Monica Castellanos, communications director for Congressman Mike Michaud, is taking a leave of absence from her job to help Adam Cote’s run for the 1st Congressional District.

In a statement, Castellanos said she’s going to run Cote’s field campaign, but will return to her regular job with Michaud on June 16, six days after the June 10 primary.

The Democratic primary in the 1st District continues to be a good race, with several strong candidates making a run for it.

Pingree’s bio pic

Most, if not all, candidates these days put footage of themselves on YouTube or otherwise make promotional videos to show themselves in the best possible light.

Chellie Pingree, Democratic candidate for the 1st Congressional District, took advantage of some family talent in producing “Chellie’s Story.”

Her daughter Cecily Pingree is a filmmaker, as is her son-in-law Jason Mann, both of whom worked on video. Jason is married to House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven, who narrates the story.

Check it out here

Republicans to debate

On the other side of the 1st CD race, Republicans Dean Scontras of Eliot and Charlie Summers of Scarborough will debate at least twice before the June primary, the campaigns said this week.

The Scontras campaign proposed a series of three debates in late May and early June, after Summers is scheduled to return from active duty in Iraq, where he’s a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy. His wife, Ruth, said she’s agreed to two debates if Charlie isn’t off duty in time, but she’s optimistic he will be free to campaign — and debate — by the end of May.

Military rules prohibit him from campaigning while he’s on duty.

The 1st District includes southern Maine, and stretches up to include Augusta, Vassalboro, Albion and China. The western border includes Mount Vernon, Readfield, Winthrop and Monmouth.

Republicans Dean Scontras of Eliot and Charlie Summers of Scarborough will debate at least twice before the June primary for the 1st Congressional District, the campaigns said.

The Scontras campaign proposed a series of three debates in late May and early June, after Summers is scheduled to return from active duty in Iraq where he’s a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy. His wife Ruth said Thursday that she’s agreed to two debates if Charlie isn’t off duty in time, but she’s optimistic he will be free to campaign — and debate — by the end of May.

Military rules prohibit him from campaigning while he’s on duty.

The 1st District includes southern Maine, and stretches up to include Augusta, Vassalboro, Albion and China. The western border includes Mount Vernon, Readfield, Winthrop and Monmouth.

Ruth Summers said they filed the signatures necessary to get on the ballot this week.

State Sen. Ethan Strimling, D-Portland, said he will brave the elements Wednesday to turn in the more than 1,500 signatures he and others gathered in his run for the 1st Congressional District seat.

“Our volunteers worked hard to collect these signatures, so I’m not going to let a little snow stop me from turning them in,” he said in a statement.

Strimling is one of several Democrats running for the seat, which is being vacated by U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat who’s running for the Senate.

Who won the debate?

Kudos to Tim Russert for asking some specific and pointed questions at last night’s MSNBC debate between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.

It’s not often you hear discussion about health care, NAFTA, Louis Farrakhan, Saturday Night Live, Putin’s successor (whatever his name is) and Pakistan all in 90 minutes.

So, who won?

Ralph Nader’s announcement on Meet the Press that he’s running for president drew yawns from some and snarky comments from others. But it’s interesting to take a look at how he’s done in Maine, and consider how he’ll do here this time around.

A check of the Secretary of State’s web site shows in 2000, when he ran as a Green Independent, Nader got 5.7 percent of the vote in Maine or 37,127 votes. (Democrat Al Gore took the state with 49 percent of the vote to George Bush’s 44 percent.)

In 2004, representing The Better Life party, Nader got just about 1 percent of the vote in Maine or 8,069 votes. He got more than double what the Green ticket of David Cobb and Maine’s own Pat LaMarche earned. (John Kerry took the state with 54 percent to Bush’s 45 percent.)

So, in 2008, will Nader’s slide continue in Maine? Or will he catch on with those who are tired of the two major parties? How about Ron Paul supporters who are clearly looking for a third option?

All candidates running for the 1st Congressional District have been invited to participate in a forum on Tuesday in which they will offer their views on the state of the U.S. Constitution.

