AUGUSTA – Maine voters’ selection of Sen. John Kerry as their choice for president underscored the state’s moderate streak, according to political observers supported by survey data.

While losing nationally, Kerry won in Maine with 53 percent of the vote to President Bush’s 45 percent, and independent Ralph Nader took 1 percent, according to unofficial results from 99 percent of Maine’s precincts as compiled by the Bangor Daily News.

Kerry took all but two counties in Maine while drawing support from voters who saw themselves in declining financial straits and expressed hopes for a change in the nation’s direction.

While Maine has some pockets of social conservatism, a candidate representing that philosophy can’t win a statewide race, University of Maine political science Professor Mark Brewer said.

“You look at our two senators, neither one of them are even remotely close to social conservatives,” said Brewer, referring to U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. “They’re about the most moderate Republicans left in the Senate now.”

A survey of 1,991 Maine voters conducted for The Associated Press and television networks showed Mainers to be more moderate than much of the country.

In the Election Day poll, conducted by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International, about half labeled themselves as moderate. Mainers calling themselves liberals or moderates, who accounted for three-fourths of the electorate, gave heavy support to Kerry.

Kerry’s win in Maine highlights the fact that the state’s voters, including Republicans, are much different from those in other parts of the country, said Colby College government Professor L. Sandy Maisel.

“Our voters are moderate, cast their votes on more traditional issues,” said Maisel. The Republican Party stands on conservative social values in much of the rest of the country but can’t in Maine, he said.

Even in the 2nd Congressional District, which has more conservative leanings than southern Maine’s 1st District, voters face serious economic problems that tilt them toward the Democratic Party, said Amy Fried, a UMaine political science professor.

Still, conservative issues did play some role in Maine voting patterns this week.

The AP poll showed that Bush drew heavy support from voters who listed “moral values” as the quality that mattered most in making their choice for president.

Of the less than 10 percent who said “strong religious faith” was the most important quality, Bush received better than 90 percent support.

The 14 percent identified as white Protestant conservatives went very heavily for Bush.

“Clear stands on the issues,” a theme Bush stressed during the campaign, was the most important quality cited by one-seventh of the voters in Tuesday’s poll. Bush drew heavy support from those voters.

The AP poll results were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, higher for subgroups.