PORTLAND (AP) — The Sierra Club has endorsed Maine independent Angus King in the race to fill Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe’s soon-to-be-empty seat, leaving Democrat Cynthia Dill disappointed.

Becky Bartovics from Sierra Club Maine said Monday that King knows that “investing in a cleanenergy future will create new jobs in Maine and across the U.S., and protect our planet for generations to come.”

As governor, King backed the Land for Maine’s Future program to ensure open spaces. And after leaving office, King launched a wind power venture. In its endorsement, the Sierra Club cited King’s support for clean energy policies and investments to transition the country to cleaner energy.

While Dill was disappointed, she brushed off the endorsement. She said she’s always been an environmentalist and doesn’t need endorsement to verify that.