DEMOCRATINCUMBENT

Jared Golden

Maine House District 2 2026 · 2026

Policy Positions

69%

Avg Confidence

Issue Areas

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Policy Positions

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Economy

2 positions

Would you support raising the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour?

Neutral

Public StatementJared Golden is a conservative Democrat who has broken with his party on numerous economic issues and has not clearly championed a $17 federal minimum wage; while he has supported some minimum wage increases in the past, his moderate-to-conservative voting record suggests reservations about a specific $17 federal mandate. Fact-check this →

Do you support using tariffs as a tool to address trade imbalances with other countries?

Strongly Support

Public StatementJared Golden has been a prominent Democratic supporter of tariffs, notably breaking with his party to back Trump-era tariffs on imports and explicitly defending tariffs as a tool to protect American manufacturing and workers in Maine, including statements supporting tariffs on steel and other goods. Fact-check this →

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Education

1 position

Would you support canceling up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt per borrower?

Oppose

Public StatementJared Golden is a conservative Democrat who voted against the American Rescue Plan and has repeatedly broken with his party on progressive spending measures; he has not supported broad student loan cancellation and has expressed skepticism about executive debt forgiveness programs. Fact-check this →

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Environment

3 positions

Would you support legislation to reduce US carbon emissions by 50% by 2035?

Oppose

Voting RecordJared Golden is a conservative Democrat who voted against the Inflation Reduction Act (2022) and has generally opposed aggressive climate mandates, favoring energy independence and fossil fuel production in Maine's economically mixed district, making a 50% by 2035 emissions target inconsistent with his record. Fact-check this →

Do you support legislation to reduce US carbon emissions by 50% from 2005 levels by 2035?

Oppose

Voting RecordJared Golden is a conservative Democrat from a rural district who voted against the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 (the major federal climate legislation), has expressed skepticism about aggressive climate mandates that could harm Maine's economy and energy costs, and has generally opposed sweeping federal emissions regulations, suggesting he would not support a 50% by 2035 mandate. Fact-check this →

Do you support stopping the issuance of new federal permits for oil and gas drilling on public lands and offshore waters?

Strongly Oppose

Voting RecordJared Golden is a conservative Democrat from Maine who has repeatedly broken with his party on energy issues, voting against the Inflation Reduction Act and supporting expanded domestic energy production including oil and gas, making him strongly opposed to halting new federal drilling permits. Fact-check this →

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Foreign Policy

3 positions

Would you support increasing the federal defense budget by more than 5% annually?

Support

Public StatementGolden is a Marine veteran and moderate Democrat known for hawkish defense positions, supporting increased defense spending and breaking with his party on military funding votes, though no specific record on >5% annual increases was found. Fact-check this →

Would you support increasing the federal defense budget by more than 5% per year above the rate of inflation?

Neutral

Public StatementGolden is a Marine Corps veteran and moderate Democrat known for hawkish-leaning defense positions who has supported robust defense funding, but no direct record of explicitly backing defense increases exceeding 5% above inflation as a specific threshold. Fact-check this →

Would you support maintaining or increasing current levels of US foreign assistance to allied and developing nations?

Oppose

Voting RecordGolden has broken with his party on foreign aid votes, notably voting against Ukraine aid packages and supporting foreign aid cuts, reflecting his fiscally conservative, America-first orientation as a swing-district Democrat. Fact-check this →

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Gun Policy

3 positions

Would you support universal background checks for all firearm purchases in the US?

Support

Voting RecordGolden has voted for and publicly supported universal background checks legislation (including H.R. 8 in 2019 and 2021), while also opposing some broader gun control measures, reflecting a moderate pro-background-check stance consistent with his rural Maine district. Fact-check this →

Would you support requiring background checks for all firearm purchases in the US, including private sales and gun show transactions?

Neutral

Voting RecordGolden is a conservative Democrat from a rural Maine district with an A rating from the NRA in earlier cycles who has broken with his party on gun votes, including voting against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act provisions and the House-passed universal background check bill (H.R. 8) in 2021, suggesting opposition to universal background checks despite some gun safety votes. Fact-check this →

Would you support a federal ban on the manufacture and sale of semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines to civilian buyers?

Oppose

Voting RecordJared Golden voted against the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808), which would have banned semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines, making him one of the few Democrats to oppose the bill, and he has consistently positioned himself as a gun-rights-friendly Democrat representing a rural Maine district. Fact-check this →

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Healthcare

2 positions

Would you support expanding Medicare to cover all Americans regardless of age?

Oppose

Public StatementJared Golden is a moderate Democrat representing a rural Maine district who has consistently broken with progressive Democrats on major healthcare expansions; he has not supported Medicare for All legislation and has emphasized more incremental healthcare approaches, aligning with his broader centrist voting record. Fact-check this →

Do you support federal legislation allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers?

Support

Voting RecordGolden voted for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which included provisions allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, providing direct voting record evidence of support for this policy. Fact-check this →

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Immigration

3 positions

Would you support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have lived in the US for more than 5 years?

Neutral

Voting RecordJared Golden is a notably conservative Democrat from rural Maine who has broken with his party on immigration votes, including voting against some Democratic immigration reform packages, but has not made a clear public statement specifically on a 5-year residency pathway to citizenship, requiring inference from his general moderate-to-conservative stance on immigration. Fact-check this →

Would you support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have lived and worked continuously in the US for more than 5 years?

Neutral

Voting RecordJared Golden is a conservative Democrat from a rural Maine district who has taken restrictionist immigration stances, voting against some comprehensive immigration reform bills, but his specific position on a long-term residency pathway has not been clearly articulated; his record suggests at best lukewarm or conditional support. Fact-check this →

Would you support significantly increasing federal funding for border security infrastructure and personnel at the US southern border?

Support

Voting RecordJared Golden has a well-documented record of breaking with his party on immigration, including voting for Republican-backed border security measures and the Secure the Border Act, and has publicly called for stronger border enforcement and supported bipartisan border security legislation. Fact-check this →

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Taxes

3 positions

Would you support increasing the top marginal income tax rate to 50% for income over $10 million?

Oppose

Public StatementJared Golden is a conservative Democrat known for his moderate-to-right fiscal positions, having opposed several progressive tax proposals and broken with his party on budget matters, making support for a 50% top marginal rate unlikely, though no direct statement on this specific proposal is on record. Fact-check this →

Would you support raising the top federal income tax rate to 50% for individual income exceeding $10 million per year?

Oppose

Public StatementJared Golden is a notably conservative Democrat who has repeatedly broken with his party on tax and spending issues, voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, and represents a rural Maine district where he emphasizes fiscal moderation, making support for a 50% top marginal rate very unlikely, though no direct statement on this specific threshold was found. Fact-check this →

Would you support raising the federal corporate income tax rate from 21% to 28%?

Neutral

Public StatementJared Golden is a moderate Democrat known for breaking with his party on fiscal and tax issues, but no direct public statement or vote specifically on raising the corporate tax rate to 28% could be confirmed; his general fiscal moderation suggests he may have reservations about the full increase, though he has supported some revenue measures. Fact-check this →

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Voting Rights

1 position

Would you support federal legislation requiring all states to automatically register eligible citizens to vote when they interact with government agencies?

Neutral

Party InferenceJared Golden is a notably moderate Democrat who has broken with his party on multiple voting and procedural issues, but there is insufficient direct evidence of his position on automatic voter registration specifically to assign a confident score beyond neutral inference. Fact-check this →