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Guns became a key issue in Maine’s 2nd District race this week as U.S. Rep. Jared Golden and his Democratic allies sprang into action to counter growing fallout from his shift toward gun control after last year’s mass shooting in Lewiston.
This has led to a fascinating week so far for Golden’s Republican opponent, state Rep. Austin Theriault, who won an A grade and an endorsement from the National Rifle Association on Monday and then was hit with a story on a gun-related police call that he made in 2023.
What’s the context: Golden’s past votes against gun control made Republicans downplay the issue during his last two campaigns. A day after the October shooting that killed 18 in his home city, the congressman embraced a ban on so-called assault weapons like the one used in Lewiston and later backed the idea of permitting them, putting the issue back on the table.
A full view of the gun-rights backlash came this week. Golden’s 2022 B grade from the NRA became an F. Golden held a news conference that day unveiling a coalition of sportsmen who back him. That night, Theriault announced his A+ grade from the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, which did not endorse anyone but gave Golden a C, down from an A+ last cycle.
On the same day, a story about Theriault was published in the liberal Huffington Post documenting a call he made to police about a Winterville man holding an AR-15 on his own porch in early 2023. Theriault told police he wanted to know about the man in case he fired shots, but a police report noted no criminal conduct. The officer quickly cleared the call.
What they’re saying: Theriault has called Golden the “wrong choice” on guns. His campaign criticized the Portland Press Herald for following up on the Huffington Post report, saying the police report was incomplete and Theriault saw the man in an altercation with others. (Aroostook County Sheriff Peter Johnson did not respond to a question on that.)
“As any concerned citizen would do, Austin notified the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office and is thankful nothing came of it,” campaign manager Shawn Roderick told the newspaper.
Golden’s surrogates have highlighted his other stances on guns, including his opposition to Gov. Janet Mills’ response to the Lewiston shooting that mandated background checks on advertised gun sales. The congressman needled Theriault after the Huffington post report.
“Didn’t realize that calling the cops on Mainers for possessing a gun on their own property could earn you an NRA endorsement,” he wrote on X. “Weird.”
What’s really happening: Johnson told the Bangor Daily News that he provided the Theriault records in March in response to a request from Kathleen Casey, a Democratic opposition researcher whose company has worked for the party’s House campaign arm during this cycle.
It’s a good example of a long-considered Democratic plan to counter a top Republican argument in one of the biggest House races in the country. But it’s still unclear how guns will affect the swing-seat election that comes just days after the Oct. 25 anniversary of the shooting.
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