Guess what… Maine matters!

Democratic Party Chairman John Knutson, a superdelegate to the national convention, has announced that he will support whoever wins the popular vote in Maine.

“It is clear that this presidential campaign will come down to a race for delegates, and I believe that by pledging to support the winner of Maine’s caucuses, I will help to increase Maine’s importance in the nomination process,” Knutson said in a release.

Party Executive Director Arden Manning said Maine’s 24 delegates stand a chance to play an important role in the nomination process.

Back when the party was determining a caucus date, they wondered if going after Super Tuesday would mean the nominee would already have been determined. As it turns out, with Maine being the only contest this weekend, the timing was perfect.

“Super Tuesday’s results of a dead heat between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama mean Maine Democrats have more power than we have had in a long time in terms of choosing a nominee,” Manning said in a release.

And the Democrats are thrilled about the last-minute visits from candidates.

“We’re excited,” Manning said Friday. “The more attention we get, the higher the turnout.”

The party has accepted 4,050 absentee ballots, Manning said in a release, which will contribute to the anticipated record-breaking turnout.