Democrat Congressman Stuns Party, Endorses GOP Colleague

Retiring Democratic Rep. Jared Golden is breaking ranks with his own party again — this time by endorsing a Republican in one of the most closely watched House races of the 2026 midterms.

Golden, who represents Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, announced his support Monday for Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, delivering a rare cross-party endorsement as Lawler fights to hold onto his Hudson Valley seat against Democratic challenger Cait Conley.

Golden made his case in an opinion piece published by The Journal News, arguing that his firsthand experience working alongside Lawler convinced him that the Republican deserves another term.

The endorsement is particularly notable because Democrats are actively trying to defeat Lawler and capture his seat as part of their broader effort to win control of the House.

Golden is going in the opposite direction.

Rather than automatically backing his party’s nominee, the retiring Democrat pointed to Lawler’s bipartisan record and their work together in Congress as the reasons he is supporting the Republican incumbent.

The endorsement is also the latest example of Golden separating himself from Democratic leadership.

Earlier this month, Golden crossed party lines on procedural votes connected to legislation affecting the lobster industry as well as a package of sanctions against Russia.

Now he is taking the considerably more unusual step of endorsing a Republican congressional candidate over a Democrat.

Golden specifically highlighted Lawler’s work on collective bargaining rights for federal employees and Affordable Care Act premium tax credits.

But one issue appears to have carried particular weight for the Maine Democrat: the lobster industry.

Golden and Lawler worked together on the Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act, legislation designed to extend the current regulatory framework governing the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries through 2035.

The legislation centers on a long-running dispute involving federal protections for the endangered North Atlantic right whale and the regulations imposed on commercial fishing operations in response.

For Maine, where the lobster industry represents an important part of the state’s coastal economy and identity, the issue has carried enormous political significance.

For Lawler, whose district is in New York’s Hudson Valley, there was far less obvious political upside.

That was precisely Golden’s point.

Lawler joined Golden in championing the legislation despite representing a district without Maine’s direct economic dependence on lobster fishing.

The House ultimately approved the measure in a bipartisan 219-196 vote on September 1. The legislation was subsequently sent to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Golden argued that Lawler’s involvement demonstrated the kind of cross-party cooperation he believes has become increasingly uncommon in Washington.

“He got no votes in this and no headlines back home,” Golden wrote. “He signed on because a historic American industry, thousands of fishing families, and the principle that federal rules should be built on facts were all on the line.”

The endorsement carries additional significance because Golden himself has developed a reputation for departing from his party on some high-profile votes and policy disputes.

He announced last year that he would not seek a fifth term in Congress, meaning he is making the endorsement during the final months of his House career.

Golden has said political hostility and dysfunction contributed to his decision to leave Congress, and his endorsement of Lawler centers heavily on his stated belief that lawmakers should be willing to work across party lines.

Lawler represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, a politically competitive Hudson Valley seat that both parties view as important in the fight for control of the House.

The district supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election even as voters returned Lawler to Congress, underscoring its competitive political makeup. Current race ratings have likewise treated the Lawler-Conley contest as highly competitive.

That makes Golden’s decision particularly consequential politically.

This isn’t an endorsement of a Republican running in a district Democrats have effectively conceded.

It’s an endorsement in a seat Democrats are actively trying to flip.

And it comes from a sitting Democratic member of Congress.

Golden’s decision therefore gives Lawler something relatively uncommon in today’s deeply divided political environment: a Democratic colleague publicly making the case for his reelection.

Golden’s reasoning ultimately comes down to what he says he personally witnessed while serving alongside Lawler.

The two lawmakers worked together on legislation that directly affected Golden’s constituents even though Lawler had relatively little immediate political incentive to become involved.

For Golden, that was enough to cross party lines once again.

This time, however, he isn’t simply joining Republicans on a congressional vote.

He’s asking voters in one of America’s competitive House districts to send one of them back to Washington.