AUGUSTA — Although the behind-the-scenes dash to determine which candidates will run for Congress continued in earnest Thursday, a winter storm slowed the process to make those efforts official.

State offices closed at 1 p.m. Thursday. By that time, four more candidates had taken out nomination papers to run for three congressional seats, including the one currently occupied by U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine. 

Snowe’s announcement Tuesday evening that she was abandoning her re-election bid prompted 13 candidates — 10 of them Democrats — to publicly acknowledge that they were collecting signatures in advance of the March 15 deadline to get on the June primary ballot.

The four candidates added to the list Thursday were Independent U.S. Senate candidate Aaron Marston; Democratic state Sen. Barry Hobbins for the 1st Congressional District; Republican John Vedral for the 1st District; and Matthew Dunlap for the 2nd District. 

While the four additions paled in comparison to Wednesday’s frantic rush for nomination papers, many more congressional hopefuls are rumored to be collecting signatures and gathering support behind the scenes.

It was unclear whether state Senate President Kevin Raye, R-Perry, is among them. Raye is already running in the 2nd District, but he may be Republicans’ best hope of holding Snowe’s Senate seat. 

Raye said Thursday that he’s still looking very closely at a Senate bid, but he hasn’t made a decision. Raye acknowledged that the decision was difficult. His wife, Karen, was recently hospitalized with heart complications but has since been released and is doing well.

“This is a very significant life decision and my family and my friends are spending some time sorting through it all,” he said.

Raye said he’d been focused on the 2nd District race and that Snowe’s decision took him, like most people, by surprise.

“When you’re focused on a certain direction, it can be difficult to suddenly change,” he said. “I’m someone who likes to be thoughtful before I do something. At the same time, I’m sensitive to the very short time frame I have to make a decision.”

Raye acknowledged that he’d received calls from the National Republican Senatorial Committee. However, he said, “Nobody in Washington has a vote” and he was mostly listening to people in Maine. 

Raye is among the Republican stars. Another is Peter Cianchette, who some speculated would be interested in the Senate seat. There were unconfirmed reports Thursday that Cianchette had withdrawn from consideration. 

The congressional derby has prompted myriad rumors, some more bizarre than others.

An item in Wednesday’s New York Post Page Six gossip column quoted national GOP campaign consultant Ed Rollins saying that Republican fundraiser Georgette Mosbacher was fielding inquiries. Mosbacher, who is married to Robert Mosbacher, secretary of commerce under George H.W. Bush, does not live in Maine. 

Here is the list of candidates who have either taken out nomination papers from the secretary of state or have confirmed that they’re gathering signatures for a congressional run since Snowe announced she wasn’t running for re-election to the Senate:

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D), U.S. Senate;

State Sen. Jon Courtney (R), 1st District;

State Sen. Deb Plowman (R), 2nd District;

State Rep. Emily Cain (D), 2nd District;

State Sen. Cynthia Dill (D), 1st District;

Markham Gartley (R), 1st District;

Wellington Lyons (D), 1st District;

David Costa (D), 1st District;

John Baldacci (D), U.S. Senate;

State Rep. Jon Hinck (D), 1st District;

David Lemoine (D), 1st District;

State Rep. Bruce Bryant (D), 2nd District;

Aaron Marston (independent), U.S. Senate;

State Sen. Barry Hobbins (D), 1st District;

Matthew Dunlap (D), 2nd District;

John Vedral (R), 1st District.

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