Maine Democrat Jordan Wood has decided to drop his campaign for U.S. Senate, instead shifting his focus to a House seat held by retiring Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME). “I just made a big decision: I’m running for Congress in Maine’s 2nd Congressional district, where I was born and raised. Let me explain why,” Wood wrote on X. “Last week, Jared Golden announced that he’s not running for re-election, leaving open one of the most competitive House races in the entire country,” Wood said in the video. “So, I’m stepping up where I’m needed most — right here in the 2nd District,” he added. Check it out: I just made a big decision: I’m running for Congress in Maine’s 2nd Congressional district, where I was born and raised. Let me explain why. pic.twitter.com/THon5X6MdL — Jordan Wood (@JordanWoodME) November 12, 2025 The Hill shared: Wood, who served as chief of staff to former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), had launched a bid to unseat Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) in April. The Democratic primary to take on Collins initially looked crowded, featuring Wood, oyster farmer Graham Platner, Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) and brewery co-owner Dan Kleban. But shortly after Mills’s entry into the race, Kleban dropped his bid and endorsed her. Golden’s announcement last week to forgo reelection in his battleground district scrambled the calculus further, prompting Wood’s announcement. In his video, Wood said “the last thing Maine or the country needs right now is Paul LePage in Congress,” attacking the former Maine governor — who is running for Golden’s seat — for vetoing legislation in 2013 that would have moved the minimum wage in Maine from $7.50 per hour to $9 by 2016 and for looking to relax child labor laws. Golden was viewed as one of the most vulnerable House Democrats, serving in a battleground district that President Trump won in 2024. Incumbent House Democrat Will NOT Seek Re-Election In Pro-Trump District POLITICO provided further info: Republicans have clamored to regain control of the increasingly red district — which President Donald Trump won by 10 points in 2024 — and celebrated Golden’s withdrawal as a slam dunk for the GOP. But Wood says he thinks Democrats are poised to maintain their control, pointing to the party’s wins in last week’s elections where voters rejected a proposed voter identification law and green lighted a red flag gun law. “What I hear from voters across the state is an anger and a frustration at a broken politics, and less directed at a single person but a political establishment,” he said. “Voters are really looking for candidates that are putting forward a vision of the future that they can believe in and that is addressing the biggest issues that they face in life.” Wood declined to endorse in the Senate race following his withdrawal but said he’d “support whoever the Democratic nominee is.” Wood — who said he currently lives about 20 miles outside of the district but grew up in the area — said he and his husband are in the process of moving within the district’s boundaries. He noted that he held town halls in all 11 counties of the 2nd District during his Senate run and heard directly from many would-be constituents.