AUGUSTA – Former President Bill Clinton will come to the capital next week to rally Maine Democrats for the coming election.

Clinton will speak at the Augusta Civic Center at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10.

The event is free and open to the public. Ticket information will be released in the next few days.

“The plan is to rally at the Civic Center for ‘Countdown to Nov. 5,'” Carl Leinonen, executive director of the Maine State Employees Association, said Monday.

The MSEA is sponsoring the event. The MSEA along with the Maine Education Association, the Maine AFL-CIO, and the Maine Council of Senior Citizens are among the organizers of Rally Maine 2002, a political action committee formed specifically for the Clinton event.

Leinonen said guests would include gubernatorial candidate John Baldacci, U.S. Senate candidate Chellie Pingree, U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, 2nd Congressional District candidate Michael Michaud and other elected officials.

“We just want this to be a big, public event and welcoming for President Clinton,” said Leinonen. “We really want to open it up to the public.”

During his stay in Maine, Clinton also will attend a private fund-raising event for John Baldacci.