Another independent is jumping in to the Senate race to challenge headliners Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat.

Herb Hoffman, a 75-year-old psychologist from Ogunquit, came to the Statehouse Wednesday to announce that he’s running for the seat as an independent. A former Democrat, and Dennis Kucinich supporter, Hoffman said he’s confident he can get the 4,000 signatures he needs to get on the ballot.

Dr. Herbert J. Hoffman, a retired psychologist, is traveling the state today to announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate.

He’ll be in Portland City Hall at noon, the Statehouse Welcome Center at 2 p.m. and the Bangor Motor Inn at 4:30 p.m., according to his campaign. He will run as an independent.

If Hoffman gets the signatures required to get on the ballot, he will be in the race that features incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democrat U.S. Rep. Tom Allen. Also, Laurie Dobson of Kennebunkport has said she plans to run as an independent.

Legislators, former legislators and those who want to be legislators are busy gathering signatures to run for legislative seats, all 186 of which will be up for grabs in November.

This week, attorney Seth Goodall of Richmond announced he will run as a Democrat in Senate District 19. That seat is now occupied by Republican Sen. Paula Benoit of Phippsburg, who is running again.

Goodall, vice-chairman of the Richmond Selectboard, recently stepped down from his position as legal counsel to the Senate President so he could run for office.

In other election news:

Rep. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick, said he’s going to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, who is termed out.

Sen. Dana Dow, R-Waldoboro, said he will not seek reelection to his seat because he needs more time to focus on his furniture store business. While waiting in line for a roast beef sandwich in the cafeteria, Dow said he may consider a run for governor in 2010, but he said that the word “may” should be underlined and in italics.

With Dow out, it opens the door for the return of former Rep. David Trahan, R-Waldoboro, who has filed to run for the District 20 seat. So has Rep. Peter Rines, D-Wiscasset.

A quick scan of the list on the Ethics Commission Web site shows former Rep. Bob Nutting of Oakland, a Republican, is once again running for that seat. It’s currently held by Rep. Jill Conover, D-Oakland, who has filed to run again.

Visit this site to find the ethics commission list.

Green Party presidential candidate Jesse Johnson of West Virginia stopped by today for a chat about his efforts to win his party’s nomination for president.

Johnson, 48, a self-described actor, filmmaker and artist, toured the state with Pat LaMarche, who ran on the Green Party ticket as vice president four years ago and has twice run for governor of Maine.

Johnson (jesse08.org) is one of four Greens seeking their party’s nomination. For information on all of them, go to gp.org.

Maine Greens are in the middle of their caucusing process, with some cities and towns already having met and others yet to come. Locally, West Gardiner Greens are scheduled to meet Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. at the town office.

Other dates and times are available on the state party Web site, mainegreens.org.

Maine is important to Green candidates because the state sends the second most delegates to the national convention (behind California), LaMarche said.

After a slippery start in southern Maine during the snowstorm, the pair made their way to the Statehouse. Here’s part of our conversation, Q&A style:

On Maine Politics: What brings you to Maine in weather like this?

Johnson: The caucusing is taking place for the Green Party and I just wanted to come up and touch base with folks.

OMP: So tell me a little about yourself.

Johnson: I’ve been an actor, filmmaker, artist. Until last Saturday, I was the state chair of the Mountain Party of West Virginia. In 2004, I ran arguably the most successful campaign for governor in the country of a third party.
In 2006, I ran more of a principled campaign against Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, the longest-serving senator in the history of the United States.
I held the first tripartisan event at the state Capitol in West Virginia in support of public workers. The guy who beat me out for governor had promised them a raise and hadn’t kept that promise so we held that event.
By the end of that day, he gave them their raise.

OMP: Why run for president?

Johnson: I believe this country is at a very dangerous crux in the road and we’re embroiled in an illegal war, we’re breaking treaties, which is unconstitutional.
We are facing the greatest crisis as far as climate, but it’s also our greatest economic opportunity.
The county is in an economic downturn, which I would term a free fall. We simply have got to change direction. There are too many things we’re not facing.

