WINDHAM – Next Wednesday’s Democrat Forum at the Little Meetinghouse in Windham may sound like just another in a series of seemingly endless candidate meet-and-greets, but to many it signals the growing political importance of the Lakes Region.

Not only is the region around Sebago Lake growing in population, it also represents a cross-section of the “two Maines,” say political insiders, which is both urban and rural, where a lot of moderate votes are up for grabs by both major parties.

Wednesday’s forum, which will feature debate and a question-and-answer time with the audience, is being hosted by the Windham and Raymond Democratic town committees. All four Democrat candidates for U.S. Senate – Cynthia Dill, Matt Dunlap, Jon Hinck and Benjamin Pollard – have agreed to participate in the forum, which will be moderated by state Sen. Bill Diamond, a Windham Democrat.

Diamond is among those who see the event as evidence that the Lakes Region is growing in stature as an important political arena.

“I think it’s a big deal,” he said. “People are starting to realize that in the Lakes Region there are a lot of votes out here. It offers rich vote-getting opportunities. And, what I’ve found is that these people are not all slanted in one direction. They’re not all left, they’re not all right. They’re pretty much in the middle, which is good for the candidates.”

The candidates, who are aiming to replace Maine’s longtime Republican senator, Olympia Snowe, and are facing a primary battle June 12, are viewing Windham’s forum as one of the last opportunities to speak to dozens of constituents, said one of the organizers, Beth Quate, who chairs the Windham Democratic Town Committee.

“The timing’s good for it because it’s only a few weeks before the primary, so it’ll be fresh on voters’ mind what the candidates think,” Quate said.

And while none of the four U.S. Senate candidates live in the Lakes Region, they were all enthusiastic about coming to the region.

“It’s always been an important area politically,” said Matt Dunlap, of Old Town. “When you look at the state, people like to think of the 1st Congressional District and the 2nd Congressional District. But it’s not quite that black and white. The 1st District has some pretty strong rural traditions. That area around the Sebago Lakes region is sort of an interface between the two. It’s not one, it’s not the other. You’re handy to Portland, you’re handy to Westbrook. You’re handy to New Hampshire.

“But you’re also the gateway to the western mountains as well, and the demographics are a very strong blend of what Maine looks like. And I think that’s what makes it so important to be there. There’s probably a broader cross-cut of what Maine looks like, and I would expect their questions would reflect that,” he said.

Dunlap, a former secretary of state, has already received the endorsement of Diamond, himself a former secretary of state, but both agree the endorsement won’t be an issue at the forum.

“I’ve known Bill for many, many years and obviously his support is a huge boost and a great honor,” Dunlap said. “I don’t think that impacts his ability to be a moderator for this event. He’s a standup guy, and I have all the confidence in the world for him to ask me tough questions.”

Diamond said the endorsement came months ago when Dunlap asked him for it, but he hasn’t done any active campaigning on Dunlap’s behalf since.

“And what I would do as moderator is restate that, the exact situation, that he called me months ago and asked me if I’d support him and I said yes and I have not heard from anybody else. He’s a moderate, too, and I’m comfortable with his positions,” Diamond said.

Cynthia Dill, of Cape Elizabeth, is eager to come, saying any opportunity to meet voters is one she takes.

“I am trying to meet voters all over the state. I think it’s incredibly important that everyone has a voice and our campaign is really a grassroots, people-powered movement to get a progressive Democrat in the United States Senate. And the way to do that is to talk neighbor to neighbor at bean suppers, in church basements, at baseball games. And so I was pleased to get the invitation to come out to the Lakes Region, and I look forward to going,” she said.

Jon Hinck, a co-founder of Greenpeace USA who has a strong environmental focus to his campaign, said the Lakes Region is important not only in terms of population, but also as an environmental steward.

“The area is the host and guardian of a major piece of Maine’s water supply and I think of Sebago Lake as this incredible gem for our state. And the planning that goes into the protection and use of it is something that Windham and other bordering communities do for the rest of the state, and we’re very appreciative of that,” Hinck said. “But the growth of the area has not escaped my attention, and, as a result, the area becomes more important politically all the time. You’ve always sent great leaders to the Legislature so I would think that Windham’s been recognized for its leadership for a long time.”

Ben Pollard, a Blue Hill native who describes himself as comfortable in a more rural setting, is likewise eager to come to Windham.

“I’m really looking forward to our debate in the Lakes Region and discussing questions related to rural Maine voters,” Pollard said. “The type of moderate view [represented in the Lakes Region] is more widely represented in other parts of the state, whether it’s in the Bangor area, or Aroostook County or Washington County. I think if you get away from Portland and southern Maine, you tend to find people whose views are more centrist, more conservative in some ways, more libertarian.”

Mark Bryant, a four-term state representative from Windham, says the forum will also help shine the light on parts of Cumberland County often overlooked.

“On the outskirts of Cumberland County, you’ve got some towns on the northwestern side that are disenfranchised in a sense of they’re not really Portland, they’re more Oxford County or York County,” Bryant said. “So trying to bring [voters] in from the Bridgton area down though is an interesting concept and also a necessary one. They bring in a whole demographic different from the Portland area. We’re not necessarily Portland. We have a broader clientele and their questions need to be answered and discussed, and that’s the reason for the forum.”

Joint venture

Another aspect of next Wednesday’s forum is that it represents the first time the Raymond and Windham Democrat committees have worked on a project together.

Jessica Fay, chairwoman of the Raymond Democrats, met Quate during a caucus earlier this year, where they first discussed the idea of a candidates forum.

“Beth and I met and got to talking and she had said something about a candidates forum and I said, ‘Oh, that sounds neat,’ and we both, at the same time, thought it would be a lot easier if we worked on it together, since Windham and Raymond are joined at the hip with the school system. So, we thought, why not do more things together as a community,” Fay said.

Fay wanted to host the event since area voters rarely get the chance to meet top-tier candidates.

“There aren’t that many opportunities unless you go to Portland or Lewiston-Auburn or Augusta to really meet them in person. There’s not a lot of campaigning outside of local offices that goes on, at least not in Raymond, that’s for sure,” she said.

In hopes of filling the Little Meetinghouse, Quate said she and Fay have reached out to each of the Democratic committees in neighboring towns to welcome them to the forum.

“We’re kind of stuck this side of Portland, and a lot of people out in this area don’t necessarily go to Portland for all of their information so I think it’s very valuable to try to bring it out to the Lakes Region area as much as we can,” Quate said. “And anybody can come, not just Democrats. So I think it would be great to have the place packed to the rafters.”