Former Maine Gov. LePage Announces Congressional Bid in GOP Stronghold Held by Democrat

The bid sets up challenge against a Democratic incumbent in a largely rural district that favored President Donald Trump in each of his 3 elections.

(Left) Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) speaks at a news conference in Augusta, Maine, on Nov. 1, 2022. (Right) Former Gov. Paul LePage marches in the State of Maine Bicentennial Parade in Lewiston, Maine, on Aug. 21, 2021. Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo

Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage announced on Monday he’s running to represent the state’s 2nd congressional district in an effort to unseat a Democrat incumbent in the GOP stronghold.

LePage, a Republican, confirmed his congressional bid in a social media post on Monday.

“I do not need a job, I am running to protect our Maine jobs. I am running to serve the people of Maine and help the president fix Washington,” LePage wrote in a Facebook post. “We’ve had too many years of Washington, D.C., trying to control the people. It is time to put the people before politics.”

LePage, 76, served two terms as governor from 2011 through 2019. When he was reelected in 2014, LePage received more votes than any Maine governor has received in the past 30 years. He previously served as a city councilor of Waterville from 1998 to 2002 and as the 50th mayor of Waterville from 2004 to 2011.

The former governor said more voices are needed to defend against those working against the president and his agenda.

“The entrenched interests are fighting President [Donald] Trump at every turn as he works to fix problems,” LePage added in his statement. “We need more straight talk to help take back Washington. We need more real-world business experience [from] those who know how to create jobs. We need people who understand what it’s like to struggle and why inflation hurts. We need more leaders who know how to cut wasteful spending while improving programs.”

LePage’s congressional bid sets up a challenge against Democratic incumbent Rep. Jared Golden in a largely rural district that heavily favored Trump in each of his three elections.

On Monday, Golden, 42, said in a statement to the Associated Press that he thought LePage “was doing his best work in retirement.”

LePage, an early Trump supporter, moved to Florida after leaving the governor’s office in 2019 and later re-established residency in Maine.

Additionally, a spokesperson for Golden said the congressman is not focused on reelection, but rather on protecting the state’s fishing communities, fighting health care cuts, and working to secure jobs at the Bath Iron Works shipyard.

Golden won reelection to Congress through Maine’s ranked-choice voting system. He won by a narrow margin, however, defeating Republican Austin Theriault by less than 1 percent last year, according to political race tracker Ballotpedia.

Golden, in his reelection bid, said he was an independent voice and campaigned on his willingness to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

“I’ve been one of the most independent-minded members of Congress, one of the most bipartisan,” Golden said during an October debate. Golden said he voted against President Joe Biden more than any other House Democrat.

The Democrat also promoted his advocacy for the lobster industry, which is a big part of the economy in a region known for its lobster fishing and logging.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) issued a statement in response to LePage’s bid to challenge Golden in the GOP stronghold.

“Jared [Golden] rubber stamps the radical Left transgender agenda because 90 percent of his donors are out-of-state liberals,” (NRCC) said in a statement. “No wonder his record is completely out of touch with Maine.”

NTD, sister media of The Epoch Times, reached out to his Maine office to verify this claim and did not receive a response by the time of publication.

LePage’s congressional bid represents the second attempt at a political comeback after his retirement after he lost to Gov. Janet Mills in 2022. He blamed his election loss on the gubernatorial contest’s focus on abortion rights. LePage said during a debate that he would veto a bill banning abortions at 15 weeks.

Since Republicans already hold a slim majority in the lower chamber, the 2nd congressional district in Maine will be one of the most-watched House races in the country.

The midterm elections will be held in November 2026. A total of 468 seats, including 33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats, are up for grabs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News