U.S. Rep. Jared Golden is a registered Democrat, but you wouldn’t know that by observing his reelection campaign.

On Thursday, Golden said in a written statement that he will not be endorsing the party’s nominee for president, Vice President Kamala Harris, adding it would be his “last statement” on the matter.

His first TV ad parroted Republican claims that President Biden was not fit to serve a second term, played up his opposition to federal spending, and focused on how he can work with Republicans and Donald Trump on securing the southern border.

And that came after he authored an op-ed downplaying fellow Democrats’ warnings that Trump is a threat to democracy, predicting a Trump win and saying he’s OK with that.

His position is creating a tricky balancing act for Democrats with two candidates from the same party running divergent campaigns in a district Trump has won in each of the last two presidential elections.

The outcome of both campaigns in the 2nd District could have enormous consequences for the country.

Golden’s seat is one of the top pickup opportunities for Republicans and could help decide which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives. And Harris may need the single electoral college vote in Maine’s 2nd District for Democrats to keep the White House.

The contrast between the campaigns will be on display next week when Democrats gather in Chicago for their national convention. Golden is among a handful of Democrats in tight reelection races who will not attend.

Andrew Smith, a political science professor at the University of New Hampshire and the director of the UNH Survey Center, which conducts independent polling in Maine and New England, said it makes sense for Golden to focus on his own race and to stay out of the presidential race.

“The most important thing in an elected democracy is to win the election,” Smith said. “He’s looking at the environment in the 2nd CD and sees that it is favorable for Trump and for Republicans.”

Smith said Golden’s campaign is likely banking on the probability that people who vote for Harris will also vote for him. And he said the Harris campaign is unlikely to do anything to antagonize him.

“It is going to be frustrating to (the Harris campaign), but there really isn’t a lot he can do,” Smith said. “They’re not going to attack him, because the last thing they want is for him to start campaigning against the Harris campaign. The best they can hope for is for him to stay quiet and not really make a big deal of this.”

Maine is one of two states, along with Nebraska, that splits its electoral votes. The other 48 states use a winner-take-all system. Two electoral votes are awarded to the winner of the statewide popular vote, and one electoral vote is awarded to the winner of each of Maine’s two congressional districts.

Although the state has had the system in place since the 1972 election, the first time Maine actually split its electoral votes was in the 2016 presidential race. That year, Trump earned one Electoral College vote by winning the rural, more conservative 2nd District by about 10 percentage points over Hillary Clinton. Trump repeated that feat in 2020, besting Biden by about 7 percentage points in the 2nd District.

SLIM MARGIN OF VICTORY

Golden defeated incumbent Republican Bruce Poliquin in 2018 by a single percentage point and was reelected by 6 percentage points in 2020. Golden won again by 6 percentage points in 2022.

Golden is now being challenged by state Rep. Austin Theriault, a former NASCAR driver who has been endorsed by Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who campaigned this month in Maine on behalf of the Republican challenger.

Theriault’s campaign has been hounding Golden over his silence about whether he would support Harris. They have sought to portray Golden as a liberal who is in lock step with Biden and Harris, even though Golden has voted against the administration more than any other House Democrat.

An analysis of 2023 congressional votes by FiveThirtyEight, a political polling and analysis service, found that Golden voted in support of Biden’s policies only 34% of the time. Golden was the only Democrat to vote with Biden less than half of the time.

“Flip-flopper Jared Golden is still avoiding questions and refusing to be straight with Mainers,” Theriault said in a written statement Thursday. “After 4 years of working with and supporting the Biden-Harris administration, Golden is still claiming he needs more time to evaluate Harris. Mainers are tired of Golden’s political games. I’m running to put people over politics, and Jared Golden keeps doing the opposite.”

Golden sought to put the matter to rest with a written statement on Thursday, saying he would not be making an endorsement in the presidential campaign.

“The reason is simple: I am running to represent all the people of this district, regardless of who they vote for at the top of the ticket,” Golden said. “As I have always done, I will fight for Mainers no matter who occupies the White House. I am running to earn their vote on the merits, whether they support Harris, Trump or none of the above. No matter who you vote for, there is room for you on Team Golden.”

‘NO ONE’S BUSINESS BUT MY OWN’

Golden, who has not attended a Democratic caucus since October 2021, issued a second written statement on Friday in response to questions from the Press Herald about who he planned to vote for in the presidential election, why he was still registered as a Democrat if he doesn’t support the party’s agenda and whether he planned to unenroll.

“I have never seen a more biased or politically motivated set of questions from a reporter in my time in public office,” Golden said. “This is the type of reporting that leads so many Americans to talk of the ‘fake news media,’ having lost faith in the institution as a valuable source of information.”

He added, “Who I vote for is no one’s business but my own.”

