AUGUSTA – The prospect of Republican choices for governor moved from likely to definite Thursday when state Sen. Chandler Woodcock of Farmington turned in the last of his paperwork and the required 2,500 $5 contributions to qualify as a publicly funded candidate under Maine’s Clean Elections Act.

Pending final certification of the contributions by the state Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, Woodcock will receive a $200,000 check to fund his primary bid to become the GOP nominee for governor in June.

“This ensures that the race for governor will be competitive and not hamstrung by a candidate’s fundraising ability,” said Woodcock, who turned in his contributions nearly two weeks ahead of the state’s April 18 submission deadline for party candidates.

Woodcock actually went over the 2,500 individual contributions limit when he submitted about 300 checks Wednesday. He filed the necessary paperwork documenting pre-primary spending along with another 25 checks Thursday. Right behind Woodcock is state Sen. Peter Mills, a Skowhegan Republican, who said in a prepared statement Thursday that he had already submitted more than 2,100 checks certified by town clerks from across the state. Mills expects to submit in excess of 2,600 checks well in advance of the deadline.

“The time is long past when privileged interest groups can buy admission to the second floor of the Capitol,” he said.

Pat LaMarche, the gubernatorial candidate for Maine’s third official party – the Green Independent Party – is also collecting contributions but had not turned in any in advance, according to the ethics commission.

Several of the eight independent candidates hoping to run a publicly funded campaign have until June 2 to turn in their contributions. David Emery, the third GOP gubernatorial candidate, is running a privately funded campaign, as are Democratic Gov. John Baldacci and his primary opponent, Christopher Miller of Gray.

New campaign finance reports are due next month, but as of January, Baldacci had raised nearly $200,000 and Emery had collected nearly $31,000.