Rep. Jared Golden speaks at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. (Courtesy of Rep. Jared Golden’s office)
A billionaire-funded Illinois super PAC has spent more than $2 million on ads opposing the Democratic incumbent for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.
According to July filings with the Federal Election Commission, the Restoration PAC spent $2.3 million on mailers and digital advertisements opposing Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, who is running for a fourth term. The ads claim Golden, a veteran who served with the U.S. Marines, supported policies that raise costs for Mainers and threaten Second Amendment rights.
The money spent by the Restoration PAC is another example of how the race for Maine’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives has drawn national attention as Republicans aim to flip the seat. During a visit to Maine earlier this summer, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the matchup between Golden and state Rep. Austin Theriault is one of the top five races in the country.
The spending from Restoration PAC is the bulk of the $3 million in outside independent expenditures opposing Golden, per FEC filings. It also outpaces the nearly $1.3 million in donations not coordinating with a campaign to oppose Theriault. As for support, each candidate has seen less than $400,000 in outside independent expenditures.
Two of the Restoration PAC ads that started running mid-August claim that Golden “changed” during his time in Washington. Specifically, the ads claim that Golden stands with the Biden-Harris administration in ways that raised costs for Mainers. According to the Google Ads Transparency Center, Restoration PAC spent between $75,000 and $90,000 total on the ads, which cumulatively have been viewed more than 4 million times.
Golden frequently takes votes that buck that majority of the party, including in 2019 opposing one of two articles of impeachment levied at former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee who has twice won Maine’s 2nd District. As of January 2023, Golden voted in line with President Joe Biden 88.2% of time, which was the lowest of any Democratic member of the U.S. House.
Unlike other Maine Democrats, Golden has not backed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and instead has doubled-down on his refusal to endorse any candidate.
Another Restoration PAC ad claims Golden “won’t protect” Second Amendment rights and mentioned the “F” rating the congressman received from Gun Owners of Maine, a grassroots organization dedicated to protecting gun rights.
After the mass shooting in Lewiston last October, Golden called on Congress to ban assault weapons, marking a reversal of his previous stance on the issue. Though Golden has received low ratings from gun rights groups such as Gun Owners of Maine and the National Rifle Association because of the switch, his campaign has touted the support of nearly 100 Maine gun owners and outdoorsmen. During a press event earlier this month, the heads of that coalition called Golden’s policy change an act of leadership.
In response to a question about the PAC, a spokesperson for Golden’s campaign said the “billionaire extremists behind Restoration PAC know Austin will be a loyal foot soldier to their harmful agenda,” which they said included a national abortion ban, gutting workers rights and reversing marriage equality.
“They know Mainers would be repulsed by their well-documented goals, so they’re hiding it behind millions of dollars in bogus political smears on Jared,” the spokesperson said.
Theriault’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
What is the Restoration PAC?
An arm of the conservative advocacy group Restoration of America, based in a suburb of Chicago, the Restoration PAC website said the group supports “truly conservative candidates,” and opposes “Leftists and the woke agenda.”
The group is largely funded by Republican megadonor Richard Uihlein, who founded the Wisconsin-based shipping and packaging materials distribution company Uline. Between January 2023 and June 2024, Uihlein contributed nearly $21 million to Restoration PAC, per FEC filings.
In 2018, Uihlein and his wife Elizabeth were the subject of a New York Times article calling them “The Most Powerful Conservative Couple You’ve Never Heard Of,” citing their financial backing of candidates who generally supported broad access to assault weapons and attacked transgender rights.
The couple also contributed more than $4 million to a group who participated in the rally before the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to reporting from the Wisconsin Examiner.
And last summer, the Uihlein’s spent millions of dollars to hinder abortion access in Ohio, as reported by CBS News.This election cycle, the organization is investing heavily in congressional races in Maine and beyond. FEC filings show Restoration PAC has also spent more than $3 million to oppose U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin.
SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST.