Ralph Nader's decision to run for president could reverberate in the Maine Green Party, even though the party's 2000 candidate said Sunday he is running as an independent.

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Ralph Nader said he was compelled to jump into the race to challenge what he called the "two-party duopoly."

In fact, there is a chance he could show up as the Green nominee on Maine's ballot in November.

Greens in this state had different reactions to Nader's candidacy Sunday, with some saying they wish he were running as a Green and others saying not only should Nader not run as a Green, but the party itself should not offer a presidential candidate at all.

The party is holding its caucuses through March 19, and the topic already is generating discussion. And on Sunday morning ­ before Nader declared, and before four caucuses got started ­ he had received seven of 16 votes already cast in Maine.

State Rep. John Eder, who represents Portland and is the only Green legislator in the nation, said he will not vote for a Green for president this year, because "people are pretty unified in their feeling that we have to get rid of (President) Bush. And who can argue with that? Really?"

Eder said he will vote for the Democratic nominee this time. He said the party would be better off focusing on local, rather than national elections this year. "This is where we're making the most inroads," he said.

Ben Meiklejohn, the party's Maine co-chairman and a member of the Portland School Committee, said Nader's announcement "is actually causing a bit of debate."

That's because members at caucuses are choosing delegates for the state convention in April. At that convention, the party will decide whose name to place on the ballot as a presidential candidate. The national convention is not until June.

Meiklejohn said the party might, at its convention, amend its rules to allow it to place the national party's candidate on the state ballot even if Nader takes the most votes in Maine.

Julian Holmes, a retired physicist who lives in Wayne, switched from Green to Democrat in order to vote for Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, but is excited about Nader's candidacy. He plans to switch back to Green and vote for Nader.

Pat Lamarche, who ran as a Green Independent for governor in 1996 and received 7 percent of the vote, said she does not think the party should field a presidential candidate this year ­ not Nader, not anyone.

"It's of absolute, utmost importance that George Bush is not re-elected," she said. She does not want Democrats to be able to say that a Green was a spoiler this time around, drawing votes away from anyone who opposes the president.

Like Eder, she said the party should focus on local races. She said Nader, whom she respects, ought to run for U.S. Senate, get elected and use his influence to help build the party.

Nancy Allen, a national spokeswoman for the party and a Maine resident, said she "was personally extremely disappointed that he decided not to seek the Green Party nomination."

She said there is a draft Nader effort among some Greens, and offered that some party members may try, at the national convention, to convince him to run again as a Green.

Peter Cianchette, who chairs Bush's re-election campaign in Maine, said Nader's entrance does not affect GOP efforts here.

Dottie Melanson, chairman of the Maine Democratic Party, said she doubts Nader will have much of an effect this year.

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