AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate today approved three LePage Cabinet nominees, giving two unanimous support and one a 26-9 vote of approval.
The Senate voted unanimously in support of Bill Beardsley as commissioner of the Department of Conservation and for Norman Olsen as commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources.
But nine Democrats voted in opposition to Philip Congdon to become commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development.
Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, said there were “major gaps” in Congdon’s resume.
“This job is too important to give to someone who will be getting on-the-job training,” he said.
Congdon, of Round Pond, spent 22 years at Texas Instruments in Dallas. A licensed professional engineer, he is a graduate of Tufts University and holds more than a dozen U.S. and foreign patents, according to his resume.
Last week, he earned unanimous support from the Legislature’s Labor, Commerce and Economic Development Committee. During the hearing, he told the committee his experience in economic development was “thin.”
Following today’s vote, Congdon said he was not concerned about the opposition from Democrats.
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