Jan. 2, 2026: A conversation with Rep. Jared Golden on his decision not to run again

The past year delivered a lot of big surprises and Rep. Jared Golden's sudden decision to abandon his reelection bid was among them. Maine Public chief politics correspondent Steve Mistler and fellow politics correspondent Kevin Miller recently sat down with Rep. Jared Golden for a lengthy conversation about the factors that led to his decision.During the conversation, he spoke about the warring factions within the Democratic Party; how some Democrats refuse to recognize the electoral realities of the 2nd Congressional District that he represents; and yes, about that infamous column he wrote before the 2024 election that made so many Democrats angry. He also had a few things to say about why he drew a primary challenger this year from former Secretary of State Matt Dunlap.