Maine’s Wide-Open Primary

When Senator Olympia Snowe (R., Me.) unexpectedly announced she would retire at the end of her term, the Pine Tree State’s political scene erupted. Six candidates have entered the race for the Republican nomination to succeed Snowe, and all of them have spoken with National Review Online about their infant campaigns.

Currently, ex-governor Angus King, an independent, leads all the Republican and Democratic candidates by large margins. But King is a known quantity — or at least a vaguely remembered one. If the Maine GOP fields a strong candidate, and the Democratic party offers a mediocre one, Republicans could triumph in a three-way split, à la Governor Paul LePage’s victory in 2010. Here’s a look at the contenders who will face off in the primary on June 12.

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