Americans Elect will offer Maine voters an alternative to the traditional major party approach in this year's presidential elections by offering candidates on a single ticket that represent two different political points of view. Those participating in this year's online convention will nominate a mixed-party ticket featuring combinations of independent, Democratic or Republican candidates. Former independent gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler predicts Mainers will enjoy the new third party option, but major party spokesmen have their doubts.

Maine Citizens for Clean Energy had planned a press conference today to announce they had the required number of signatures for a referendum on renewable energy this November. But this morning, they called it off. It turns out the group doesn't have enough signatures, and they will have to push the ballot initiative ahead to next year.

While candidates Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum keep slugging it out in Florida, the fourth member of the GOP presidential quartet quickly hopped on an airplane after Thursday night's CNN debate. Ron Paul's destination? Maine, where the Texas Congressman has strong support among libertarian-minded Republicans and Independents, who like his focus on cutting the size of government and strictly following the U.S. constitution. At six events today and tomorrow, Paul will try to lay the groundwork for a victory in Maine's GOP caucuses, which officially get underway next week.

Gay rights activists today launched a referendum campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in Maine this fall. The annoucement comes more than two years after the Legislature approved gay nuptials, only to see the measure rejected in a referendum vote, 53 percent to 47 percent. If same-sex marriage passes at the polls, Maine could become the first state to approve gay marriage through a popular vote.

Republican State Senate President Kevin Raye announced that he's running against Democratic Congressman Mike Michaud for the Second Congressional District seat -- again. In 2002, the two duked it out in a tight race for what was then an open Congressional seat, with Michaud capturing 52 percent of the vote.

The list of people interested in Olympia Snowe's (R) job continues to grow. Maine's senior U.S. Senator already has two challengers running against her in the republican primary. In the Democratic field, The news earlier this week that State Senator Cynthia Dill (D-Cape Elizabeth) is exploring a run may soon expand that race to three candidates.

In his first formal interview with MPBN since assuming office, Gov. Paul LePage spoke with MPBN State House Bureau Chief A.J. Higgins about his accomplishments over the last year and his hopes for the next legislative session. LePage plans to make welfare reform the number one priority in the next legislative session. He said that given a second chance, he would have adopted a different legislative strategy than the one that paved the way for last's year's bipartisan, two-thirds vote on the state budget.