State Auditor Matt Dunlap announced Monday he will challenge U.S. Rep. Jared Golden in a Democratic primary next year that adds intrigue to one of the country’s biggest congressional races with former Gov. Paul LePage on the Republican side.

Dunlap, 60, a former state legislator and secretary of state who once led the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and lives in Old Town, said that Democratic voters “want to see something different” and vowed to be an accessible member of Congress.

Maine’s high officeholders rarely see serious primary challenges. Dunlap, who has been elected to two posts repeatedly by Democratic lawmakers, enters as a credible opponent. National Democrats have already rallied around Golden, who called Dunlap a party “crony” in a statement responding to his candidacy.

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