PORTLAND (AP) — U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe is giving a boost to Republican Kevin Raye in his 2nd Congressional District race, campaigning alongside him and endorsing him in a television ad. But so far, the retiring senator is not making a similar effort on behalf of another former aide, Charlie Summers, in his race for Snowe’s soon-to-beempty seat.

A new TV advertisement hitting the airwaves on Wednesday across the state featured Snowe and Raye together, with Snowe describing how Raye worked at her side for 17 years, owns a small business and worked for bipartisan solutions as president of the Maine Senate.

“I trust Kevin Raye. He’s exactly what we need in Washington,” she says in the ad.

Raye, who is Snowe’s former chief of staff, concludes by responding: “Olympia’s support means the world to me, and I would appreciate your vote.”

Raye could use a boost, as polls show him lagging behind Democratic Rep. Mike Michaud, a former paper mill worker and state lawmaker who now has eight years under his belt as a U.S. congressman.

But so could Summers, Snowe’s former state director and now Maine secretary of state. Summers is trailing independent Angus King in a race that will help determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Snowe is one of the last Republican moderates in that chamber.

In political circles, it is no secret Snowe viewed Summers as disloyal when he failed to endorse her in her primary race last year against a tea party-backed candidate before she decided to retire instead. At the time, he was awaiting confirmation as state chief elections officer and said he was reluctant to endorse anyone.

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