ELLSWORTH – Steve Kenney of Scarborough said Tuesday he is dropping out of the race for governor because it appears he can’t meet the June 3 deadline to qualify for public campaign financing.

Kenney faced the deadline to collect $5 donations from 2,500 supporters in order to qualify for funding under Maine’s Clean Election law.

“My message needs an adequately funded clean campaign, not a poorly funded lean campaign,” Kenney said. He announced his decision during a radio interview with WERU in Ellsworth.

Kenney, an accountant and business consultant who was making his first bid for public office, had completed 250 miles of a Fort Kent-to-Kittery campaign walk when he dropped out. He had described himself as a fiscal conservative and a liberal on social issues.

Kenney’s withdrawal leaves two Republicans, a Democrat, a Green and a handful of other independents in the Blaine House race.