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Jared Golden
ME · District 2
In plain English: Represents Maine District 2 in the U.S. House of Representatives. House members vote on federal laws and spending.
Term
2025-01-03 – 2027-01-03
Next election
2026-11-03Open-seat race. Golden announced on Nov. 5, 2025 that he will not seek re-election in 2026; he is not a candidate. The Nov. 3, 2026 nominees for ME-02 are Matt Dunlap (D, Maine state auditor) and former Gov. Paul LePage (R). The Cook Political Report rated the race 'Likely Republican' (reported June 2026; the district voted for Trump by 9 points in 2024). No later Cook rating verified as of 2026-10-01.
Running for
None (announced retirement; not seeking re-election)
Committees
Committee on Armed Services (subcommittees: Intelligence and Special Operations; Seapower and Projection Forces); Committee on Natural Resources (subcommittees: Energy and Mineral Resources; Federal Lands; Water, Wildlife and Fisheries)
Jared Golden has represented Maine's 2nd Congressional District since 2019. A Marine Corps veteran who served combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, he completed college on the GI Bill, served as a policy advisor on the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and represented Lewiston in the Maine State Legislature before his election to Congress. In the 119th Congress he serves on the Armed Services and Natural Resources committees. He announced on Nov. 5, 2025 that he will not seek re-election in 2026.
Bio source: https://www.thewellnews.com/2022-elections/2022-candidate-profiles/me-02-jared-golden-d-2/ (background, sourced from campaign website); https://clerk.house.gov/members/G000592 (119th Congress committee assignments); https://news.ballotpedia.org/2025/11/06/rep-jared-golden-becomes-the-32nd-u-s-house-member-who-is-not-seeking-re-election-in-2026/ (retirement)
1. Follow the money, in plain English
What we don’t have yet: verified donor records for this leader. Pending donor data source: will be backfilled; never estimated
Every money claim on this page carries its source and its confidence level; the full item-by-item money record is in the evidence below.
2. What they promised
Each promise is tracked against documented votes and actions. A status is set only from the record; where a promise has not been tested yet, the card says so.
- PROMISEIn progress
Announced he would vote in favor of a 'clean' war powers resolution to remove the United States from hostilities against Iran (H.Con.Res. 86). Evidence: voted Yea on H.Con.Res. 86 on 2026-06-03 (Roll Call 199, passed 215-208). Status so far: Golden voted Yea on H.Con.Res. 86 on June 3, 2026, and it passed 215-208. He also voted Yea on H.Con.Res. 89, another war powers resolution on Iran, on July 23, 2026, and it passed 214-208.
- PROMISEIn progress
Announced he would oppose the resolution offered by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (H.Con.Res. 75), calling its proposed 30-day deadline moot after more than 70 days of conflict. Evidence: voted Nay on H.Con.Res. 75 on 2026-05-14; the resolution failed 212-212, with Golden the lone Democrat voting no. Status so far: Golden voted Nay on H.Con.Res. 75 on May 14, 2026. The vote was 212-212 and the resolution did not pass.
- PROMISENo test yet
Said he was co-leading his own war powers resolution that would: reduce the time the president is authorized to continue hostilities from 60 to 30 days; ban the deployment of American ground troops in Iran without congressional approval while protecting search and rescue and intelligence missions; allow defense against incoming attacks on bases, embassies and allies; and require the administration to brief Congress at a set, regular cadence until the end of hostilities. Introduction not independently verified; status could not be confirmed as of 2026-10-01. Status so far: Golden's record lists a personal war powers resolution reported on March 11, 2026 with these terms, and notes its introduction was not independently verified. On May 13, 2026, Golden said the War Powers Act gives the president 60 days to conduct military operations without congressional authorization and that the window had closed.
- PROMISEIn progress
One of my priorities with the time I have left in Congress is to do everything I can to safeguard the future of these heritage industries. Status so far: On May 1, 2026, Golden announced lobstermen protection legislation that would protect Maine's lobstermen from new North Atlantic right whale regulations until 2035, and White House support for it was announced.
3. The evidence
Everything on this page comes from the record below, grouped so you can find things: what they said, what they did, money and influence, and what happened after. Every item carries its date, its source, and the date we last verified it.
Open the full record ↓
What they said
- STATEMENT
"I have said since the start of this conflict that the War Powers Act of 1973 grants the president only 60 days to conduct military operations without an explicit authorization from Congress. President Trump, like all his predecessors, has refused to recognize the limitations of the War Powers Act, but to me the law is clear. His window for unilateral military engagement has closed. Hostilities, including the use of the U.S. fleet to impose a blockade of Iranian ports, cannot legally continue unless the president seeks, and wins, Congressional approval."
