Rep. Jared Golden is the obvious successor to Joe Manchin of West Virginia in his efforts to wrest Democrats from the left, especially on energy and environmental issues.

Jared Golden, a Democratic Representative from California, has always been at the margins of his own party. He’s now on the verge of becoming a powerful broker.

Golden talked about his future political career this summer during an ATV ride through the northern Maine logging country. The lookout is located at 3,000 feet in the air.

He is an outsider, not beholden to any party. The combat veteran runs for a 4th term in Maine’s 2nd District. It’s rural and sprawling. In one of the most expensive battleground elections in the United States, he faces Republican Austin Theriault. Theriault is a former NASCAR racer turned state legislator.

Golden’s power could grow if he wins. He’s leading a group of independent-minded young lawmakers who are willing to use leverage and to buck the leadership to get what they desire. They are rebuilding Blue Dog Coalition – a once-venerable, centrist group that was viewed more recently as an old relic.

Golden and his Blue Dog group would have the power to dictate legislation in areas such as climate change, immigration and other top priorities if Democrats won a small majority led by Blue Dogs candidates.

Golden, in an interview at Oquossoc grocery, a small store on the northern edge of his district, said: “We hope to build a team young Blue Dogs that actually want to legislate, and use leverage, to get things done as they should be for their districts.”

He said that one way to achieve this is to be willing to say “no” to your own leadership if margins are thin.

Golden seems to fit in this working-class region, where logging trucks still rumble and paper mills are still active. He arrived in a Chevy pickup, wearing a raincoat and khaki utility trousers.

In a busy store, nobody seemed to notice that the third-term member was buying breakfast. He spoke so quietly that he could barely be heard over the jackhammer on the other side of the street.

He described an ambitious plan for reshaping the Blue Dogs to become a group of Democrats who have real power and can be a bulwark to the left, which has dominated the party in the last decade.

Golden stated that “we reject party loyalty and the idea of a national party, with cascading litmus test for everyone to follow,” Golden explained. Golden said: “I see us as more populist… It’s about creating leverage and exercising power and political power for very specific purposes.”

Nobody currently in Congress has used their leverage as a centrist, swing vote better than Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia.

Manchin raped his party leadership and left-wing for two years, when Democrats controlled Congress and the White House. He held back his vote for many months to extract concessions on the Inflation Reduction Act from the leadership of his party.

Manchin is retiring now, and he has decided to support Golden. Manchin called the Mainer “the best of the very best”. “What we are trying to do – and I am trying to help him in any way I can. I’m with you 100 percent — is create support for middle.”

Manchin is a supporter of independent candidates who are primary challengers.

Manchin stated that “a person who comes here and wants independence… should vote their conscience and do what is best for the country, not follow party lines.” “We will make sure that they are supported.”

Golden may only have the influence of one senator in his position as a member of the House but he doesn’t need many Blue Dogs for him to be a major force.

As congressional majorities are so narrow, it is not clear that you need as many members as long as you have just enough, said Ruth Bloch Rubin. She studies the impact of intraparty divisions on lawmaking.

She said that Golden is working from an advantage because, if Democrats want to retake control of the House, they will have a small majority. “To have someone who understands the importance and the building of institutions and organization, that is where the action and where moderates will find success,” she said.

I don’t want to discuss another climate bill.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine

Golden will be in a position to clash with some of the most powerful members of the party if the margins go his way. This includes New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who has discussed taking a second stab at climate legislation.

Golden, speaking of one of Democrats’ main priorities for the next year, said: “I’m not going to do any more talking about climate legislation.”

Golden doesn’t see himself as a bad Democrat. He believes that his “progressive conservative” brand of politics could be the way to save the party in rural blue-collar areas where Republicans have beaten Democrats in recent times.

Golden stated that he was still the most popular Democrat in Maine’s Second District, even before he began running for office. He cited internal polling results that showed a 90 percent level of support from Democrats. “So who is out of sync with Democrats in rural America?”

Golden believes that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, will follow his model and swing left on economics while swinging right on other issues like the border and crime.

Golden told the crowd, “If you want to win, then follow me.” I’ll be your thought leader in how to represent rural and working class communities, where we would be dominant at national level if we did as well as before.

The Blue Dog Coalition played a pivotal role during the Obama Administration in shaping such issues as the debate on health care. Since then, their numbers have decreased. In 2009, they had 54 members. Now, they are down to just 10.

Golden is the co-chair of the group, along with Reps. Marie Glusenkamp Perez from Washington and Mary Peltola from Alaska. All of their races are considered to be close.

In a recent survey conducted by Pan Atlantic Research in Portland, Maine, Theriault was ahead of Golden, 47-44 but the margin of error was still within acceptable limits. The Democrat has the advantage in terms of money.

Golden stated, “I hope I will have a Blue Dogs team around me next year. Part of that effort will be to use our collective influence to ensure what is done meets our priority.”

Challenge Dems on Energy

Golden and his Blue Dogs are not short on priorities. Many of them, however, are petty and unattractive.

He has been a constant battl