AUGUSTA, Maine — Democrats in the Maine Senate scuttled Gov. Paul LePage’s nomination to head the Maine State Housing Authority on Thursday, leading the Republican governor to blast Democrats for engaging in “cheap politics.”
LePage nominated his economic development commissioner, George Gervais, earlier this year. The nomination, which needed a two-thirds Senate vote to overcome a negative labor committee recommendation, failed 20-13. Two senators were absent.
“The director of this independent authority has enormous responsibility,” said Sen. Shenna Bellows, D-Manchester, who has led the opposition to Gervais’ nomination.
Democrats expressed concerns about Gervais’ lack of experience in housing administration. On March 1, Gervais received a split recommendation from the Legislature’s Labor, Research and Economic Development Committee, with all of the panel’s Democrats voting against him.
But a number of Republican senators voiced their disagreement, saying Gervais has performed well in his current Cabinet position, which often requires him to work on funding for housing programs. He won unanimous Senate support in 2011 for his nomination to lead the state’s economic and community development efforts.
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