Little Pat’s looked a little peaked for months, but all goes well with the Littles.

Tuesday’s election marked one year since the unwitting participants in the Sun Journal’s goldfish project were pulled out of their tank of Androscoggin River water, and out of the spotlight.

For nearly two months prior to last fall’s election, the fish – named after candidates in the gubernatorial race – starred on their own live Web cam, getting hits and feedback from around the country as they swam in the river water. They brought attention to the plight of the Androscoggin, the dirtiest river in Maine. Candidates were pressed to say what, if anything, they’d do to help clean it up, if elected.

In the process, Little Phillip died (twice), while everyone else made it to Election Day – although some were sporting mustaches that hadn’t been on their fish faces when they were recruited for the project. Their reward: a tank of fresh, clean water, and lives of relative anonymity.

Relative. Now one year later, we asked six questions of David Farmer, who is Gov. John Baldacci’s spokesman, a former Sun Journal political reporter and the keeper of the fish:

Their official status?

“All four are alive, although LaMarche is having trouble. They did keep their names, which is funny when (young daughter) Addie talks about them. We use the last names, so it’s Baldacci, LaMarche, Woodcock and Merrill.”

What sort of water do they get these days?

“They live in treated tap water (treatment removes the chlorine) with a bubbler and a filter. I try to change part of the water every week, which keeps it more consistent than if you change all the water.”

Is Little John still the biggest?

“Baldacci is still much bigger than the others, but despite my partisan position, all the fish are treated equally under the law.”

Any other fish/aquatic animals joined them in the tank?

“The fish live in single-species housing. No snakes, turtles or other critters.”

Any toys they seem to enjoy?

“They seem to like a SpongeBob pineapple and a glow-in-the-dark fake plant, but their appreciation is more passive than anything else.”

Are Addie and Elias still enjoying them?

“The children still ask to help feed the fish, but they are much less interested in helping to clean the tank.”

– Kathryn Skelton