Maine's Angus King to caucus with Senate Democrats Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 7:12 a.m., Wednesday, November 14, 2012 The former Maine governor was elected last week to replace retiring Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe, a prominent centrist who complained about Washington's partisan gridlock in stepping down. King had requested a seat on the Senate Finance Committee, a plum assignment usually reserved for more senior lawmakers, in recent talks with Reid, but said Reid made it clear that was not likely to happen. King has vowed to vote his conscience, saying independent voices like his are needed to try to break the partisan gridlock in Congress. Before that he spent 18 years as a commentator on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, reporting and analyzing state public policy issues.