Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) defended his status within the Democratic Party and sharply criticized a local media outlet for its “biased” coverage of the question of whether he plans to remain in the party amid increasing scrutiny of his centrist voting record.

In a post to X, Golden said he had been asked for comment by the Portland Press Herald for the 2024 election and whether he plans to remain a Democrat after November. The newspaper asked why Golden is still a Democrat, claiming he is “really trying to distance himself from the president, vice president and the national party as a whole. He is not attending caucus or DNC delegate meetings and has abstained from the virtual roll call.”

“I have never seen such biased or politically motivated questioning from a reporter in my time in public service,” Golden said Friday. “This is the kind of reporting that has so many Americans talking about ‘fake news media’ because they have lost faith in this institution as a valuable source of information.”

Golden said that “as far as I know” Democrats are for workers’ rights and fair wages, women’s reproductive freedom, campaign finance reform and anti-corruption laws, civil rights and good governance – “all of which I have fought for throughout my time in Congress.”

“Unlike the Republican Party, the Democratic Party is not a cult of personality,” Golden said. “If Maine residents want a candidate whose entire campaign is based on loyalty to the entire platform of a party and its national leaders, Austin Theriault is the right candidate for them.”

Golden was also asked who he would vote for in the 2024 election, a question that likely stemmed from a comment the congressman made to the Bangor Daily News In early July, he said he would be “OK” if former President Donald Trump won the 2024 election. Golden has not committed to voting for President Joe Biden, nor has he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

“Now I will make my final statement on how I will vote: Who I vote for is no one’s business but my own,” Golden said in his post. “I want the people of Maine’s Second District to understand this: I don’t care if you want to vote for Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, or neither. I intend to seek your support to be your representative based on the merits of the work I have done for all of our communities over the past five and a half years.”

Austin Theriault, the Republican candidate seeking to oust Golden from office, has tracked several of Golden’s “turnarounds,” according to campaign officials, since he won the primary in June.

“It’s time for Jared Golden to decide whether to be transparent with Maine voters or continue to screw them,” Shawn Roderick, Theriault’s campaign manager, said in a statement. “First he likes to talk about who he is NOT voting for, but now he says it’s none of Maine’s business WHO he votes for. The reality is: Jared Golden is backtracking on the border, the Second Amendment, our lobstermen, and now Maine’s right to know who their congressman is supporting for president. In contrast, Austin Theriault is an honest guy from Aroostook County who always tells Mainers where he stands on the issues.”

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Golden is one of a handful of House Democrats representing swing districts, or districts that Trump won in previous elections, who have voted against the conference on key measures, such as the recent resolution to condemn Harris for failing to fulfill her duties as a “border czar.”

The Cook Political Report classifies Golden’s race as a “tie,” with Republicans holding a 6-point lead.