AUGUSTA – Meeting in opposite ends of the State House, Democrats and Republicans selected their slate of candidates Tuesday for attorney general, state treasurer and secretary of state.

After the 123rd Legislature is sworn in today, members will elect a speaker of the House, president of the Senate and the three constitutional officers.

There’s no suspense in the voting.

Democrats, who control a solid majority in the House with an apparent 89 seats out of 151 and a thin, one-seat advantage in the Senate, will elect their choices.

State Rep. Glenn Cummings, D-Portland, is the Democratic nominee for speaker. Entering his third term, the college professor served as majority leader in the last Legislature.

Democrats nominated the three incumbents for the constitutional offices: Attorney General Steven Rowe, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap and State Treasurer David Lemoine.

Republicans nominated three former lawmakers. Former state Rep. William Schneider of Durham, a two-term legislator and assistant minority leader, was nominated for attorney general; former four-term state Rep. Donald Berry of Belmont for secretary of state; and former House Minority Leader David Bowles of Sanford for state treasurer.

Addressing Republican members-elect for the House and Senate, incoming Senate Assistant Minority Leader Richard Rosen made clear that the numbers do not favor his party.

“There certainly is no mystery of the outcome or about how this vote will turn out,” Rosen said. “That was determined on Nov. 7.”

Nonetheless, he said, it’s important to nominate officers out of respect for the process.

State Rep. Robert Crosthwaite, the incoming House minority leader agreed.

“It’s about the process. We all know that everything we do here is about process, and we want to be part of it,” Crosthwaite said, acknowledging the tough sledding Republicans face in the House with only 60 seats under their control.

“We know we’re outnumbered, but that doesn’t mean that we will be outworked,” Crosthwaite said.

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