AUGUSTA – Former Sen. Neria Douglass, an Auburn Democrat, holds a partisan edge that could see her elected as Maine’s next state auditor.

House and Senate members elect constitutional officers – including the auditor’s job – during balloting today. The other offices are secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer. The constitutional officers oversee motor vehicles, elections, legal and financial matters.

Former state Sen. Norman Ferguson, a Hanover Republican who served on Utilities and Energy, Judiciary and Legal and Veterans Affairs committees during his Senate tenure, was nominated by the GOP for the treasurer’s post.

Ferguson’s father, Norman Sr., was the last Republican to hold that job, according to outgoing Sen. Rick Bennett, R-Norway.

Douglass won the Democratic nod for the auditor’s seat during a secret caucus ballot Tuesday. She defeated Carol Lehto, a certified public accountant and certified internal auditor.

Lehto, who already holds a top position in the state Audit Department, told lawmakers before the vote that only she meets all professional requirements required by state law for the auditor’s job.

Douglass, who lost her Senate seat to Republican Rep. Lois Snowe-Mello of Poland in her Election Day bid for a fourth term, stressed her background in state issues and working with the Legislature. Douglass also pledged to obtain the needed accounting certification within the six months allowed by law.

“I’ve always been good at school and tests,” said Douglass. “What’s really important is dealing with people.”

Douglass said she hopes to bring greater visibility to the department and inspire its staff to seek out spending errors that could result in returning money to the state’s treasury.

Richard Foote, a deputy state auditor who sought the auditor’s job unsuccessfully four years ago, won the GOP nomination and will oppose Douglass in today’s balloting.

Foote, of Cumberland Center, said, “This is my career.”

Should he lose his bid, he said, “I look forward to working with former Senator Douglass.”

The Democrats’ slight edge in overall numbers gives their nominees an advantage in today’s final voting. Democrats have 94 House and Senate seats to the GOP’s 90 overall.

The offices will be filled after the lawmakers are sworn in for their two-year terms.

On the Democratic side, Attorney General G. Steven Rowe won the caucus nod for another term as the state’s chief legal counsel and prosecutor. Rowe, of Portland, served as House speaker before assuming the attorney general’s post in 2000.

For the open state treasurer’s post, David Lemoine of Old Orchard Beach, a lawyer who served two of his three House terms on the Taxation Committee, won the Democrats’ nomination.

Matthew Dunlap of Old Town, who reached his limit of four consecutive House terms, won his party’s backing for the open secretary of state’s office.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The department oversees elections, corporate filings, and motor vehicle registrations and licensing, making it one of the state’s most diverse and far-reaching.