, this race will be one of the most competitive races of 2026. National Republicans have already made it clear they think they can flip this seat, with the NRCC naming it as a top pick-up opportunity and recruiting a well-known challenger in former Maine Governor Paul LePage.
LePage was a popular two-term governor among voters in Maine’s second congressional district, though he also has a wide range of vulnerabilities such as threatening to shoot a cartoonist and saying that “drug dealers named D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty” would “impregnate a young white girl” before leaving the state. Early in his first term, he tried to kick 65,000 Mainers off of Medicaid. Throughout his governorship, LePage vetoed Medicaid expansion seven times despite the state legislature’s continuous efforts to pass it. Not only that, but LePage also ignored the will of the voters and blocked the expansion in the state after Mainers voted to approve it. Despite all of this, LePage won Maine’s 2nd congressional district in all three of his gubernatorial races, making this battleground race all the more competitive.
Sending Jared Golden back to Congress must be a top priority for 2026 – not only to help Democrats win back the House, but to have Jared’s leadership and vision for winning over voters in red districts that Democrats need to contest.
