AUGUSTA — Gov.-elect Angus S. King, who has kept a low public profile since the election, plans to announce his choices for about three-fourths of his 17-member Cabinet on Tuesday morning, Jan. 3.

King’s office Friday said he would name “more than a dozen” of his Cabinet members Tuesday. Most department heads need legislative confirmation before their appointments take effect.

King appears to be far ahead of the pace Gov. John R. McKernan set eight years ago when forming his Cabinet. McKernan made his first selections in late December, ahead of King’s schedule. But his last nominees, for fish and wildlife commissioner and mental health commissioner, weren’t made until early spring.

Dennis Bailey, King’s press secretary, said King expects to have all of his Cabinet in place within two weeks, although “there are a couple he’s going to take a little longer on.”

Interviews for the Cabinet posts, and for more than 100 other jobs below Cabinet level, have been conducted by a team headed by Portland lawyer Jamie Broder and former Transportation Commissioner Dana Connors.

Bailey said some of the applicants for Cabinet posts who were not selected now will be considered for sub-Cabinet jobs.

The interviews and selections have been shrouded in great secrecy. King has said most Cabinet members will be new, but a few McKernan appointees could stay on.

Ray B. “Bucky” Owen, commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is expected to stay on, but Bailey wouldn’t confirm that.

Another manager who could stay on is C. Edwin Meadows, commissioner of the Department of Conservation, but Meadows could shed little light on that, other than to say he will continue as acting commissioner until the permanent commissioner is named.

“It’s been a wonderful experience working on the transition,” said Meadows. “It’s been rewarding to have government change over in such an orderly fashion.”

A third executive who might make the transition between the McKernan and King administrations is H. Sawin Millett, the veteran commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services. Millett has been helping King’s transition team prepare a budget.

“There’s going to be a lot of new faces and new surprises on Tuesday,” said Bailey. “It’s definitely a group that was selected on competence and not on political affiliation.

“There’s a real mix, from business, but also other fields like education, human services and the environment. I think there’s going to be some real confidence there and people are going to feel good about these appointments.”