Two Democratic lawmakers are vying to succeed Maine State Treasurer Henry Beck and creating a contest that may reveal splits in the party while giving Republicans a role to play.
House Majority Leader Mo Terry, D-Gorham, and Rep. Joe Perry, D-Bangor, will seek to win over enough colleagues when the Legislature reconvenes in Augusta on Dec. 4 to pick constitutional officers. The other contested race involves Attorney General Aaron Frey facing a challenge from Maeghan Maloney, the district attorney for Kennebec and Somerset counties.
These insular elections are decided by a unified vote of both legislative chambers, with Democrats holding a 96-88 advantage over Republicans with two liberal-leaning independents in the House. Terry initially looked set to have an uncontested path to winning the role that manages bonding, state investments, unclaimed funds and other financial services.
But Perry said he decided to jump in the race after receiving feedback from other legislators, including colleagues who told him last week that Republicans would back him for treasurer. Democrats will meet Dec. 3 to decide on nominees before the full Legislature reconvenes in a joint session the following day to finalize the selections.
Perry signaled opposition to running against his own party if not picked as the nominee and said his motivation to run stemmed more from colleagues preferring multiple choices. He also highlighted his time chairing the Legislature’s Taxation Committee.
“I just think all my concentration of work in the Legislature has prepared me well for the job,” Perry said Monday.
Terry, a chef and small-business owner who could not seek reelection to the Legislature this fall after serving four consecutive terms, said “competition is always good” and that she loves Perry “to pieces.”
“I still feel like there’s work I can contribute,” Terry said. “I always want to make sure we are in a safe position financially.”
Perry, who first won election to the House in 1996 and has served seven nonconsecutive terms in addition to three terms in the Senate, owns a convenience store in Bangor’s Tree Streets neighborhood.
Lawmakers have crossed party lines in similar votes before. In 2014, former Democratic lawmaker Terry Hayes won the state treasurer’s job as an independent after convincing Republicans to nominate her while peeling off some Democrats. Hayes kept the job the same way in 2016, but she lost it to Beck in 2018 after Democrats took full control of Augusta.
The third constitutional officer, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, is not currently facing any challenger.
Beck was first elected to represent part of Waterville in the Maine House of Representatives in 2008. The 38-year-old served in the House until 2016, and his resume also includes time on the Waterville City Council and as an attorney for Augusta-based McKee Law.