What if Peter Mills and Eliot Cutler get into the Senate race now that Snowe is out?

[ticapnews]

9. Steve Abbott isn't running

Portland Press Herald

ORONO — Steve Abbott, the athletic director at the University of Maine who was a 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidate, announced today that he will not run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Olympia Snowe.

Abbott said many people have encouraged him to run, but he cannot leave the job to which he was appointed a year ago for a two-year commitment.

"Over the last three days, I have received many phone calls, emails, and Facebook messages from friends and supporters encouraging me to run for the United States Senate," Abbott said in a news release.

"My current job commitments at the University of Maine are something that I take very seriously and something that I truly enjoy," Abbott said. "It would be irresponsible of me to leave just as we are launching so many great projects for our athletic department."

It sounds like he will run in 2014 if Collins steps down.