For those who may not know me, I represent Maine’s 2nd District in Congress and have been proud to serve as a National Leader with No Labels.
I wanted to write to you today to let you know about a difficult decision I made this week. After 11 years in elected office, I have decided not to seek reelection.
Before I tell you why, I want to make something clear: I am not giving up on our mission here at No Labels. Instead, I’m simply joining you in the fight as a citizen.
Like many of you, I am exhausted by the nastiness and vitriol that now dominate our politics. I have spent years trying to improve it from within. But I now think I have taken that work as far as I can.
I have never loved politics. But I find deep purpose in service. The Marine in me has been able to slog through the worst of today’s political culture by focusing on the good that Congress is still capable of doing with patience and determination.
In recent years, I have grown tired of the incivility and plain nastiness that are now commonplace in our country—often amplified, not challenged, by those in power. My team and I have tried to stay above the fray, and for that, I am proud of the way we have gone about our work.
But the rise of political violence has made it impossible to ignore how much the ground has shifted beneath us. The high-profile incidents are not the only ones. My family has lived through more threats than I care to count. I remember all of us sitting together in a hotel room on Thanksgiving last year after yet another credible threat against our home.
As my oldest daughter reaches school age, I cannot pretend this is normal—or fair to them.
I have also had to ask whether the good I can do in Congress still outweighs what my family is asked to endure. And when I consider how broken the system has become, the answer is clear.
This week’s government shutdown—the longest in U.S. history—is a painful example. The hyperbolic accusations, the finger-pointing from both sides, the performative fights… all reveal a Congress that is no longer working.
Nonetheless, I leave with my head held high. I have worked to bring substance abuse and mental health services to veterans. I have helped lobstermen and working waterfronts protect their way of life. And I have delivered over $52 million to upgrade critical infrastructure across Maine’s 2nd District.
These are reminders of what we can do when we focus on service and solutions.
For nearly eight years, I have pushed back against the forces of polarization because I have seen what happens when one party is overtaken by its most extreme elements. Now I fear Democrats are drifting in the same direction that Republicans were.
We have to stop viewing Americans as the sum of their disagreements. Most of us are not hyperpartisans. Most of us want commonsense policies, responsible leadership, and a politics that reflects real life, not a shouting match between the loudest extremes.
That is why I joined No Labels. And that is why I am not stepping away from the fight—I am just joining it from a different seat.
I still believe, maybe more than ever, that this can get better. That our politics can heal. That good people can come together and do hard things in service to a greater good.
So while I am leaving Congress, I look forward to staying involved with No Labels and helping however I can—because the work you are doing matters.
Thank you for your support. And thank you for believing, as I do, that there is a better way forward.
With gratitude,
Jared Golden
Member of Congress
National Leader, No Labels
