The lone US House Democrat to vote with Republicans on the funding bill draws a primary challenge

By David Wright, CNN

(CNN) — Maine Rep. Jared Golden, the only Democrat in the House to vote for the Republican-led government funding bill, drew a primary challenger Monday who accused him of consistently siding with the GOP over his own party.

State Auditor Matthew Dunlap’s bid sets the stage for a high-profile showdown in a district Democrats will likely need to hold to regain control of the US House. Golden represents one of the country’s most competitive districts, winning his 2024 race by less than a percentage point while President Donald Trump carried it by roughly 10 points.

Dunlap told CNN ahead of his announcement that Democrats are “very, very disenchanted with Jared,” and that Golden overplays the difficulty of winning the district.

“It’s not a hostile wilderness. These are my neighbors and friends. I know them well, and I feel welcome in every community in the state,” Dunlap said.

In a statement, Golden said he represents a district that is “fiercely independent.”

“It’s one of the most ideologically diverse districts in the country, and deserves someone who represents it as it is,” he said.

Golden broke ranks to vote with Republicans last month on a funding bill to avert a government shutdown, which was blocked by Senate Democrats.

Defending the vote in a statement, Golden said that the shutdown “is the result of hardball politics driven by the demands far-left groups are making for Democratic Party leaders to put on a show of their opposition to President Trump.”

It’s one of several instances of Golden crossing party lines throughout his career, frustrating some Democrats even as he has burnished an independent reputation.

Dunlap pointed to Golden’s support earlier this year for the SAVE Act – GOP legislation that would have required proof of citizenship to vote – saying that it was “just inexplicable to me.”

“I feel like we have one of the best election systems in the country,” said Dunlap who served as Maine’s secretary of state from 2005 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2021. “People ask me about the SAVE Act vote, and I said, well, it really wasn’t a tipping point, but it was a weathervane. It told me where people are.”

Golden, meanwhile, referred to Dunlap as a “30-year party crony” who was trying “to recreate himself as a progressive.”

Dunlap lined up with the national Democratic argument that Republicans should reach a deal to restore health care funding that could otherwise expire soon.

But he was critical of party leaders and declined to say whether he would back House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries if elected.

“I don’t think anybody in Democratic leadership has necessarily draped themselves in glory in this cycle, and when I am in that position to make that decision, I’m going to listen to what people have to say,” Dunlap said.

On the Republican side, former two-term Gov. Paul LePage announced a campaign for the district seat in May, writing on social media that “we’ve had too many years of Washington, D.C. trying to control the people. It is time to put the people before politics.”

And LePage’s campaign reacted to the developments in the Democratic primary, saying in a statement that “Matt Dunlap sees what we see, Jared Golden is hiding.”

“Maine people say they never see Jared Golden in their towns or communities. Jared Golden spends more time trying to please his New York, Los Angeles and Cambridge donors than he does talking to the people of Maine,” LePage’s campaign wrote.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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