Maine Democrats caucus on Sunday
This coming Sunday, Maine's Democrats will caucus to decide everything from town committee chairperson to the president of the United States.
While the top of the ticket may be uncontested in 2012, there is still plenty of reason for the party faithful to show up and caucus, said local town committee leaders.
Maine is a caucus state, which means that registered members of a political party gather to select candidates for office and consider policy.
To be decided at the caucus are town committee officers and delegates to the state convention. At the federal level, there are five candidates vying to run against Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, in the fall.
Jim Schliestett, chairman of the Eliot Democratic Town Committee, said in his view there are "two good reasons" to attend the caucus.
For one, he said, it's "critical" to change the makeup of the state Legislature to put the balance back in Democratic hands and to get behind candidates who will ensure that happens.
Secondly, "it's an opportunity to help shape the local committee" by electing officers and convention delegates. And the delegates will have an opportunity to shape the state party platform, he said.
York Town Committee Chairwoman Victoria Simon said she also thinks it's important to "generate enthusiasm and excitement" among party members for President Barack Obama.
"It's a way of coming together and saying, 'Here's our candidate, here's why we're excited about him, here's what he's done, and here's what he's tried to do — and let's get behind him,'" she said.
Eliot: Town Hall, 2 p.m. Kittery: Kittery Community Center, 2 p.m. South Berwick: Town Hall, 4 p.m. York: York Middle School, 1 p.m., cafeteria