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AUGUSTA, Maine — Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday nominated a Bangor legislator to serve as Maine’s next treasurer.
Maine State Treasurer Henry Beck is not seeking a fourth, two-year term, which resulted in a contest between House Majority Leader Mo Terry, D-Gorham, and Rep. Joe Perry, D-Bangor. Democratic lawmakers picked Perry in a secret ballot vote as they met Tuesday afternoon in Augusta.
Discussions and voting on other constitutional officer positions were continuing into Tuesday evening. Attorney General Aaron Frey faces a challenge from Maeghan Maloney, the district attorney for Kennebec and Somerset counties.
Both Frey and Maloney, who are both former state representatives, pitched themselves to lawmakers ahead of Tuesday as leaders who would push back against President-elect Donald Trump. Frey noted he had already done that during Trump’s first term while also highlighting lawsuits he has filed against opioid manufacturers, oil companies and the makers of harmful PFAS chemicals.
Maloney differentiated herself from Frey by pledging to support the Wabanaki Nations and alluding to the Mills administration’s opposition to more sweeping tribal sovereignty legislation. Both Maloney and Frey have faced recent controversies, with Maloney accused of violating bar rules by attempting to contact a woman in a criminal case without going through her attorney and Frey apologizing last year after his romantic relationship with an employee he supervised came to light before he had someone else oversee his partner.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows faced no Democratic challenger for the position she has held since 2021.
Republican lawmakers picked up several seats in the November election but do not have the numbers to elevate their preferred attorney general choice unless enough Democrats join them. The GOP put forward Robert B. Charles, who grew up in the Kennebec County town of Wayne and served as assistant U.S. secretary of state for international narcotics under former President George W. Bush.
