A fourth independent candidate, state lawmaker Ed Crockett from Portland, has joined the increasingly crowded contest to become Maine's next governor.

Ed Crockett has represented parts of Portland and Falmouth as a Democrat in the Maine House for the past seven years. But Crockett said Thursday that he believes Maine's Democratic and Republicans parties have "lost their way" — has have the national parties in Washington, D.C., he said.

So Crockett recently unenrolled as a Democrat and announced on Wednesday that he will run as an independent using Maine's public campaign financing or "clean elections" system.

"My primary message is Maine needs a chief executive who has the courage and strength to put the people first and not partisan party politics," Crockett said in an interview. "I've

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