House Democrats display ability to debate, unite

AUGUSTA – Democrats have often, very often, displayed a capacity to debate among themselves. They have also often, but not always, shown they can put aside internal differences and unite.

Both abilities were on display Wednesday as the apparent majority party in the House of Representatives in the soon-to-open new Legislature held its leadership elections.

Right from the start, at least for this day, unity was paramount.

The contest between Majority Leader John Richardson of Brunswick and Rep. Ben Dudley of Portland to become the caucus candidate for speaker of the House ended abruptly and amicably when Dudley rose to nominate Richardson for the post.

Richardson, in his acceptance speech, emphasized the all-for-one spirit that won him a vote without dissent.

“If we are to act on our shared democratic values and our vision for this state and fulfill our commitment to the Maine people, we must be unified as a caucus,” he said.

Unified these Democrats remained through a day of voting that offered politely conducted races for two floor leader positions.

Reps. Glenn Cummings of Portland and Robert Duplessie of Westbrook defeated Reps. Patricia Blanchette of Bangor and Nancy Smith of Monmouth for the jobs of majority leader and whip, giving the caucus an all-male hierarchy hailing from south of the capital.

Key tests for House Democrats will be to maintain a working relationship with Democratic Gov. John Baldacci and improve on the strained relationship with Senate Democrats that has existed in recent years.

Richardson sought to address that, too, in his acceptance speech.

“The chief executive cannot pass legislation without us; the House cannot pass legislation or laws without the Senate,” he noted.

As for the apparent minority party, Richardson did not go overboard on a day when his audience was mainly Democratic.

“We’ll reach out and we’ll include Republicans in our search for solutions, but we will negotiate as the majority party,” he said.

If House Democrats, by organizing smoothly, have cleared a key hurdle, similar tests loom for their Democratic Senate colleagues and for House and Senate Republicans. Those three caucuses won’t assemble until next week and all three plan to meet away from the State House.

The two Republican caucuses, moreover, still licking wounds that only reversal by recount can soothe, plan to conduct their leadership discussions and voting in private, according to GOP leaders.

House Democrats, on the other hand, did their business Wednesday in plain view in the House of Representatives chamber of the State House. That was, perhaps, fitting. Democrats, after all, have effectively controlled the chamber for three decades.

Hoping to turn necessity into a virtue, Democrats express optimism that their narrow hold on the House, still subject to ballot reviews, will bolster party discipline – that is, unity.

“I’m not all that worried,” Dudley said in throwing his support to Richardson.