Scoop: House Democrat "absolutely not" committed to voting for Harris
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Rep. Jared Golden at the U.S. Capitol on July 23, 2024. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) told Axios he will "absolutely not" commit to voting for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in November.
Why it matters: The co-chair of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition is trying to hold onto a congressional seat that former President Trump, the GOP's nominee this year, won handily in 2020.
Driving the news: Golden, who said before President Biden dropped out that he wouldn't commit to voting for the 81-year-old due to concerns about his health, said of Harris: "I at least know that she's capable of finishing the next four-year term."
- "That's a positive step in the right direction, I think, from the perspective of the American people. They at least have a clear choice," the Maine Democrat said in an interview Thursday at the Capitol.
- But Golden said he is "absolutely not" committing to voting for Harris and is "going to wait and see what she puts forward and what her vision for the future of the country is."
Zoom in: Golden issued a statement later on Thursday saying, "I expect to have to work to earn Mainers' votes and our candidates for president should expect the same."
- Golden said he hopes Harris "leans into her record as an attorney general and prosecutor" and is "curious" of her plans to combat inflation, protect entitlements and "maintain America's leadership on the world stage."
State of play: Golden's comments came just after he and five other House Democrats – all centrists from swing districts – voted for a resolution condemning the Biden administration, and Harris in particular, for their handling of the Southern border.
Zoom out: Golden is among just a handful of congressional Democrats who haven't endorsed Harris yet, many of whom represent highly vulnerable seats.
- Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who is defending a state that voted for Trump by almost 17 percentage points in 2020, told reporters on Wednesday: "We're in the middle of the process. It's not over yet."
- The Democratic National Committee plans to hold a virtual roll call by Aug. 7 to select its nominee.
The other side: Maine state Rep. Austin Theriault, Golden's Republican opponent, said in a statement that Golden has "gone full Washington."
- "[H]e took the position of every other slippery Washington politician who refuses to disclose who they're supporting for president," Theriault said.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Maine state Rep. Austin Theriault and further comment from Rep. Jared Golden.
