PORTLAND – Looking at low poll numbers for President Bush, who has an approval rating of 38 percent, it’s not the best time to be running as a Republican challenger in Maine’s congressional races.

But candidates hoping to unseat Democratic incumbents can take heart that the approval rating for Congress is even lower – 23 percent.

“People are ready for change. They’re tired of incumbents. I think we should replace everyone in the House of Representatives and start over,” said Republican Darlene Curley, who hopes to unseat Democratic Rep. Tom Allen.

Said Scott D’Amboise, a Republican taking on Democratic Rep. Michael Michaud: “People are revolting. They’re tired of the way things are going.”

Both candidates face long odds along with independent Dexter Kamilewicz, a peace candidate in the 1st District race. Kamilewicz, who vows to bring the troops home immediately and cut the defense budget, criticizes both parties.

“They’re exactly the same,” Kamilewicz said. “There’s no difference. On balance they want to get re-elected.”

None of the three opponents has gained much traction in polling.

A poll released this week by Critical Insights gave Curley 18 percent and Kamilewicz 6 percent to Allen’s 62 percent among likely voters in the southern 1st District. In the northern 2nd District, Michaud had a comfortable 62 percent to 25 percent for D’Amboise, according to the Critical Insights poll.

Those results aren’t surprising. “In most congressional districts in the United States, unseating an incumbent is an extremely daunting task,” said Richard Powell, a political science professor at the University of Maine.

This year, even with control of Congress on the line, political parties and outside groups have chosen to spend their money elsewhere, Powell said.

“The lack of national resources flowing into the state indicates the political parties do not view either of these as competitive races,” he said.

That leaves it to the candidates to sell themselves.

Among the challengers, Curley has the most political experience. The registered nurse, teacher and business owner from Scarborough has served two terms in the Legislature. Kamilewicz, who manages commercial real estate, has never held office.

D’Amboise, an eye technician and small business owner, has served only one term as city councilor in Lisbon.

In the 1st District, Curley has touted her success working with the opposition in the Legislature to pass Tina’s Law, which cracks down on habitual motor vehicle offenders.

“I know how to get things done. You have to cooperate (and) put the people’s goals ahead of party or self-interest,” she said.

Allen said he has managed to accomplish a great deal in five terms in Congress. But he thinks he could accomplish even more if the Democrats reclaim the House for first time since the GOP swept Democrats from power in 1994.

“I feel that I’ve got a recorded of accomplishment in 10 years that’s remarkable for someone who’s been in the minority for that time,” he said.

The third candidate, Kamilewicz, has consistently sought to steer the discussion to the war in Iraq, which he views as illegal and immoral.

Kamilewicz said his son, who served with the Vermont National Guard in Iraq, returned to the U.S. with health problems that weren’t addressed. He said the same politicians who sent the soldiers to war have not adequately funded the Veterans Administration.

“We wrap them in the flag, send them off with tears and rhetoric. Then they return and the VA was cut by the same people who wept when they left,” he said.

If elected, Kamilewicz said he would bring all of the soldiers home from Iraq, cut the defense budget in half and reinvest the savings in creating jobs, especially in mass transportation and alternative fuel technologies.

“Everybody looks at me and says you’ve got to be crazy and maybe I am. But I’m one of the guys who got mad as hell, and I’m going to do something about it. I’m not sitting at my house sucking my thumb,” Kamilewicz said.

In northern Maine, D’Amboise is campaigning as a Reagan-style conservative who wants to cut taxes to give the economy a boost. The prescription for lowering health care costs, he said, is simple: “competition, competition, competition.” He also wants to tighten control of the U.S. borders and to ease regulatory hurdles for businesses.

D’Amboise hopes to strike a chord as a regular, hard-working Mainer. “I know how difficult it is to raise a family in Maine,” said D’Amboise, who holds down two jobs to make ends meet.

Despite being behind in fundraising – he has raised roughly $20,000 to Michaud’s $650,000 – he’s still trying to make this a race.

“This is not a token run,” he said.

For his part, Michaud also likes to talk up his working-class routes. On his desk in his Washington, D.C., resides the lunch box that he used to bring to the Great Northern Paper mill in Millinocket, where he worked for 30 years.

Michaud, who said he’s not taking the race lightly, has kept a busy campaign schedule touting his accomplishments.

Despite being in the minority party, Michaud said he has had success with legislation to help veterans while advancing other causes like a prescription bill that he says is poised to pass if the Democrats win a majority.

He rejects the label of being partisan. “You can talk about working in a bipartisan matter,” Michaud said. “I’ve done it.”