RUMFORD — Sarah Nicols was surprised to learn just how many people can run for elective office in the state.

“It makes you realize that you’re open to any opportunity,” said the Mountain Valley High School senior following a presentation on the election process by one of the nearly two dozen people who are running for governor this year.

Nicols, and nearly 30 other students in Jarod Dumas’ and Chris Carver’s government classes, have been listening to Democrat and Republican candidates for governor during the past couple of weeks.

Chris Day, another senior student, said he takes his own morals and values with him when he listens to a candidate, then matches them up with those of the candidate.

He was surprised to learn how hard it is to run for office, to have to collect money from so many people (as a Clean Election candidate), particularly when it is so difficult for people to give right now. He also learned that if someone doesn’t like something going on in the state, people can organize and try to change it.

Both Day and Nicols will be voting for the first time during the June primaries. Neither is certain of how they will vote, but Day said he is leaning toward becoming an independent or Republican and voting for Les Otten, a Republican, while Nicols is leaning toward becoming an independent or Democrat and supporting Rosa Scarcelli, a Democrat.

Day, who plans to attend the University of Maine in the fall, thinks he might like to run for office someday.

“I really like the whole process and it would match my background,” he said.

Nicols, who hopes to major in psychology, doesn’t think she’ll run for office, but she might consider becoming an activist.

Both agreed that having the chance to listen to a few gubernatorial candidates was a good thing for their political education.

Friday was the final day of the first semester.

On Monday, a new government class will begin, and Dumas hopes to have a few more of the gubernatorial candidates speak to his class about the election process. He’s also considering holding a mock primary vote in June as well as a gubernatorial mock vote in November.

[email protected]

Sarah Nicols and Chris Day, Mountain Valley High School seniors, are among 30 government class students who have heard presentations by several of the Maine gubernatorial candidates.