ORONO – It seems there will be a primary race in the campaign for U.S. Senate after all.

Tom Ledue, a high school educator and political neophyte, has decided to challenge U.S. Rep. Tom Allen for the Democratic nomination for the Senate.

Ledue officially announced his campaign Thursday, first in Millinocket and then at the University of Maine with a later appearance expected in Portland. Including independent Laurie Dobson of Kennebunkport, who officially registered as a candidate last month, there are now four candidates in the race, which for months had Allen and incumbent Republican Susan Collins as the sole competitors.

Whether Ledue or Dobson emerges as a significant contender with Allen or Collins remains to be seen, but if Ledue’s candidacy has an effect on any other candidate, the first would be Allen, the 1st District congressman who has raised more than $2 million in his bid to unseat Collins. As Democrats, Allen and Ledue will have to face each other in a primary election in June to see who proceeds to the general election in November.

The winner will face Collins, who has raised at least $3 million for her re-election campaign, in the general election.

Ledue is a high school educator who is on sabbatical from his job as principal at Noble High School in North Berwick. He described himself Thursday as a “common man” who, though a Democrat, will shy away from partisan politics, which he suggested has dominated the careers of Allen and Collins.

“I seek to redefine what it means to be a Democrat in our society,” Ledue said.

He declined to get into specifics about how his positions differ from those held by Collins, Allen or Dobson. Dobson is making her opposition to the war in Iraq the cornerstone of her campaign.

About 20 people, including members of the media and the candidate’s family, attended Ledue’s announcement Thursday at UMO’s Memorial Union. With Ledue at the event were his brother, wife and four young daughters.

One thing Ledue acknowledged he does not have, compared to the two better-known candidates in the race, is money.

At the end of September, Allen had raised $2 million and Collins more than $3 million, according to the most recent campaign finance reports received by the Federal Election Commission. By some estimates, Allen and Collins each have raised millions more since then, but their official fundraising reports for the remainder of 2007 are not due to be filed with the FEC until the end of this month.

Ledue said he hopes to be able to raise money on the Internet but is not out to compete financially with the frontrunners.

“I think the way to compete against it is not to compete against it,” he said.

When asked Thursday about Ledue’s announcement, Carol Andrews, communications director for the Allen campaign, commented instead on the congressman’s message and the general election.

“We are focused on our campaign and changing the course for Maine – bringing our troops home from Iraq, solving the health care crisis with universal care, bolstering and protecting our middle class, and resolving our energy crisis,” Andrews wrote in an e-mail to the Bangor Daily News. “Those are the topics of the debate we look forward to having with Sen. Collins this year.”

btrotter@bangordailynews.net

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