Maine Rep. Jared Golden Fends Off Challenge in ‘Gun Vote’ Acid Test

In a hard-fought congressional race described by The Reload as “an attention-grabbing take a look at case for a way potent gun politics can nonetheless be,” Democrat Maine Congressman Jared Golden has apparently saved his seat in defiance of an effort by gun rights activists to present him the boot over his change on weapons.

The paper-thin margin in his 50.19%-49.46% victory over Republican challenger Austin Theriault will in all probability end in a recount. It additionally raises questions concerning the capacity of “gun voters” to flex their muscle tissue in a state identified for gun possession and searching.

Assertion from the Theriault marketing campaign:

“This race nonetheless stays too near name. We’re nicely throughout the margin that might set off a state-funded computerized recount, and each vote needs to be counted.”

— Austin Theriault (@AustinTheriault) November 6, 2024

Theriault had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who secured a second time period with a shocking political comeback to trample anti-gun Vice President Kamala Harris not solely with Electoral Faculty votes, but additionally by successful the favored vote. He hadn’t carried out that earlier than, and pundits are suggesting it was the results of folks deciding they had been worse off now than they had been 4 years in the past, and since they admired a person who had been practically killed by an murderer’s bullet, solely to stand up with a clenched fist to declare “Combat, Combat, Combat!”

In keeping with knowledge from the New York Instances, Golden pulled in 181,842 votes in comparison with Theriault’s 179,192 votes, a 2,560-vote distinction, with about 92.6 % of the votes counted. Whether or not the ultimate tally assures his victory or locations it in query stays to be seen.

Open Secrets and techniques had reported that as of mid-October, Golden had raised $6.8 million and spent $5.8 million in his re-election bid. Theriault raised solely about half as a lot cash–$3.19 million—and spent $2.5 million in his marketing campaign, making it some of the costly congressional races of the 12 months.

The NY Instances describes Golden’s victory as defying political gravity. Democrats misplaced not solely the White Home but additionally the U.S. Senate, and Republicans appeared poised to retain the U.S. Home, giving Trump’s social gathering management of Capitol Hill, so the returning president ought to be capable to ram by means of a lot of what he has promised no less than for the following two years.

Golden was vilified in tv promoting, which portrayed the three-term congressman as having been modified by Harris and President Joe Biden to show towards the pursuits of Pine Tree State gun homeowners within the aftermath of the Lewiston mass taking pictures in October 2023, which claimed 18 lives. Lewiston is Golden’s hometown.

Golden’s change of coronary heart was revealed in an Oct. 29, 2023 article within the Bangor Every day Information, which detailed the congressman’s name on his colleagues to go a ban on so-called “assault weapons.” From that second on, the veteran Democrat was focused for defeat. On Tuesday, that effort failed, however not my a lot.

Showing to facet with the Biden-Harris administration, the 42-year-old Golden—who represents Maine’s Second District, which spans many of the state and which Trump received with 52.9 % of the vote towards Harris’ 44.4 %, based on the New York Instances—should have gotten help from some Republicans to eke out the win. Trump additionally received the district in 2020 and 2016.

As noticed by The Hill, “Golden’s victory is bound to frustrate GOP leaders, who noticed the district as one in every of their finest probabilities to pad their slim Home majority. It’s additionally a sign that, no less than in some components of the polarized nation, voters are nonetheless keen to separate the poll.”

Golden is a Marine Corps veteran and he informed the Bangor Every day Information following the 2023 rampage that his residence is inside a brief distance of the bowling alley the place a number of the victims had been murdered. The killer used a personally-owned trendy semi-auto rifle, regardless of having been hospitalized and examined in New York whereas his personal reserve unit was deployed there final 12 months for coaching. Golden is a gun proprietor, and he has voted up to now in defiance of his social gathering in Washington.

So, what occurs now? Democrats could also be barely emboldened by Golden’s election night time victory by contemplating it proof that the “gun vote” will not be as formidable as is usually portrayed and believed.

Nonetheless, which may be wishful pondering partly, as a result of throughout the nation aside from Oregon and Washington, Democrats misplaced floor. One tv commentator described it as a “shellacking.” It wasn’t fairly that unhealthy, however the election has left Democrats because the minority social gathering with a returning president they despise.

How Golden evidently pulled this off could have been finest defined by a quote from one in every of his constituents within the Bangor Every day Information. The congressman was described as a person who “thinks of what’s finest” for his constituents and never essentially what’s finest for his social gathering. A status like that’s powerful to beat, regardless of how he flipped on semiautomatic rifles.

About Dave Workman