Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King said Wednesday that he will continue to caucus with Democrats in order to ensure that Maine continues to have a senator with pull on both sides of the aisle in Washington.

King has been caucusing with majority Democrats since 2012 and as a result has served on the armed services and budget committees, as well as the Select Committee on Intelligence. However, Democrats lost their Senate majority in Tues- day’s elections, prompting King to call reporters to his home in Brunswick on Wednesday.

“After a great deal of thought and conversations with senators from both parties, I have decided to remain with the Democratic caucus. … It does not mean I have made a promise to anyone to support the Democratic position on any issue that comes before the Senate. Sometimes I’ll agree with the caucus decision and sometimes I won’t,” said King, who added that he believes his most effective role is to “pull my colleagues toward the center.”

In April of this year, King raised the possibility that he might switch to the Republican caucus after this year’s election, but Wednesday’s announcement laid that to rest. King has positioned himself as a moderate relative to both major parties and among a slew of endorsements he made this year was Republican Sen. Susan Collins, another moderate. Part of King’s reasoning for staying put was to cement his and Collins’ working relationship.

“It takes votes from members of both caucuses to get anything done,” said King.

FOR MORE, see the Bangor Daily News at www.bangordailynews.com

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