MAINE, USA — Noel March remembers the day he got the phone call from Congressman Mike Michaud’s office. It was 2009, and March was police chief at the University of Maine. The Democratic Congressman wanted him to apply to become U.S. Marshal for Maine.
“I was very flattered, but I had to inform them that as a lifelong registered Republican, I probably wouldn’t be considered beyond that phone call,” March recalled.
But he was clearly considered seriously.
“And I was very pleased because the answer to that was in positions like U.S. Marshal this White House cares less about who is in your Rolodex than what’s in your resume.”
A few months later, March was selected by President Obama to become U.S. Marshal, a job he held for seven years until being replaced by the new administration of President Trump.
U.S. Marshal is one of four federal jobs in Maine that are appointed by the President of the United States, and typically change when a new president takes office. The other positions are U.S. Attorney, Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency, and director of USDA Rural Development.
President Joe Biden will now get to fill those jobs, as he will appoint similar positions in every state.
And though the appointments are political, former Maine U.S. Attorney Jay McCloskey said partisan politics have nothing to do with the actual job. All four positions require managing sizeable professional staff doing significant work. McCloskey said changing those positions when Presidents change makes sense, especially for the U.S. Attorney.
“Because a new administration comes in, and I think clearly the Biden administration will have a different priority than the Trump administration. So it's good to have someone in there who will support the administration on justice issues.”
He said the other staff in those offices do not change, and that career people, whether lawyers, deputies, or USDA staff, continue to do the work.
McCloskey said anyone taking one of the jobs knows it's only for a limited time—maybe four years, maybe eight—so being replaced by a new administration goes with the territory.
He and March say they don’t expect nominations any time soon. The Biden team is still getting a cabinet in place in Washington, and it is likely to be months, at least, before they consider appointments for Maine.
Until then, the current officeholders will likely remain on the job.