WESTBROOK – After U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe’s shocking announcement Feb. 28 that she would not seek re-election this fall, the rapid-fire rate of announcements from politicians across the state about their respective political futures has been so hard to keep up with that by the time you read this article, it may no longer be accurate.

But as of Wednesday afternoon, it looked as though the possible campaigns of at least three local men – Westbrook resident and former Secretary of State Mark Gartley, a Republican, and two Democrats, Westbrook City Council President Brendan Rielly and state Sen. Phil Bartlett of Gorham – are over before they got started.

All three men had pulled papers to file as candidates for the U.S. House 1st District seat, which represents southern Maine. While none of them had filed their petitions with the Maine Secretary of State’s office, they were all seeking the 1,000 signatures they needed. All of them said this week that they would pull out if Chellie Pingree, D-North Haven, sought re-election to her House seat, which she has announced she will do.

Pingree was expected to run for and win re-election this fall, but when she took out papers to run for Snowe’s seat, she set off a scramble for anyone who wanted to run for her seat.

At noon on Wednesday, Pingree issued a statement saying she would bow out of a Senate race, and instead focus on a re-election bid after all. Her announcement came just two days after former Gov. Angus King decided to throw his hat into the ring for Senate.

“The real question is: What’s she going to do?” Gartley, 68, asked Tuesday, indicating he would not challenge Pingree if she declined to run for Senate. Gartley was not available for comment following Pingree’s announcement Wednesday.

“We are suspending the campaign,” Bartlett said Wednesday. “I am a strong supporter of Chellie Pingree (for Congress).”

Rielly also suspended his campaign Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m out at this point,” he said.

Rielly thanked as many as 50 local supporters, and said the groundswell gave him confidence in seeking other higher office down the road.

“There will be another race in the future,” he said. “I just don’t know where or when.”

The other candidates who have taken out nomination papers for the 1st District seat include Republicans Patrick Calder, Jon Courtney, Arthur Kyricos, Debra Reagan and John Vedral.

Democrats also include Peter Chandler, David Costa, Cynthia Dill, Jon Hinck, Barry Hobbins, David Lemoine and Wellington Lyons.