Jared Golden welcomes Manchin comparison in re-election campaign

Golden, the Democratic incumbent from Maine's deep purple 2nd Congressional District, described himself as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. Now he said he wanted to “fundamentally reject party loyalty” as a member of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition in the House of Commons. One of the country's most maverick lawmakers, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), also describes Golden as a lawmaker who governs according to his independent framework, according to a report by Politically.

Manchin called Golden “the best of the best” and said he would work to help Golden “any way I can.”

As Golden fights to retain her seats alongside several at-risk Democrats, the Republican Party is hoping for a chance to expand its presence in both chambers of Congress.

“I agree with him 1,000%,” the independent West Virginia lawmaker said, pledging to try to “build support for the middle.”

The West Virginia senator famously clashed with caucus leadership over Democrats' pet priorities that were unpopular in his red-leaning district. Manchin left the Democratic Party earlier this year to register as an independent, citing his desire to “put country before party.”

Like Manchin, who has often defended his state against the progressive environmental agenda, Golden has challenged Democratic Party elders on energy and climate policy.

Golden said he would rather debate the merits of affordable energy than the merits of a “climate crisis” agenda because he believes that's what his voters want.

“They have not committed to an energy focus that is about American energy strength, about working to bring new energy sources and technologies to America rather than buying from China or even from our allies in Europe,” the congressman said from Maine. “That’s what I’m here for, whether it’s oil and gas, nuclear, wind, solar, it’s all great as long as it’s all made in America.”

“I don’t want to talk about a climate law, I’m not doing that anymore,” Golden continued. Keeping his promise would mean opposing one of his party's top priorities after the election.

Golden was one of the few Democrats in the House of Representatives to support Republican-led legislation that reduced environmental regulations and focused on fossil fuel development.

And when he voted for the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act, he called it a centrist Manchin move.

“I voted for a bill drafted by Joe Manchin,” the Democratic representative said.

Manchin is finishing his final term in the Senate after announcing last November that he would not run for re-election.

But Golden wants to take up the West Virginian's mantle of centrist leadership in Congress by rebuilding the House Blue Dog Coalition, a group of centrist Democratic lawmakers whose influence has waned in recent years.

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“We fundamentally reject party loyalty, the idea that there should be some kind of national party with a series of cascading litmus tests and everyone has to follow suit,” Golden said of the group. “I see us as much more populist. … It’s about exerting influence and exercising violence and power, political power, for very specific purposes.”

Golden's words come as he finds himself in the fight of his life to fend off a challenge from Republican Austin Theriault. The Democratic incumbent is trailing his Republican rival in recent polls.