AUGUSTA – Jim Boyle, a former state senator from Gorham, announced Friday that he is dropping out of the Democratic race for governor.

Jim Boyle

Boyle had announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination in July but struggled to gain traction in a crowded field of candidates. There are currently 12 other candidates whose campaigns are still listed as “active” by the Maine Ethics Commission, However, additional candidates are expected to withdraw by the March 15 deadline to collect the minimum 2,000 petition signatures needed to qualify for the June primary ballots.

An environmental consultant, Boyle served one term in the Maine Senate representing Gorham and parts of Scarborough and Westbrook. Boyle had said he ran for governor because he was “fed up” with a system that he believes favors the wealthy and special interests.

“I ran a successful small business based on the idea that we don’t have to choose between protecting the environment and creating jobs,” Boyle said in a statement announcing his withdrawal from the race. “We can – we must – do both. Climate change threatens our state, our country and the world. We can’t wait any longer for policies that move us away from fossil fuels and toward a more sustainable future.”