DAMARISCOTTA – Though she’s not up for re-election, U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe is out and about this fall, hitting the campaign trail with local candidates.

So far she has walked Main Streets with seven state Senate candidates. Thursday she took a stroll through downtown Damariscotta with 1st Congressional District candidate Charlie Summers (R-Scarborough), state Senate candidate David Trahan (R-Waldoboro) and state Rep. Jon McKane (R-Newcastle), who is running for re-election.

Snowe has also done several events with U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Bangor), who is running for a third term against U.S. Rep. Tom Allen. While she fully backs her colleague’s re-election, Snowe said incumbents usually like to run on their own.

“If she wants me to do anything, I’ll do it for her,” Snowe said.

Snowe said this year is a tough year to be a Republican, as was 2006 when she ran for re-election. It’s rare, she said, to have two elections in a row where there’s a strong sentiment against a single party.

“It’s like a 100-year flood,” Snowe said.

In 2006, Snowe beat Jean Hay-Bright (D-Dixmont) with 74 percent of the vote, but said it wasn’t easy. Her campaign raised $3 million dollars, and although she survived, two of her friends in the caucus – Sens. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) and Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) – were ousted. In all, Republicans lost 30 House seats and six Senate seats.

Snowe said she is feeling good about Collins’ re-election campaign this year. Collins is working hard, she said, and people reward effective incumbents.

The New York Times recently had an article on Maine’s Senate race, exploring why the Democrats’ strategy of linking Republican candidates to President Bush wasn’t working on Collins.

Snowe is ranked as the least partisan member of the Senate. Collins is the second least partisan.

“It doesn’t resonate with voters because it isn’t true,” Snowe said of the Collins-Bush connection. “Sen. Collins has demonstrated her independence.”

Trahan agreed that it is difficult to be a Republican in this political climate. If elected, Trahan said he would like to bring a community college to his district, which encompasses most of Lincoln County.

Trahan, a former state representative, said it was his legislation that created the Office of Program Evaluation and Governmental Accountability. Today, “OPEGA” is on his license plate. He said protecting the agency will be a priority – as it always becomes a target for Democratic leadership.

He said the Republicans have a good chance of taking back the majority in the state Senate. Currently the body stands at 18 Democrats and 17 Republicans, with a number of very tough races.

Snowe said the Main Street tours also help her in her work, so she can hear people’s concerns during these difficult economic times. In Brunswick, for example, she met with several struggling business owners.

“People’s primary concern is about the economy, so it’s important for me to be listening to people to see what we can do,” Snowe said.

Snowe said the key to improving the economy is lowering taxes and helping small businesses.

This is also the key issue in Summers’ campaign. “It’s just the right focal point,” Snowe said. “It’s about ‘Joe the Plumber’ who personifies what the discussion is all about.”