BANGOR (AP) -The latest crop of legislators in Maine sports a youthful look. All told, eight newly elected lawmakers are in their 20s.

Six of those 20-somethings won House elections in northern and eastern Maine districts.

James Melcher, a political scientist at the University of Maine-Farmington, says the trend is encouraging considering the fact that Maine has one of the oldest populations in the country. He says some of the candidacies were made possible by public financing through Maine’s Clean Elections law.

Henry Beck, a 22-year-old Colby College student, will be the youngest lawmaker. He ran unopposed in House District 76 in Waterville.

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Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangornews.com

AP-ES-11-07-08 0910EST