Democratic Maine Rep. Jared Golden won’t seek reelection in competitive US House district

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who represents one of the most competitive U.S. House districts in the country, said Wednesday he will not seek reelection.

Golden was first elected to Congress in 2018 and has carved out a space as a Democrat who is willing to work with President Donald Trump’s administration. He announced his decision not to seek a new term in an opinion piece published Wednesday in the Bangor Daily News in his home state.

Golden wrote that he has “grown tired of the increasing incivility and plain nastiness that are now common from some elements of our American community.” He also said he was motivated to step down by the number of incidents of political violence in the country, including those against Trump and Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Golden, a Marine veteran, said he has also received threats against himself and his family.

“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. There have been enough of those over the years to demand my attention,” Golden wrote.