Olympia Snowe’s announcement last week not to seek a fourth term to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate surprised many in her home state and in Washington. Democrats are now hoping to win the Maine seat, just last week considered an easy win for Republicans.

Maine has voted for Democrats for president every four years since 1992, voting for Barack Obama over John McCain by 18 points in 2008. With Obama at the top of the ticket this fall, the thinking goes, candidates down-ballot will be helped. Democrats outnumber Republicans among registered voters by nearly 50,000, too. Not for nothing did a headline at Politico deem Snowe’s retirement a “boon for Democrats.”