CAMDEN — Since 1974, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) has served the people of Maine in public office, the past 17 in the U.S. Senate.

In February she announced she would not seek a fourth term in the Senate, citing an unproductive Senate due to political partisanship.

In the Senate Feb. 23, she was quoted saying, "Unfortunately, I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term. So at this stage of my tenure in public service, I have concluded that I am not prepared to commit myself to an additional six years in the Senate."

On Thursday, Nov. 1, Snowe was in Camden meeting and greeting local business owners and employees, and stumping for Republican candidates Chris Rector of Thomaston, running for Senate District 22, and Carole Gartley of Rockport, running for House District 46.

Six candidates are vying to fill the seat being vacated by Snowe, including Independent candidates Steve Woods, Angus King, Andrew Ian Dodge and Danny Dalton, Democrat Cynthia Dill and Republican Charlie Summers.

Sen. Olympia Snowe's career in politics began in 1973, when she was elected to the Maine House seat left vacant by the death of her first husband, Peter Snowe.

In 1974 she was re-elected to the Maine House and in 1976 she was elected to the Maine Senate. In 1978 she was the youngest Republican woman elected to Congress and in 1994, she was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of a state legislature and in both houses on Congress.

Since 2001 Snowe has served on the Senate Finance Committee.