Former NASCAR driver and Maine Rep. Austin Theriault (R) revealed on Monday morning that he would be running for Congress.
Theriault, 29, will attempt to unseat Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who currently represents Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, according to Bangor Daily News.
In his statement, Theriault promised to fight against “elites” who he described as being “out-of-touch” with the people of Maine.
“Regular hardworking folks are getting held down by out-of-touch, out-of-state elites who are clueless about how hard it is to make a living in Maine,” Theriault said in his statement on X, formerly Twitter. “Some of our leaders are not very effective in fighting back – and I will be.”
I’m an Aroostook County native, a small businessman, a state rep, & a championship-winning driver.
— Austin Theriault (@AustinTheriault) September 25, 2023
I’m running for Congress to fight & WIN for struggling Mainers under attack from out-of-touch elites.
We need your help. Join us at https://t.co/sWccdpPwhW. #mepolitics pic.twitter.com/icJxlf8u29
A first-term lawmaker representing Maine’s 1st Congressional District, Theriault slammed Democratic politicians such as President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in his speech.
Theriault won his election in November 2022, receiving 71% of the vote against Democratic opponent Dana Marie Appleby, who received 29% of the vote.
“Golden is a nice guy, but he is still part of the problem,” Theriault said in his speech.
Golden, 41, a Marine veteran who served on combat tours to Afghanistan and Iraq, was elected to represent the 2nd Congressional District after receiving 50.5% of the vote while former Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin received 49.5% of the vote.
Between January and June of this year, Golden has raised $826,470 in donations, according to campaign finance data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Golden ended the period with $611,150 in cash on hand.
Golden has in several instances broken with the Democratic Party on issues such as his opposition to the Build Back Better Act, and voting with Republicans for a resolution that would repeal a federal law tightening regulations on stabilizing braces for firearms.
“Joe Biden has failed us and Jared Golden more times than not fails to stand up, speak out, and get the job done for a part of the state that desperately needs leadership,” Theriault said in his statement.
IJR reached out to Theriault for a statement but did not receive a response by the time of publication.