OMP: One of the issues Pat (LaMarche) campaigned on was poverty, and John Edwards emphasized that in his campaign, as well. Where does that fall on your list of things to do?

Johnson: I mentioned the economic downfall, free fall, that we’re in and one big factor to that, including a health care issue, is going to be the returning vets.
These veterans are coming back more physically damaged than ever before in any war. Also, they are coming back with greater and greater cases of post traumatic stress disorder.
Already we treat our veterans atrociously.
What I perceive the great danger is a new Hooverville popping up. The government themselves will tell you there are 300,000 homeless veterans presently. They need help. They need attention.

OMP: Some people still say Ralph Nader helped Bush get elected in 2000, and paint third party candidates as those who might tilt the election in a way that was unintended.
Do you buy that argument? How do you see yourself? Can you win?

Johnson: Well, one citizen equals one vote and in that sense of course I could win. But the problem is the system has gone so far astray, being dominated by a so-called two-party system.
I would argue that we have a one-party system and that it’s dominated by multinational corporations, and that bird is kept afloat by a right wing and a left wing that’s used to divide people.
A third party has the ability to allow people to actually vote their values, their conscience. Those values are what define us. If you vote your values, then whomever takes the mantle of office will have to recognize the power of the idea and the value.
With regard to the spoiler concept, in a broken system I would see us as a definer, not a spoiler.

Winthrop bookstore owner Rita Moran, one of the Maine Democratic Party’s 10 superdelegates, released this statement today to clarify how she intends to cast her vote.

“I believe that, as a superdelegate, I ought to represent those Mainers who went to their local caucuses on Sunday. I am not now pledged to a presidential candidate, and expect to remain unpledged until it becomes clear what other superdelegates will do.

Sixty percent of those who drove through the snow, who waited for hours on lines, and filled crowded rooms to declare their presidential preference at our caucuses voted for Barack Obama, while forty percent declared for Hillary Clinton.

I believe that the minority deserves a voice, as much as the majority does. If fewer than four Maine superdelegates pledge for Senator Clinton, I will join and become the fourth. If fewer than six Maine superdelegates pledge for Senator Obama, I will join them to represent the majority opinion which, I believe, deserves the majority vote.”

Augusta GOP to meet

The Augusta Republican City Committee and all delegates and alternates elected to the state convention will meet Monday at party headquarters, 9 Higgins St. in Augusta.

At 6 p.m., the city GOP committee will meet to review bylaws and recruit volunteers.

Then at 6:45 p.m., Augusta delegates and alternates to the state convention will meet to elect a delegation chairperson and perform other business, said city chairman Chuck Mahaleris.

Maine Democratic Party officials are riding high today after shattering the previous caucus turnout record of 18,000 by drawing what party executive director Arden Manning described as “close to 45,000” to town halls and schools across the state

Just a few weeks ago, political scientists predicted Maine Democrats might be totally ignored in the presidential race because they decided to wait to caucus until after Super Tuesday. But when voters in more than 20 states failed to produce a clear frontrunner, Maine briefly took a turn in the national spotlight.

Visits by both candidates the day before the caucuses energized supporters of both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. As of 11:30 last night, it looked like Obama would take 15 delegates while Clinton will get nine.

Calling all Democrats!

Or anyone who traveled to Bangor/Orono/Lewiston Saturday to see Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama or both.

What did you think?

A few quick thoughts:

Clinton’s 9:30 a.m. event in Orono gave those in attendance the chance to see her, hear her positions on several topics and get some level of detail about what she plans to do. We waited in line about 30 minutes outside before getting in, and once she got started, she delivered a polished and information-filled presentation. She took a few questions and answered them thoughtfully.

Obama’s afternoon event had the feel of a rock concert. We waited in line outside for two hours before we could get in, and once we did, it was a mad dash to the nosebleed seats with several thousand people. He was less detailed, and actually poked a little fun at those who criticize him for that by telling people to go to his Web site if they needed more information.

