U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud could announce as soon as today he is entering the 2014 race for the Blaine House.

Speculation about Michaud’s status was stoked in March when he announced he was “taking a hard look” at the race and was “impressed and heartened” by the support.

This morning on WGAN Morning News, former Gov. John Baldacci said “someone else,” not him, will make an announcement today.

Officials at the Maine Democratic Party declined comment. A message left with a Michaud spokesperson was not returned this morning.

A moderate Democrat who’s represented Maine’s Second Congressional District since 2002, Michaud is widely seen as the Democrats’ strongest gubernatorial candidate.

The ranking Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Maine’s second most senior representative to Congress, Michaud has made veterans’ affairs one of his top issues in a state with one of the nation’s most veteran-populated districts per capita.

His first election to Congress was his closest — defeating Kevin Raye, an Eastport Republican, 52 percent to 48 percent. Since then, his margin has ranged from 70 percent in 2006 to 55 percent in 2010. He defeated Raye again, in 2012, with 58 percent.

If he ran for governor and won, it would mean a steep pay cut for Michaud: He makes $174,000 as a congressman but would earn less than half that — $70,000 — if elected the nation’s lowest-paid governor.

A Pan Atlantic SMS Group poll of 403 Maine residents in April found LePage would lead any three-way gubernatorial race pitting him against Cutler, an independent who has indicated he is running; and any other likely Democrat.

Michaud’s support in a hypothetical three-way race was polled at 22.8 percent, compared with LePage, 33.5 percent; and Cutler, 25.6 percent.