U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (left) and his Republican challenger, Maine Rep. Austin Theriault. (Campaign photos)
For the third and final time, the candidates for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District took the debate stage Wednesday night. For the third time in a week, they spoke about their views on recurring topics, such as gun control and energy policy. The debate also touched on addressing Maine’s affordable housing shortage.
Calling for less extremism and more balance in Washington, Republican state Rep. Austin Theriault — who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump before the June primary — said he is passionate about being able to serve Maine people.
Taking that call, the Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Jared Golden mentioned his own record as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress.
“If you like the original band, so to speak, why pay to see the cover?” Golden said.
Like the first two debates that happened in the past week, the candidates spent a lot of time talking about the Inflation Reduction Act during the forum hosted by WABI-TV and WAGM-TV. Theriault criticized Golden for supporting the legislation, claiming it has created “green energy schemes” that have driven up costs for ratepayers.
Golden echoed his defense of the bill, pointing to the way it lowered prescription drug costs for seniors and aided in bringing down prices at the gas pump.
Early on in the discussion, Theriault said he supports an “all-of-the-above” energy approach that utilizes natural gas, oil and various renewable energy forms like nuclear or solar. During the second debate Monday with NEWS CENTER Maine, Golden also said he supports an “all-of-the-above” approach.
“[The Inflation Reduction Act] is the model of an all of the above energy approach for the United States,” Golden said Wednesday night, specifically mentioning the legislation’s investments in fossil fuels and multiple renewable energy sources.
Housing
As Maine continues to battle an affordable housing crisis, the candidates were asked what the federal government can do to bring down the high cost of housing.
Both candidates spoke of reducing government spending to keep interest rates low for people purchasing a home.
“If we want to get serious about making sure we have an economy that works for everybody, then we need to have an economic plan and a spending program down in DC that doesn’t waste trillions of dollars,” Theriault said.
The freshman legislator mentioned his plan for a zero-based budgeting process where federal agencies would start with zero dollars and have to justify all the spending they ask for, rather than starting with the previous budget and adjusting from there.
Golden also said he’d like to see deregulation at the state and local levels to bring down the cost of building a home.
Illegal marijuana grows
For the first time in the three debates, the candidates were asked about illegal marijuana grows that have been busted in rural homes across the state. Federal officials tied the homes to Chinese organized crime in a leaked August 2023 memo, as reported by the Bangor Daily News.
The Maine delegation has been having regular meetings with federal and state law enforcement, Golden said.He wants those agencies to have the resources they need to address the problem, and believes the U.S. can punish China through trade policy.
Theriault was also in support of making sure law enforcement has what it needs to stop these operations, but he added that it speaks to a larger issue of people in other countries “not taking America seriously” because of what he thinks are lax immigration policies.
Second Amendment rights
Gun rights have been a topic in all three debates. The candidates were specifically asked on Wednesday if they would support a national yellow or red flag law, which both restrict a person’s access to firearms if they are deemed a risk to themself or others.
Theriault spoke of his support for Maine’s yellow flag law, which an independent review panel found should have been used in the case of the perpetrator of last October’s shooting in Lewiston. Again, Theriault called for more mental health infrastructure, not limitations to the Second Amendment.
Golden said he voted against red flag laws both in his time in the Maine Legislature and in Congress. Like the first two debates, he talked about his efforts to balance the Second Amendment with public safety.
Golden also spoke of his change of heart after the Lewiston shooting when he called for a ban on the future sale of assault weapons, adding that he believes if that type of weapon wasn’t used in Lewiston, more people would still be alive.
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