People seemed to adore him. The end of the speech featured a rousing call to believe in hope and not give in to cynicism.

So the question is this: Did either of them win votes (ie delegates) today? Will the huge crowd at the Obama event show up to caucus Sunday?

Speaking of caucuses, if you still need information on where to go, check out the party Web site at mainedems.org.

It's shaping up to be a busy weekend for Maine Democrats.

Here's the schedule as of now, but you may want to check campaign Web sites for changes. Be on the lookout for more Chelsea Clinton events.

Chelsea will campaign for her mother at 6 p.m. Friday at Baggett Lounge on the Bowdoin College campus.

Here’s Sen. Hillary Clinton’s schedule for Saturday:

9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.

University of Maine - The Recreation Center, 5797 Recreation Center, Orono

Doors open for this event at 8 a.m.

Then in Lewiston, doors open at noon, and Clinton is expected to take the stage by 1:30. The event is scheduled to last until 4 p.m.

The City of Lewiston Memorial Armory, 65 Central Ave.

For Obama fans, doors for his "Stand for Change" rally open at 2:30 p.m. at the Bangor Auditorium, 100 Dutton St.

For security reasons, don’t bring bags, signs, or banners.

Then on Sunday, Democrats will attend caucuses at hundreds of different locations across the state. To find out more, go to: mainedems.org.

This just in from the Clinton campaign:

Chelsea Clinton will campaign for her mother at 6 p.m. Friday at Baggett Lounge on the Bowdoin College campus. Other events will be held Saturday, but the campaign has yet to release the details.

Here's the rest of the weekend schedule:

On Friday, Sen. Edward Kennedy, who’s here to stump for Sen. Barack Obama, will hold two rallies:

The first is at 11 a.m. in West Living Room, 75 State St., Portland.

The second is 2 p.m. in The Chapel at Bates College, 2 Andrews Road, Lewiston.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Here’s Sen. Hillary Clinton’s schedule for Saturday:

9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.

University of Maine - The Recreation Center, 5797 Recreation Center, Orono

Doors open for this event at 8 a.m.

Then in Lewiston, doors open at noon, and Clinton is expected to take the stage by 1:30. The event is scheduled to last until 4 p.m.

The City of Lewiston Memorial Armory, 65 Central Ave.

For Obama fans, doors for his "Stand for Change" rally open at 2:30 p.m. at the Bangor Auditorium, 100 Dutton St.

For security reasons, don’t bring bags, signs, or banners.

Then on Sunday, Democrats will attend caucuses at hundreds of different locations across the state. To find out more, go to: mainedems.org.

As Maine Democrats gear up for caucuses Sunday, both candidates and one notable surrogate will visit the state.

Tonight, former President Bill Clinton will be at the Portland Expo Center at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Sen. Hillary Clinton will be at the University of Maine at Orono Recreation Center at 9:30 a.m.

Also Saturday, Sen. Barack Obama will be at the Bangor Auditorium. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.

A complete list of Democratic caucus times is available on the party Web site at mainedems.org.

Winthrop bookstore owner Rita Moran, who serves as chairwoman of the Kennebec County Democratic Committee, is one of 10 superdelegates in the presidential nominating process.

She, along with Gov. John Baldacci, the state’s two Democratic Congressmen, and other high powered Democrats, get their own vote in the delegate count.

But Moran says she hasn’t been lobbied at all by either of the Democratic contenders.

“I’ve been contacted by media people,” she said. “I haven’t been contacted by campaigns.”

Moran thinks that might be because she’s made it clear that she doesn’t intend to use her power to advance her own beliefs. She feels as though she represents Maine Democrats.

She’s got two strategies in mind for deciding which way to go:

1. She may go with whichever candidate gets the most delegates out of Maine

2. Or she may choose the candidate who puts the most effort into trying to win Maine votes

The second strategy would lean her toward Barack Obama, who has been more active on the ground in Maine than Hillary Clinton, she said.

But she may not choose that strategy, saying she hasn’t “decided which is the moral high ground.”

