A big ripple moved through the pool of candidates in Maine's Democratic race for governor today when former President Bill Clinton announced his support for Maine Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell. Mitchell, a long-time supporter of the Clintons, says she appreciates the boost and a pitch from the president to help her campaign reach the number of qualifying contributions for Clean Elections funding. The e-mail blast from Clinton to Maine Democrats arrived 22 days before Mitchell must submit 3,250, $5 qualifying contributions to the state.

As it turns out, Maine Senate President Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell isn't one of President Bill Clinton's closest friends. But as the Vassalboro Democrat struggles to outpace six opponents for her party's nomination, she has demonstrated that her relationship with the former president is more than casual.

"I don't want to claim that we are the closest of personal friends," Mitchell says. "I would like that, but it's not exactly that I have the opportunity to go out to dinner with the president."

Clinton didn't join Mitchell for dinner, but he is asking Maine Democrats to pick up the tab for the former House speaker and current Senate president as she scurries to meet an April 1st deadline to qualify as a publicly-funded candidate under Maine's Clean Elections Act by raising a minimum $40,000 in seed money and $16,250 in qualifying contributions.

Mitchell is reportedly well along the way toward the $40,000 goal. But unless the campaign is sitting on a big stack of checks, Mitchell still has a long way to go to meet the $16,250 in qualifying contributions because that total had to be comprised of 3,250, $5 checks.

President Clinton's announced support for Mitchell's gubernatorial campaign arrives at a time when the candidate could use a little spike in contribution flow.

"I obviously hope that it has a positive impact, as does he, or he would not have given me that gift of his email," Mitchell says. "Once you have raised all the money by April 1st, I will never be able to raise any additional funds, which is important. That's what Clean Elections is about. However, if a traditional-funded opponent, either in the primary, and if I should win the primary, on the other side of that election, they can spend any amount, so you have limited what you can spend."

"It never occurred to me to ask Bill Clinton for his endorsement," says former Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe, of Portland, who is one Mitchell's privately funded opponents. Rowe says he won't be distracted by the Clinton endorsement and will instead continue to focus his efforts directly toward Maine voters.

"I've been busy seeking the support of Maine people, and I'm proud to say that our campaign has the support of thousands of people across the state of Maine," Rowe says.

"Steel workers, the iron workers, the plumbers and pipe fitters," are the people former Maine Commissioner of Economic and Community Development John Richardson, of Brunswick, says he's seeking endorsements from. Richardson, who is also seeking the Democratic party's nomination for governor, says he prefers his endorsements from working Mainers and doesn't put much stock in Clinton's announcement.

"Politicians are not held in high regard at this moment by Maine citizens," Richardson says. "And I think that if you look back in the history of endorsments, I had a lot of people endorsed by Sen. George Mitchell, who was probably the most well thought of Maine citizen, and it didn't change the election outcome for those folks who I was trying to help get elected as state representative."

Richardson may be right, according to University of Maine Political Science Professor Amy Fried. She says Clinton's endorsement probably wouldn't turn the election for Mitchell. But she says the publicity splash probably won't hurt.

"Something like this perhaps makes her stand out and gets her a little bit of publicity at a particular moment here," Fried says. "All of a sudden it's an occasion to do news stories that will discuss her candidacy."

A representative of the Pat McGowan campaign for governor credited Mitchell for obtaining the Clinton endorsement but added that they weren't surprised by the announcement.