BANGOR – For a contest that was generally quiet before Labor Day, the 2nd District congressional race between Democrat Mike Michaud and Republican Kevin Raye is now anything but.

With almost daily repudiations of each other’s positions or advertisements – or, most often, both – the campaigns have turned up the heat in what most pundits believe will be a pivotal – and close – race to fill the seat of outgoing Democrat U.S. Rep. John Baldacci.

The latest accusations come from the Michaud camp, which Wednesday challenged Raye, the former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, to sign on to a letter to the president opposing oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The challenge came in response to Raye’s statement this week that, if presented with a “black and white choice” between drilling in the Arctic refuge or not, he would vote against it.

Aides for Michaud, the state Senate president pro tempore, called Raye’s statement misleading, citing previous interviews in which Raye expressed concern about dependence on foreign oil and said he would support further exploration in the area.

“That’s what I call the Washington Two Step, but that’s par for the course for Washington insiders,” said Michaud campaign manager Peter Chandler, using one of the campaign’s more common descriptions of Raye.

Raye aides had no comment on the letter Wednesday, but insisted that there were no inconsistencies in the GOP candidate’s statements.

Put simply, Raye supports further study of the nation’s energy needs, but would oppose drilling in the Arctic without evidence it would be worth the sacrifice, according to his campaign manager, Kathie Summers.

“As is the case with so many things, there is a middle ground, and we’d like to explore the options,” Summers said.

Summers called the Michaud campaign’s challenge on Arctic drilling an attempt to distract attention from the Democrat’s 1999 vote to tax some Social Security benefits.

The Raye aide specifically objected to Michaud’s claims that the legislation had the endorsement of the AARP, which pulled its support from the final version of the bill.

“It flies in the face of common sense to think that the AARP would support a tax on Social Security benefits,” Summers said. “Sen. Michaud has no one to blame but himself. He can’t hide from his record.”

A spokesman for the retiree’s group said Wednesday that there was some confusion about the group’s stance on the 1999 legislation, which would have imposed a tax on annual Social Security benefits exceeding $25,000.

He said that the group initially backed the bill, but withdrew its endorsement when a different version of the bill reached the desk of Gov. Angus King, who vetoed the legislation.

Michaud aides bristled at the suggestion they were hiding behind the AARP or misrepresenting the group’s position.

“It’s Kevin Raye that wants to hide from the fact that no one is stronger on the issue of Social Security than Mike Michaud,” said Monica Castellanos, Michaud’s press secretary.