Democratic Rep. Jared Golden said there’s a lesson to be learned from the election in which his party lost ground in the U.S. House.

He told the Bangor Daily News that politicians who cannot prove to be independent of their party run the risk of being tied to hot-button national issues.

Polls showed Golden with a double-digit lead, enough that his party pulled its money, assuming he would coast to victory. But he won his second term by just six percentage points over former state Republican Rep. Dale Crafts of Lisbon Falls.

Golden will be entering his 2nd term as the Rep for Maine’s 2nd district.