- STATEMENT
"At this time, I would not support congressional authorization for sustained combat operations without the administration making clear that it has reasonable and achievable objectives." NOTE: The verbatim text says 'congressional authorization,' not 'funding.' In the same piece he wrote: 'If the president does come to Congress over Iran, I suspect he will ask for more money, not formal permission.'
- STATEMENT
"After much deliberation, I've decided not to seek reelection in 2026. I'm confident that were I to run again, I would win. But recent events have made me reconsider whether the good I can do in Congress still outweighs the cost to my family."
- STATEMENT
"The War Powers Act is not a recommendation. It is the law. If the president has a case to make about why this conflict is in America's interest, he must come to Congress and make it. That is the only way to bestow any continued conflict with the legitimacy our system of checks and balances requires. Without it, the operation, including any blockade of Iranian ports, which cannot be seen as anything but an act of war, cannot continue."
- FACT
Golden joined the Blue Dog Coalition to introduce H.R. 10780, the Congressional Budget Reform Act of 2026, containing nine reforms to congressional budget-making including enforceable deficit/debt targets, an end to government shutdowns via automatic continuing appropriations, closing loopholes on executive impoundments, and requiring Congress to stay in session when budget deadlines are missed. Bill text received Oct 9 with 2 cosponsors; draft dated Oct 6. He said: "So, this week, I joined my fellow Blue Dogs to introduce the Congressional Budget Reform Act of 2026."
- STATEMENT
Responding to Democratic ME-02 candidate Matt Dunlap's remark that he is 'better off on my own' without Golden's backing: "Usually by this stage of a campaign, a candidate knows who they are running against. Matt Dunlap should know by now he's running against Paul LePage, not me. This comes across as someone scared of losing, and seeding the ground to shift the blame if he does."
What they did
- VOTE
H.R. 8800: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 Yea on passage (Roll Call Vote 278) (passed 216-212)
- VOTE
H.Con.Res. 86: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran Yea on agreeing to the resolution (Roll Call Vote 199) (passed 215-208)
- VOTE
H.Con.Res. 89: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran Yea on agreeing to the resolution (Roll Call Vote 282) (passed 214-208)
- VOTE
H.Con.Res. 75: War powers resolution directing the President to end U.S. military action in Iran (sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, NJ-05) Nay on agreeing to the resolution (clerk roll call number not confirmed) (failed 212-212)
- FACT
PURE Executive Act (reintroduced 2026-05-01 with Rep. Ashley Hinson, IA-02): would impose a five-year ban on senior executive-branch employees lobbying an agency where they had been employed, plus a lifetime ban on lobbying for foreign governments or companies tied to them. Bill number not confirmed; source: golden.house.gov media listing (https://golden.house.gov/media?page=2).
- FACT
Lobstermen protection legislation (announced 2026-05-01): would protect Maine's lobstermen from new North Atlantic right whale regulations until 2035; White House support announced. Bill number and exact title not confirmed; source: golden.house.gov media listing (https://golden.house.gov/media?page=2).
- FACT
Personal war powers resolution (reported 2026-03-11): would cut the presidential authorization window from 60 to 30 days, bar deployment of U.S. ground troops in Iran without congressional approval, allow defense of bases, embassies and allies, and require regular briefings. Introduction not independently verified; source: op-ed in Piscataquis Observer (https://observer-me.com/2026/03/11/opinion/jared-golden-my-thoughts-on-the-conflict-in-iran/).
Money and influence
- DATA UNAVAILABLE
Pending donor data source: will be backfilled; never estimated
- FACT
Blue Dog Coalition: co-chair in the 118th Congress; listed as a member in the 119th Congress. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_Blue_Dog_Coalition
- FACT
House Armed Services Committee seniority: 'eight years on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee' per his March 2026 op-ed; subcommittees in the 119th Congress are Intelligence and Special Operations and Seapower and Projection Forces. Source: https://observer-me.com/2026/03/11/opinion/jared-golden-my-thoughts-on-the-conflict-in-iran/ and https://clerk.house.gov/members/G000592
What happened after
No outcomes recorded yet.
None documented (checked 2026-10-01).
Sources
Evidence
Related receipts
Receipt · PublishedThey said they opposed the Iran war. Then they voted to keep paying for it.Every factual item carries its source, date, and last-verified stamp. Items marked unavailable are genuinely missing. Never filled in.