Golden noted that Democrats support workers’ rights, fair wages, reproductive freedom, campaign finance reform, anti-corruption laws and civil rights, “all of which I have championed throughout my time in Congress.” He said District 2 Democrats also support fiscal responsibility, a secure border, and supporting veterans and police.

Party officials in Maine were reluctant to be interviewed about Golden’s campaign and how it could impact the presidential and down-ballot races for the state Senate and House. But they appear to be giving Golden the benefit of the doubt and the space he needs to win his own race.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, said in a written statement Friday that Golden is a “common-sense, results-oriented leader for the people he represents.”

“As we approach November 5th, we will work tirelessly to ensure Jared is reelected so he can continue growing good-paying union jobs, protecting reproductive freedom and creating a tax system that cracks down on ultra-wealthy tax cheats and big corporations while giving hardworking Maine taxpayers the fair shot they deserve,” Jeffries said.

Maine Democratic Party Chair Bev Uhlenhake did not answer specific questions about contrasts between the Golden and Harris campaigns. She noted the importance of winning both elections in a written statement.

“We are fighting for a future that strengthens our democracy, protects reproductive freedom, and ensures every person has the opportunity not just to get by but to get ahead,” Uhlenhake said. “That means electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, winning strong majorities in Congress by reelecting Jared Golden and Chellie Pingree, and maintaining our majorities in the State House and Senate.”

The Harris campaign said it is trying to reach every voter. Campaign officials said they have opened 14 coordinated field offices, including nine in the 2nd District, and are courting the nearly 28,000 people who voted for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Hailey in the Republican primary. Part of that effort includes launching a “Republicans for Harris” coalition, while also focusing on reproductive rights, which enjoy strong support in Maine.

“Our campaign is building the campaign infrastructure and ground game to ensure voters in every corner of Maine understand the fundamental choice this election,” spokesperson Amy Cookson said.

CAMPAIGNS NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE

Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, said in an interview Friday that he is supporting both Harris and Golden, and he doesn’t see their campaigns as mutually exclusive. He said Golden’s position on Harris doesn’t help her in the 2nd District, but he wasn’t sure if it would hurt her campaign, either.

“I think the voters decide on a candidate based on what they’re saying, at least I hope they do, and I think that’s what you will see – people are either impressed by Harris or they’re not and the same for Jared,” Jackson said.

He said he hasn’t always agreed with Golden, but “I do know that if I call Jared about an issue, he’s there.”

“I don’t need someone to rubber stamp everything,” Jackson said. “I need someone to listen and try to understand the problems.”

State Rep. Laurie Osher, D-Orono, said she has no issues with how the 2nd District race is playing out. As a leader of the progressive women’s caucus, Osher said she also doesn’t always agree with Golden, but she doesn’t question his commitment to the party. She plans to drop his campaign literature at doors while campaigning for reelection, because of his record of helping the district.

“We are a big tent and that includes people who say things we don’t always agree with,” said Osher, who is one of 32 Maine delegates headed to the convention next week. “Whatever he has been doing, he’s been winning. And I hope he wins again.”

Some other Democratic delegates to the convention said they were disappointed to see Golden not endorse Harris, but that it wouldn’t deter them from supporting him.

“Jared doesn’t do anything without a great deal of thought, in my experience,” said Vicky Cohen, a delegate from Farmington. “He’s not glib. He’s not fake. He’s not manipulative. He is very serious about everything he does. … He’s not just jumping out of the gate and doing what the Democrats do.”

“It’s a hard district to get to know and a hard district to work for,” Cohen said. “I think if I were in his shoes I would feel torn in a multitude of directions even though I consider myself a progressive Democrat.”

‘HIS PREROGATIVE’

Elaine Makas, a delegate from Lewiston and a former state lawmaker, said Friday that she wasn’t aware of Golden’s statement that he wouldn’t be endorsing anyone in the presidential race but was disappointed to hear of it. She had been hoping he would endorse Harris.

“That’s his prerogative,” Makas said. “I wish he would endorse her because I’m a solid Democrat.”

Makas said that reproductive rights and reasonable gun safety measures are among the most important political issues for her, and she supports the stances Golden has taken.

Golden has said that the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court was a “grave mistake” and has touted votes in favor of legislation to enshrine abortion rights.

Both Makas and Cohen said they don’t see Golden’s failure to endorse Harris as hurting her campaign in the 2^nd District.

“I think most people make their decisions based on the individual candidate,” Makas said.

Cohen said she has met Trump voters who support Golden because they appreciate his military service. And she has met Democrats who are annoyed at some of Golden’s positions but will vote for him because they realize the importance of trying to regain a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives.

“People decide individually if they are supporting Kamala Harris or Trump or anybody else,” Makas said. “People in the 2^nd District, and Maine in general, tend to be very independent thinkers and I can’t think of an instance, in my own life for example, where I voted for somebody because they were endorsed by a particular person.”

Staff Writer Rachel Ohm contributed to this report. 

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