Maine Rep. Jared Golden, the only Democrat in the House to vote for the Republican-led government funding bill, drew a primary challenger Monday who accused him of consistently siding with the GOP over his own party.

State Auditor Matthew Dunlap’s bid sets the stage for a high-profile showdown in a district Democrats will likely need to hold to regain control of the US House. Golden represents one of the country’s most competitive districts, winning his 2024 race by less than a percentage point while Donald Trump carried it by roughly 10 points.

Defending the vote in a statement, Golden said that the shutdown “is the result of hardball politics driven by the demands far-left groups are making for Democratic Party leaders to put on a show of their opposition to President Trump.”

  • Septimaeus@infosec.pub
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    9 days ago

    I fail to see why progressives must wait for DNC reform before we challenge incumbents and vote in primaries, and I fail to see why suggesting we do so in the future is “helping Trump.”

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      I legitimately don’t know how else to explain it:

      Telling people no one will help them doesn’t motivate them, it’s literally the largest reason nonvoters have given for decades to justify non voting

      • Septimaeus@infosec.pub
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        9 days ago

        OK, it seems you’re hearing something very different than what I’m saying. This message is the opposite of fatalism, and is directed at any progressives reading, not you specifically.

        The reason Bernie Sanders and AOC are traveling around the US asking young progressives to run is that they are underrepresented by government because they are underrepresented in government.

        • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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          9 days ago

          OK, it seems you’re hearing something very different than what I’m saying. This message is the opposite of fatalism

          What you’re intending to say is probably different from what you’re actually saying…

          But obviously nothing I say is going to help, best of luck.