Paul LePage Launches Campaign Against Jared Golden

Paul LePage, a former Republican governor of Maine, declared his candidacy on Monday to unseat Democratic Representative Jared Golden, marking the first significant Republican entry in the 2026 race.

LePage held the governor’s office from 2011 to 2019 and attempted to secure a third term in 2022 but was defeated by Democratic Governor Janet Mills. Now, he’s directing his attention towards Golden, who won a narrow re-election in 2024.

“The established interests oppose President Trump every time he tries to address the issues,” LePage stated in a recent announcement. “We need straightforward communication to help fix Washington.”

“I’m running to prioritize the needs of Mainers and assist the president in addressing the challenges in Washington. For too long, Washington has sought to control the people,” he added.

Golden represents a unique group of Democrats who have managed to be re-elected in a traditionally Republican area. In 2024, Trump secured over a six-point lead in Golden’s district, hinting at a potential opportunity for Republicans to reclaim the seat.

Golden himself first won the seat in 2018. Since then, he has often distanced himself from his party to navigate the political landscape effectively. Maine employs a ranked-choice voting system, where voters rank candidates based on preference. If no candidate achieves a majority, the least popular is eliminated, and votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates.

“We don’t need to play games; our goal is to protect our essential duties,” remarked LePage. “My mission is to serve the people of Maine and to help the president tackle the issues in Washington. It’s time to put people ahead of politics.”