The latest money reports for Maine’s gubernatorial candidates show what they have shown all summer — the state has an unaffiliated governor running like a major-party candidate and a Republican and a Democrat running like contenders from the newly formed Cheapskate Party. It is a situation that might be considered merely odd if it were not so damaging to the electoral process.

The fund-raising reports, in brief, have Gov. Angus King raising what traditionally would be considered a modest amount — $310,000 — for a statewide race. But that figure looks huge stacked against the comparative loose change for Republican Jim Longley and Democrat Tom Connolly, who are pulling in funds just ahead of what a state senator might raise in a tough contest — $45,000 for the Longley campaign and $20,000 for Mr. Connelly. Two reasons for this are in the parties themselves: Early on, the governor got commitments from the people who usually give and encourage others to give to party candidates; and, more painful, it appears the parties’ rank and file don’t want to send their checks to campaigns that won’t win.

That’s a shame and a reason for soul-searching at party headquarters because both former Rep. Longley and Mr. Connolly strongly embody the traditional beliefs of their parties. They are true believers, yet their messages seemed to have left the faithful unstirred.

Republicans elected Jim Longley to the U.S. House in 1994 on the strength of his tax-cutting plans and the popularity of the Contract with America, which he embraced. As a gubernatorial candidate, he still hasn’t met a tax he wouldn’t like to cut. Mr. Longley’s views on issues ranging from job growth to abortion rights make him a strong representative for the middle-right of his party.

Tom Connolly is a new politician who sounds as if he were nursed on the New Deal. His ongoing work as a legal advocate for the poor, his Marshall Plan for Maine to revive the economy, his concern about state promotion of alcohol make him a pre-Clinton Democrat and clearly different in outlook from former party-member King.

It is understandable that party members are unaware of their candidate’s beliefs. The lack of funding has turned the race for governor into something of a part-time job for them. Voters are accustomed to not knowing much about third-party candidates — this time it is Maine Taxpayer Party candidate Bill Clarke and Green Party member Pat LaMarche — but they expect to see plenty of the major-party contenders. They can’t with both Mr. Longley and Mr. Connelly continuing to work at their jobs and running for office in their spare time.

Despite the surface appeal of the citizen-lawmaker this type of campaigning evokes, when it prevents voters from making an informed choice it does a disservice to the process. The problem falls back to the parties — Democrats particularly — which failed to prepare strong candidates for the election.

The result, at least to date, is a noncontest and — lacking information — an inability for voters to turn it into one.