MAINE, Maine — With fewer than 100 days until Election Day, Republican President Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's campaigns are both trying to rally support in Maine.
Trump's reelection campaign is in full swing. The incumbent president's team has been preparing for a second run essentially since 2016.
Former Governor Paul LePage says he's encouraged by the support he's seeing for Trump in Maine.
"The enthusiasm is just unbelievable. I've never seen this much energy," LePage said.
Meanwhile, the Biden campaign has announced its official leadership team in Maine. Biden, who served as former president Barack Obama's vice president, recently picked Portland City Councilor Spencer Thibodeau to be his campaign's senior advisor in Maine.
Thibodeau says their efforts are revving up.
"You're going to see the campaign continue to staff up in Maine and I think you're going to see continued outreach to all Mainers to talk about issues that are important to them," Thibodeau said.
In 2016, Maine's first district went to Hillary Clinton. The second district went to President Trump. Four years later, both Trump and Biden are looking to run the table and get all four electoral votes.
"We have to make a huge effort in the second district especially," Thibodeau said. "Barack Obama won that district. We can win that district."
"There's going to be a massive push and effort in the first district as well as the second district... President Trump does very well in Maine's second district, the more rural district, and that will certainly be something we don't take for granted," LePage said.
LePage says the Trump campaign will continue to host in-person events in Maine, like last week's visit by Lara Trump's bus tour.
"You're going to see a lot of his surrogates, you'll see his cabinet members here and I wouldn't be surprised if the President himself makes a couple of visits," LePage said.
However, with on-going concerns over COVID-19, Thibodeau says Joe Biden's campaign will rely heavily on virtual interactions.
"This is a really great opportunity. [Joe Biden's] ability to connect with voters is second to none, and so when you see him in virtual campaign events he's still connecting with these folks, but it just has to be in a different way," Thibodeau said.
With a little over three months before the election, both campaigns are still looking for more volunteers.
A July Public Policy Polling poll, which sampled more than 1,000 registered Maine voters, has Biden beating Donald Trump in November.
53% say they'd vote for Biden. 42% say they're with President Trump. 5% said they're not sure.
