PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) — Independent candidate Alan Caron announced Monday that he would drop out of the race to be Maine's next governor and is instead throwing his support behind Democratic candidate Janet Mills.
In a press conference with his wife by his side, Caron said: "I am writing the final lines in this chapter of my life."
Caron said he knows Janet Mills (D) well and wants to see her lead the state. He said Mills cares deeply about Maine people and will help the state get onto a new path to grow the economy, expand health care to more Mainers, protect natural resources and expand broadband.
“Janet and I have known each other for many years, and we’ve worked together on many issues affecting Maine people. I know her as someone who cares deeply about Maine people and has worked tirelessly to make Maine a better state.”
Mills said she has read Caron's books and thinks he is progressive and likes his ideas to move the state forward.
A recent poll of 500 likely Maine voters that was released in October showed Caron in dead last with only 2.3 percent of the expected vote.
The poll showed Democrat Janet Mills, Maine's first female Attorney General, in the lead with her support registering at 44.4 percent, while 39.5 percent of voters said they would cast their ballot for Republican Shawn Moody, who owns a chain of auto body shops.
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Caron had said he would assess how he was doing in the gubernatorial race after the debates before deciding whether or not to pull out early.
Republican candidate Shawn Moody's campaign released a statement Monday saying the Caron endorsing Mills was "politics as usual."
"This is not a surprise in that Alan Caron was a longtime Democratic Party activist and commentator. The same is true for Terry Hayes who is a former Democratic Party leader in the Maine Legislature."