There have been no polls of Maine voters recently, making the candidates' popularity hard to measure. Mr. Bradley's campaign has been buoyed by endorsements from 10 of the state's 18 Democratic state senators. Mr. McCain is in a tight race with Mr. Bush in Maine, where the Bush family owns a home and garners strong support from the Republican Party. Mr. McCain held a rally in Portland yesterday. If McCain came to Maine and spent a little money on television, I think he could win it.
Voters declare they are members of a party before voting in caucus.
Caucuses hold nonbinding straw polls on candidates and elect delegates to conventions that pick parties' national convention delegates. This is the largest state in which both parties choose their delegates at caucuses. The Democrats will hold theirs on March 11 and 12. The Republicans are also holding a straw poll, but the outcome will have no binding effect on delegate selection. The advantage in caucus states usually goes to the candidates with the best organizations, so it is assumed that Mr. Bush will win most of the support at the Republican precinct caucuses on Tuesday.