Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) announced Wednesday he won’t seek reelection, citing threats against his family and the ongoing government shutdown.
Golden has often bucked his party on key votes, including on the recent government funding bill, but his retirement from a district that also voted for President Donald Trump could make it more difficult for Democrats to win control of the House of Representatives next year.
Golden cited recent incidents of political violence, including the assassination attempt on Trump as a major factor in his decision.
“These have made me reconsider the experiences of my own family, including all of us sitting in a hotel room on Thanksgiving last year after yet another threat against our home,” Golden wrote in the Bangor Daily News.
Golden also pointed to partisan gridlock on Capitol Hill and the funding impasse that has forced thousands of federal employees to work without pay and threatened food assistance for millions. Golden was the only House Democrat who voted for the funding bill that passed the House in September only to stall in the Senate.