“I want Maine to matter,” she said. “So often on the national level we have this idea Maine doesn’t matter. I’m pledged to bring Maine to the table.”

Moran may be able to get through Sunday’s caucuses without pledging to one candidate, but it all depends on what happens at her local caucus in Winthrop.

Before the Maine GOP presidential straw poll is a distant memory, I took a look at the current statewide totals and compared them to 12 Kennebec County towns.

With 75 percent of towns reporting, the statewide results show Mitt Romney with 52 percent, John McCain with 21 percent, Ron Paul with 18 percent and Mike Huckabee with 6 percent.

But locally, the results tell a slightly different story.

Romney still won, with 45 percent, but Paul came in second with 32 percent, McCain followed with 17 percent and Huckabee still drew 6 percent.

For more results, go to mainegop.com.

Augusta Republicans elect new leadership

In addition to expressing their presidential preference, Republicans elected new leaders on Saturday.

Chuck Mahaleris was chosen to serve as city GOP chairman, David Madore is vice-chairman and Linda Hadley Rood is secretary.

Sharon Benoit to run for District 21 seat

Monmouth resident Sharon Benoit, a former state legislator, has announced she will seek the Democratic nomination for the state Senate District 21 seat.

That sets up a primary in that district, where former Gardiner Mayor Brian Rines has already said he plans to run again.

Benoit, who previously served eight years in the House, is now retired and said this is a good time for her to get involved again.

The district is currently represented by Sen. Earle McCormick, R-West Gardiner, who beat Rines in a squeaker in 2006.

Strimling heads to Red Barn

State Sen. Ethan Strimling, a Democrat who’s running for the 1st Congressional District seat, will make the rounds in Kennebec County on Saturday.

Strimling will start the day with breakfast at A1 Diner in Gardiner at 7:45 a.m., move on to the West Gardiner Transfer Station at 9:45 a.m. and then head to the Red Barn Restaurant on Riverside Drive by lunchtime, according to his campaign.

While at the Red Barn, he’s supposed to take orders from customers before “joining them in the dining room.”

The Maine Democratic Party is predicting that more people than ever will attend their caucuses on Sunday, a belief based in part on the fact that they have already processed 4,100 absentee ballot requests.

Unlike the Republicans, Democrats will all meet in their own towns, rather than gather at regional events. The Democrats will meet in 372 “unique locations,” said Arden Manning, executive director of the party.

“This is an unprecedented level of local enthusiasm and is representative of the Democratic Party’s broad appeal,” he said in a statement.

The party will allow absentee ballots to be returned to them until 5 p.m. Wednesday. If you need one, go to mainedems.org.

While most are wrapped up in the presidential race, Mainers will need to make an important choice in June in the 1st Congressional District.

And Saturday’s Kennebec County Republican caucus offered a glimpse into a primary race that’s so far been overshadowed by the crowded Democratic field.

For Republicans, there are two choices: Dean Scontras of Eliot and Charlie Summers of Scarborough.

Neither attended the county caucus.

Scontras went to other caucuses around the state, and Summers is deployed in Iraq.

Both sent able surrogates.

In fact, the best speech of the day was delivered by Dan Schuberth of the Scontras campaign.

Schuberth, a 20-something, unclipped the microphone from the podium and stood out front, just like they teach you in speech class. He spoke loudly and firmly, monitored the audience response, and recapped his three main points at the end — just like they teach you in speech class.

“We are proudly carrying forward the banner of the Reagan revolution!” he boomed.

His speech was followed by Tricia Summers, daughter of Charlie Summers. She was interrupted by applause more than once when she mentioned that her father is currently serving in Iraq.

More soft spoken, she effectively made her points.

“He is the candidate who can go in in November and win back the 1st Congressional District in Maine,” she said.

Both camps have good Web sites that outline their positions.

They can be found at: teamdean08.com and summersforcongress.org.

Wearing faded jeans, a bright blue shirt and a black blazer, the 37-year-old son of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney stopped by Duke’s Rotary Barber Shop Friday to shoot the breeze.