Former Maine Gov. King Holds Lead in Senate Race

Former Maine Gov. Angus King is beginning to look like a shoo-in to replace retiring Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine. A referendum on same-sex marriage also seems likely to pass, a new poll by Boston’s NPR news station WBUR shows.

The poll found that King, running as an independent, has the support of 50 percent, followed by GOP candidate Secretary of State Charlie Summers with 23 percent and Democratic state Sen. Cynthia Dill with 9 percent.

On the issue of same-sex marriage, 55 percent favored the referendum, and 36 percent opposed. The poll found acceptance for the measure among Democrats and independents, while Republicans oppose it.

President Barack Obama holds a 14-point lead over challenger Mitt Romney. The two are tied with male voters but Obama holds 26-point lead among women and is ahead 50 to 24 percent among independents. The president carried Maine by 18 points in 2008, WBUR reported.

The poll queried 506 Maine voters between June 13 and June 14.