Inside Ricky’s Diner, the crossroads of humanity for north Sebago Lake, mashed potatoes and gravy are being served up with a generous side order of political schmoozing as Jim Libby extends a welcoming hand to a potential voter.

At 6 feet, 5 inches, the 41-year-old Saco native tends to command the attention of the small Bridgton restaurant’s entire clientele – even before he unleashes his list of priorities in his bid to become the Republican party’s nominee for governor.

At a diner table that looks as if were borrowed straight from the set of the 50s sitcom “Leave It To Beaver,” Libby is discussing hunting and fishing with Leon DeCoster, a 69-year-old retired truck driver who lives in a converted school bus. As Libby moves on to chat with another diner, DeCoster says he is impressed.

“Sure I’d vote for him,” he says. “He’s a straight shooter. I listened to him, didn’t I? Jesus, if you hunt and fish, you’ve got to be somewhat decent.”

Possessing a laid-back style that is both likable and reassuring, Libby’s march to the Blaine House has broken at least one record. He’s the first gubernatorial candidate to qualify for public funding under Maine’s Clean Elections Act. Armed with about $314,000 through the June 11 primary, Libby will be eligible for another $860,000 if he wins the GOP nomination.

These days, it’s not money that poses the biggest problem for Libby – it’s time.

As a teacher at Sanford High School, he is contracted to instruct history, economics and pre-algebra classes daily. That means a lot of missed opportunities for candidate forums or almost anything else that takes place before 2:30 p.m. The teaching schedule also prevents the candidate from taking extended trips to far-flung regions like Washington and Aroostook counties, because he has to be in school by 7 a.m.

The flip side for Libby is that at least when parents start talking to him about local education, he thinks he’s got most of the answers.

“So in that respect, my job is not really a disadvantage, because I can speak directly to education issues and the state of public schools,” he said during an interview. “I’m really able to explain what teachers and administrators are going through. I know everyone’s concerned about my name recognition, but I believe that in a primary, a lot of people learn about the candidates during the last week of the campaign before making their decisions. I feel like we’re in a good position.”

A graduate of Bonny Eagle High School, the Buxton resident was a standout basketball player who led the school to its first-ever Class A playoff appearance. He earned a degree in business administration from Nasson College in Springvale and a master’s degree in the same subject from St. Bonaventure University.

With private sector experience that included stints with Sylvania and Corning Glass, Libby accepted a position at St. Joseph’s College as an assistant professor of business administration in 1986. Six years later he was elected to the Maine House of Representatives and four years later, he defeated a fellow Republican to become a state senator for part of York County.

An author of books dealing with local Maine history and the development of the University of Maine System, Libby earned a doctorate in public policy at the University of Maine in 2000. He resides in Buxton with his wife, Jenny.

Unlike his GOP rival, Peter Cianchette of South Portland, Libby said he had been weighing a run for governor in 2002 for about two years before finally deciding to take the plunge. His campaign is more focused toward education and health care. If allowed to fall behind in those areas, Maine will have trouble generating jobs, he said.

“A number of Republicans I’ve met are former educators who are concerned about K-12 quality in the schools,” he said. “They want disruptions in the classrooms to end and desire a return to basics. I relate to them because I can tell them something that happened to me that very day. And by the way, they’re right. Teachers are walking on eggshells because of fears over lawsuits. We need reform.”

Libby also wants to spur a wider discussion of tax reform in Maine, a goal that has eluded previous governors and legislators. Pointing out that Maine’s tax revenue system is highly volatile due to an excessive dependence on sales taxes, Libby admitted it was discouraging to see the state advance a few steps economically, only to fall back into a cycle of revenue shortfalls.

“I feel as though Maine must break out of this pattern,” he said. “Here in Maine we are subjected to greater swings than other states to which we are compared, I want to strengthen the economy through the promotion of small business. I’m not about gimmicks and I’m not going to use a gimmick like enterprise zones. I’m going to talk about tax fairness and opportunity and entrepreneurship to ensure that small businesses can grow into big ones.”

More information on the Libby for governor campaign can be found on the Internet at: http://www.jimlibbyforgovernor.com.