Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden has declined to endorse Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, according to statements made on Thursday and Friday.
Golden said Thursday that he has no plans to endorse any vice presidential or presidential candidates, and reinforced that view Friday by refusing to answer reporters' questions about who he would vote for in the upcoming presidential election, according to Xinhua. post Golden represents Maine's Republican-leaning 2nd Congressional District and must defend his position against Republican challenger Austin Theriault in the November election. According to To the Bangor Daily News.
“Who I vote for is nobody's business but me. I want the people of Maine's 2nd Congressional District to understand, I don't care if you vote for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris or neither. I'm going to ask for your support to represent you based on the merits of the work I've done for our community over the last five and a half years,” Golden said on X.
A reporter from the Portland Press Herald has requested comment on the following matter:
“Endorsements aside, does Mr. Golden intend to vote in the presidential election? If so, who will he vote for?”
“Why is Mr. Golden still a registered Democrat? He…
— Congressional Candidate Jared Golden (@golden4congress) August 16, 2024
Theriault Criticized Golden accused X of not being transparent with voters in his post on Friday, calling his comments “disingenuous” and “condescending.”
Jared here states, “Who I vote for is my own business, not anyone else's.”
This may be true as a private citizen, but he is a public figure representing his constituents at a national level.
Act as if his public positions and voting plans in major national elections were… https://t.co/iB64qWPDBv
— Austin Theriault (@AustinTheriault) August 16, 2024
Golden ended his statement by calling the Republican Party a “cult” and urging voters who disagree with his decision to remain silent to support his opponent. (RELATED: Blue-state judge rules RFK Jr. won't appear on ballot)
“If Mainers want a candidate who will campaign entirely on one-party policies and loyalty to national leaders, Austin Theriault is just the candidate for them,” Golden wrote.
Maine's 2nd Congressional District voted for former President Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020 but now leans Democratic. According to Democrats currently lead Republicans in the general House polls by just half a percentage point, according to Hill estimates. According to to the RealClearPolitics polling average.
Golden and Theriault did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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