Jared Golden

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Read all of our coverage of Maine's 2026 election or stay up to date with the latest developments through the Maine Political Report in your inbox or text messages from politics editor Kirby Wilson.

When U.S. Rep. Jared Golden announced he wouldn’t run for reelection this year, he said he planned to use the nearly $2 million in his war chest to support Democrats across the country.

So far, he’s put his money where his mouth is.

In its latest filing with the Federal Election Commission, made public Thursday afternoon, Golden’s campaign committee reported spending nearly $300,000 between July and October. Much of that cash went toward moderate Democrats’ campaigns.

The largest expenditure by far was to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which supports the party’s candidates for U.S. House. Golden gave the organization $150,000 in late September.

Golden has occasionally drawn the ire of his party’s leadership for his moderate stances and willingness to break party ranks on important votes. In September, he and Rep. Marie Glusenkamp Perez, D-Wash., were scorned by Democratic leaders for a “blindside” vote in support of several Republican-led bills.

After the DCCC, Gluesenkamp Perez was the next largest recipient of Golden’s campaign cash over the last three months. Her reelection PAC received a $40,000 contribution from Golden in late September.

Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez are co-chairs of the Blue Dog PAC, a committee that supports conservative-leaning Democrats running for and serving in Congress.

In recent months, Golden gave the maximum $2,000 to six Democrats backed by Blue Dog PAC that are each vying to flip Republican congressional seats in Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Three other Democrats’ reelection campaigns received $1,000 contributions from Golden: Incumbent U.S. Reps. John Larson in Connecticut, Darren Soto in Florida and Seth Magaziner in Rhode Island.

“As he’s done during his time in office, Congressman Golden will continue to support candidates and causes he believes in,” Golden spokesperson Mario Moretto said in a statement provided after this story was initially published.

The donation to Larson was made on Aug. 7, just days before he lost a primary election that ultimately ended his nearly 30-year congressional tenure.

Those contributions follow the pattern of Golden’s other donations this year, the majority of which have gone to moderate Democrats facing tight campaigns across the country.

In Maine, Golden gave $500 to both Lewiston Democrat Shenna Cox’s state Senate and Auburn Democrat Adam Lee’s state House campaigns.

Golden also contributed $1,050 to Oxford County Sheriff Chris Wainwright’s reelection bid. Wainwright, notably, is the only Republican Golden contributed to this quarter.

The donation, dated Sept. 30, was made just days after several Oxford County deputies’ complaints of retaliation within the office were made public.

Several Maine-based nonprofits also received thousands of dollars from Golden’s campaign funds. Operation Reboot Outdoors, a Turner-based organization that sponsors hunting and fishing trips for law enforcement officers and veterans, got $25,000. The Solidarity Solutions Foundation in Lisbon Falls received $5,000.

Golden made a “charitable contribution” of $25,000 to Moving America Forward, a Utah-based voter outreach organization that focuses on engaging political independents, namely through canvassing and town halls.

Golden’s spending has ramped up as November has neared. His committee spent about $93,000 in the first quarter of 2026 and $65,000 in the second, according to FEC filings.

The nearly $300,000 he spent during the third quarter blows those totals out of the water. And he still has nearly $105,000 on hand, his latest filing shows.

Dylan Tusinski is an investigative reporter with the Maine Trust for Local News' quick strike team, where his stories largely focus on money, drugs and government accountability. He has written about international... More by Dylan Tusinski

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