AUGUSTA (AP) – One of the lesser known entrants in the crowded field seeking the Democratic nomination in Maine’s 1st Congressional District is touting an endorsement from a veterans group that has been active nationwide.

Adam Cote, a Portland lawyer whose resume includes serving with the Army Reserves in Bosnia and with Maine’s 133rd Engineer Battalion in Iraq, announced Wednesday he had received the formal backing of VoteVets.org.

The group is affiliated with the Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, a coalition critical of the Iraq war that includes MoveOn.org. Its board of advisers includes retired Gen. Wesley Clark, a Vietnam veteran who sought the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, and former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey, also a veteran of the Vietnam War.

“I am honored to have the support of VoteVets, a group that has led the fight in supporting the troops and bringing about a responsible end to the war in Iraq,” Cote said in a statement. “With their help, I hope to become a strong and effective voice for Mainers who want Congress to bring the Iraq war to a speedy, stable end.”

Also vying for the Democratic nod in the Maine’s southern congressional district are Chellie Pingree, the former state legislator and past national president of Common Cause, former legislator Michael Brennan of Portland, York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence, who is a former state Senate president, and state Sen. Ethan Strimling of Portland.

Pingree, who lost to Republican incumbent Susan Collins in Maine’s 2002 U.S. Senate election, got a boost last month when she received the endorsement of EMILY’s List, a national political action committee that specializes in raising money for women seeking elective office who support abortion rights.

The current congressman in the 1st District, Democrat Tom Allen, is running against Collins this time around.

On the Republican side, former Small Business Administration regional chief Charles Summers has launched a campaign for the 1st District seat. He is depending on his wife Ruth to act as his surrogate while he is on active duty in the military.

Also campaigning for the Republican congressional nomination is businessman Dean Scontras, while Steve Abbott, who has been Collins’ top aide in the Senate, has indicated he might run too.

In his statement Wednesday, Cote said ending the Iraq war is his first priority for U.S military policy.

“Just as importantly,” he added, “I want to make sure our soldiers get the support they need when they come home from war. Effective treatment for the physical and psychological wounds our soldiers have suffered in this conflict must rise to the top of Capitol Hill’s to-do list.”

AP-ES-09-05-07 1519EDT