AUGUSTA — He has an ad on television and he’s stumping statewide, but Gov. Angus King isn’t running for re-election.

Instead, the 52-year-old independent is risking political capital trying to persuade Maine voters to reject a proposed clear-cutting ban in favor of an alternative its foes have labeled “a real back-room deal” with the paper industry.

“I suspect that my strong position on this issue will cut into my popularity,” King said Tuesday. “I’ll be very surprised if it’s as high as it’s been next time we do one of these surveys.”

But a couple of recently released polls suggest King’s gamble is paying off. Not only has his side been able to benefit from the governor’s appearance on prime-time TV spots, it also has heavily outspent its opponents.

King backs Question 2B, which would keep clear-cutting but reduce the maximum area that could be cut from 250 acres to 75 acres. The measure also is supported by the Maine Audubon Society, Natural Resources Council and the forest products industry.

The Bangor Daily News last week published a poll that showed 55 percent of those surveyed support 2B. The proposed clear-cutting ban, Question 2A, was supported by 27 percent, with 8 percent favoring a third choice, which would keep the status quo.

Strategic Marketing Services of Portland released a poll Tuesday indicating 46 percent of those surveyed support 2B, the Compact for Maine’s Forests. Sixteen percent were in favor of 2A, and an equal number were against both.

The poll of 450 randomly selected voters, conducted Oct. 22-26, carries a statistical margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Of the voters who supported 2B, the poll found 52 percent indicated they were influenced by King’s endorsement.

“I’m not a big TV watcher, so I haven’t seen too many of the ads, but there’s no question he’s put a lot of his authority on the line,” said Oliver Woshinsky, a University of Southern Maine political science professor.

Jonathan Carter, director of Ban Clearcutting, accused King of using his clout for the wrong ends.

“I think what he’s trying to do is win an election for the multinational corporations to continue destroying the forest using his telegenic personality,” Carter said.

If either 2A or 2B gets more than 50 percent of the vote, it would become law. If neither gets a majority but at least one gets more than one-third of the vote, it would be put out to another vote by itself.

If both proposals fail to win support from more than one-third of the voters, both would fail and no second election would be held.

Louis “Sandy” Maisel, a Colby College political science professor, said King could be wounded if the proposal he backs doesn’t win in the first round, but he doesn’t think it would be a mortal wound.

“He’s a pretty resilient politician, but he would have to deal with what’s obviously a setback,” Maisel said.

For his part, King says he had no choice but to fight the clear-cutting ban referendum because it was “the most serious threat to the Maine economy in my lifetime.”

King, repeating his promise not to use his job as a springboard for higher office, said he’s not worried about spending political capital. He said he probably won’t even decide if he’ll run for re-election until next year.

“I came into office determined to try to do the right thing for Maine, to not try to calculate the political effects and all those kinds of things,” King said. “This one was a clear call in that direction.”