Two Tall Men

Maine's Governor Edmund Sixtus Muskie is a tall (6 ft. 4 in.), genial, boyish (42) Democrat with a demonstrated flair for the political upset in a traditionally Republican stronghold. Last week, 21 months after he achieved the improbable by vaulting into the Statehouse over a faction-ridden G.O.P., he sauntered unopposed through the state primary and seemed as popular as ever.

But this time Maine's Republican leaders, unaccustomed as they are to being out of power, thought they had a match for Ed Muskie. Winner of the G.O.P. primary over two opponents was Willis A. ("Bill") Trafton Jr., tall (6 ft. 3 in.), genial young (37) father of six and speaker of the house, who never before had campaigned outside his home city of Auburn (pop. 24,500). An inveterate pipe smoker with a penchant for bow ties, Lawyer Trafton has much of the same boyish appeal that has worked so well for Ed Muskie, but is rated a poorer speaker. To beat Muskie in the celebrated "as Maine goes" Sept. 10 elections, he has his work cut out for him. Reason: the G.O.P. turnout for the primary that nominated Trafton was the lightest in ten years.

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