FORT FAIRFIELD — Rep. Olympia Snowe’s campaign manager doesn’t think the recent flap over the cancellation of an invitation for her husband, Gov. John R. McKernan, to speak at the annual potato industry dinner will have an adverse affect on her bid for a Senate seat.

“The people of Aroostook County know that Olympia has been a strong, consistent supporter of a whole variety of issues affecting the County,” said David Lackey, Snowe’s manager. “They know they can count on her to stand up and fight for their interests. She has always been concerned when jobs are lost.”

Lackey said Snowe and McKernan make decisions independently based on the needs of their constituents.

Greg Collins of Caribou, a vice chairman of the Aroostook County Republican party, said some people would try to tie Snowe and McKernan together.

“But Olympia has proven she can stand on her own,” said Collins. “She has proven herself as a supporter and has done a good job representing us.”

Nicholas Graham, Snowe’s press secretary, said he anticipated that his boss would march in the Potato Blossom Festival parade July 16 as she always has.

McKernan had been invited by the local Chamber of Commerce to be the speaker at the industry dinner Friday, July 15. They hoped McKernan would say recent legislation was not intended to allow electricity utilities to buy out contracts and close down independent electricity plants.

Central Maine Power Co. has proposed buying out its contract with Fairfield Energy Venture and closing the electricity plant Oct. 1. More than 100 residents could lose their jobs.

When local chamber officials believed, however, that McKernan would not make that statement, they “respectfully” canceled the invitation.

McKernan said he never formally was asked to make such a statement.

In a July 1 letter to Anna Watt, chamber executive director, McKernan said he didn’t question the decision (to cancel his invitation) but thought it would have been helpful to have a “full set of facts” before making that decision.

The governor said no official request was made to make a statement regarding the law that enabled CMP to propose a buyout.

Chamber officials said this week they asked McKernan, through Linda Frantz, his scheduler, to make a public statement. Frantz was in town last month to plan McKernan’s visit in a Capitol for a Day program, tentatively planned for July 15, the same day as the dinner.

Franz was told by chamber directors “at least five times” of their wishes for a statement from the governor, said Kathy Ouellette, chamber president.

Dan Austin, McKernan’s press secretary, said Frantz didn’t understand it that way. Frantz thought town officials wanted her to pass along a request to McKernan to speak in support of plant employees at their job site, if he came for the Capitol program.

When Frantz returned to Augusta and found that McKernan’s schedule would not allow him to come, she felt there was no need to talk to him about making a statement to the employees, said Austin. McKernan was not being asked to make a public statement on the intent of the Legislature, he added.

To show support to the town and the festival, McKernan still intended to charter a plane from Atlanta to attend the industry dinner, then fly back to Atlanta for the national governors’ conference Saturday, said Austin.