Gilbert: College vote could swing second district

LEWISTON -- Lewiston Mayor Larry Gilbert, a Democrat, said that current polls for the Presidential race haven’t taken the youth vote into account, and it is this demographic that will swing the election.

Most people under 30 rely on cell phones, Gilbert said. Because current polls conducted by phone don’t reach out to those on cell phones, they are skewed.

Lewiston is one of the two largest municipalities in the second district, along with Bangor.

Many have speculated the second district vote to be close between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

Lewiston consistently votes for Democrats, which will make a difference in the second district vote, but it’s the college campuses in the district that could swing the election, Gilbert said.

Maine’s largest campus, the University of Maine at Orono, falls in the second district, along with UMS campuses in Farmington, Presque Isle and Fort Kent. Lewiston is home to Bates College.

Gilbert said that the large number of young people energized for Obama will be enough to swing the district’s one electoral vote in his favor.

Gilbert said he initially supported Hillary Clinton, and Obama’s plans to take care of working people are “Clintonesque.”

“The second district is full of working people. They will vote on the pocketbook issue,” Gilbert said.