Former NASCAR driver Austin Theriault, 29, is running for U.S. Congress as a Republican in the 2nd Congressional District. He filed paperwork on Monday to start his entry into the primaries.
Theriault is currently a freshman state rep from Fort Kent, Maine. He will be a strong candidate, being a conservative who wants to address issues such as the border, inflation and protecting small towns.
New England is typically a more liberal area, but the 2nd district has become more conservative. President Trump won the district in 2020 and gained an electoral vote in Maine.
FORT KENT, Maine — NASCAR driver-turned-politician Austin Theriault announced Monday that he is entering the Republican primary seeking an opportunity to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden in what is expected to be one of the country’s most competitive 2024 House races.
Theriault, who made his announcement on radio shows, said he will “come in with fire” to confront issues like inflation, illegal border crossings and dying small towns. “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,” he said.
The 29-year-old freshman state lawmaker from Fort Kent formally filed his paperwork Monday, joining mortgage broker Robert Cross, of Dedham and another first-term lawmaker, Michael Soboleski, of Phillips, in the primary contest.
Theriault would be a strong candidate to challenge Golden in what is expected to be one of the most competitive House races nationally, said Savannah Viar of National Republican Congressional Committee. Theriault has had conversations with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the chair of NRCC, but the committee doesn’t get involved in primaries.
Theriault wants to unseat current Democrat Rep Jared Golden. This is considered to be one of the more competitive races in the upcoming elections. Golden has won the past three elections, defeating former Republican Rep Bruce Poliquin twice.
He also posted a video on X (Twitter) thanking people for the positive response for launching his campaign.
Today I announced that I’m running for Congress in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.
The response has been outstanding and I really appreciate the support.
To join the team, head to https://t.co/sWccdpPwhW! #mepolitics pic.twitter.com/TBNib16FyM
— Austin Theriault (@AustinTheriault) September 25, 2023
Theriault isn’t the only race car driver to enter politics. Republican Governor Phil Scott of Vermont also was a race car driver but didn’t have the same level of success as Theriault.
Theriault started out as a local driver, then progressed to NASCAR’s top level. He was injured in a crash at Talladega Speedway in Alabama in 2019, which caused him to stop racing. He still mentors and consults with drivers.
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