Independent Eliot Cutler, running a distant third in the Maine governor’s race, opened the door Wednesday for supporters to back a candidate with a better shot at winning — and Sen. Angus King, a fellow independent, bolted through it.

King threw his political muscle behind Democrat Michael Michaud several hours after Cutler acknowledged he was unlikely to unseat Republican Gov. Paul LePage and suggested his allies consider whether to back one of the major-party candidates. Cutler’s statement, and King’s decision, could provide a jolt to the razor-close contest between Michaud and LePage.

“Eliot Cutler is a fine man who would make a good governor of our state,” King said in a statement. “But, like Eliot, I too am a realist. After many months considering the issues and getting to know the candidates, it is clear that the voters of Maine are not prepared to elect Eliot in 2014. … The good news is that we still have a chance to elect a governor who will represent the majority of Maine people: my friend and colleague, Mike Michaud.”

Cutler started the movement earlier Wednesday, when he convened a press conference to discuss his low odds of winning.

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“Anyone who has supported me — but who now worries that I can not win and is thereby compelled by their fears or their conscience to vote instead for Mr. LePage or Mr. Michaud — should do so,” he said, according to prepared remarks provided by his campaign. “I am a realist about my chances, but I’ll be damned if I will kowtow to party politics.”

Cutler, who worked in former President Jimmy Carter’s administration, had been running a distant third in polls despite presenting himself as a problem-solving alternative to the two major parties.

Cutler’s camp emphasized that his announcement is not equivalent to dropping out of the race. In fact, a Q&A distributed by the campaign emphasized that Cutler may continue campaigning and advertising in the race.

In a phone interview before King’s endorsement was announced, Cutler said he still thinks he can win the race, even if it’s “a long shot.”

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“The reason I had that press conference was because I wanted to put a pin in the balloon of the hopes from either side that I was going to get out of the race and endorse someone else,” he told POLITICO. “I have no intention of doing that.”

He continued: “I think I can win. It’s by no means impossible. Is it a long shot? Sure. But I’ve seen a lot of stranger things happen in politics.”

Republicans had recently been touting Cutler’s candidacy, believing that his support was largely funneled from Michaud.

Cutler is not dropping out of the race, and his name will still appear on the ballot. But even before King’s announcement, some Cutler allies began peeling off on Wednesday. At a press event organized by groups supporting Michaud, John Coleman, CEO of VIA Agency in Portland, said, “[Cutler] has no chance of winning. So a vote for Cutler is a vote for LePage and the State can’t withstand four more years of divisive and ineffective LePage leadership.” Several other business leaders and advocates once supporting Cutler attended as well.

Democrats issued a cautiously upbeat statement about the independent’s announcement.

“It’s encouraging that Eliot told his supporters to vote their conscience. We all need to come together and ensure that we bring change to the Blaine House on Election Day,” said Michaud spokeswoman Lizzy Reinholt. “It sounds like Eliot realizes that this is a two-person race, and we know that’s hard. Maine can’t afford four more years of Gov. LePage.”

But Republicans sought to cast the announcement as proof of Democratic “bullying” and emphasized that Cutler would remain in the race.

“The Michaud campaign has arrogantly assumed that Independents and Cutler supporters owe the Democratic establishment their allegiance,” said Maine GOP chairman Richard Bennett in a statement. “We respectfully request that everybody — Republicans, Democrats, and Independents — look at the issues and vote for Gov. LePage because he has demonstrated strong leadership in growing Maine’s economy, paying down debt and reforming welfare.”

LePage is seeking a second term after narrowly beating Cutler in 2010, 38 percent to 36 percent. The Democratic nominee that year, Elizabeth Mitchell, earned 19 percent of the vote. But polls in this year’s race show Cutler badly lagging behind LePage and Michaud.

Burgess Everett contributed to this report.