Guns became a central issue in Maine’s 2nd District race this week. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden and his Democratic supporters responded to criticism after he shifted toward supporting gun control following last year’s mass shooting in Lewiston.
Golden’s Republican opponent, state Rep. Austin Theriault, had an interesting week. He received an A grade and endorsement from the National Rifle Association (NRA) on Monday, but then a story came out about a gun-related police call he made in 2023.
Background: In the past, Golden’s votes against gun control made Republicans downplay the issue. However, after the Lewiston shooting in October, which killed 18 people, Golden supported banning assault weapons like the one used in the shooting. This made guns a key issue in the race.
This week, Golden’s 2022 B grade from the NRA dropped to an F. He held a news conference with sportsmen who support him. That night, Theriault announced his A+ rating from the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. The group didn’t endorse anyone but lowered Golden’s grade from A+ to C since the last election.
Also, on the same day, the liberal Huffington Post reported that Theriault called the police in early 2023 about a man holding an AR-15 on his own porch. Theriault told police he wanted to know about the man in case shots were fired. The police found no criminal activity, and the situation was cleared quickly.
What They’re Saying: Theriault criticized Golden’s stance on guns and said the police report was incomplete, noting that he saw the man in an argument with others. Theriault’s campaign said he did what any concerned citizen would do by notifying the police and was relieved nothing bad happened.
Golden’s team pointed out that, despite his support for gun control, he’s also opposed some gun-related measures, such as Gov. Janet Mills’ response to the Lewiston shooting, which required background checks on advertised gun sales. Golden even poked fun at Theriault, saying on X (formerly Twitter), “Didn’t realize that calling the cops on Mainers for possessing a gun on their own property could earn you an NRA endorsement. Weird.”
What’s Going On It was revealed that Aroostook County Sheriff Peter Johnson shared the police records about Theriault’s call with a Democratic opposition researcher in March. This shows Democrats’ efforts to challenge a key Republican argument in this high-profile race. However, it’s unclear how much the gun issue will influence voters ahead of the election, which is just days after the anniversary of the Lewiston shooting .