Dem
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GOP
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Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) represents ME-02, which has a PVI of R+6 and which went for Donald Trump by 7 points in 2020. He likes his job and wants to keep it, something not so easy in such a red district. His strategy is to rebuild the Blue Dog Caucus, which had been decimated in recent years as centrist Democrats have been defeated around the country and the party has moved to the left.
If Golden can put together a dozen—or even half a dozen—blue doggers in a coherent group, that group could wield as much power as The Squad, especially since two Squad members won't be around in the new Congress. If the New Dogs have more members than the difference between the parties, it could put the Democrats under as much pressure to do what they want as the Freedom Caucus puts on the Republicans.
Golden has said: "We basically reject party loyalty, the idea that there should be some kind of national party with a series of cascading litmus tests and everyone's gotta follow suit." You know who supports Golden? Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), but he's not a Democrat anymore. And soon, he won't be a senator, either.
If the math works out for Golden—that is, if the Democrats capture the House by [X] seats and the Dogs have [> X] members—Golden and his followers will be on a collision course with the party leadership. For example, he has already said he doesn't even want to talk about another climate bill. But he is not a DINO. He calls himself a progressive conservative and thinks his way is the way to rescue the Democrats in rural blue-collar districts like his around the country. He is willing to offer advice to any Democrat who wants to listen.
At their high point, the Blue Dogs had 54 members. Now they have 10. But they are not quiet. Golden is fighting the Biden administration on regulations for lobstermen. Rep. Mary Peltola (AK) is fighting Biden on land use in Alaska. Rep. Marie Glusenkamp-Perez (WA), an auto mechanic by trade, is fighting against electric cars, saying they won't work in rural communities where distances are large and charging points are few and far between. But all of them have won seats in areas Democrats are normally crushed in. Golden wants to increase the size of the caucus and make it more powerful. On the one hand, the Democrats like the idea of more House seats. On the other, they don't like Democrats like Golden opposing some of their most cherished policies. (V)