Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap Takes Oath of Office

AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. Paul LePage administered the oath of office to Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap Thursday afternoon, Jan. 8.

Dunlap is one of three constitutional officers for the State of Maine, all of whom are elected biennially and were sworn in Thursday at the Statehouse. In December, the Legislature re-elected Dunlap and Attorney General Janet Mills, while Treasurer Terry Hayes was elected to replace Neria Douglass.

During a recognition ceremony in the House chambers following their oaths of office, each of the constitutional officers addressed the attendees. In his address, Dunlap spoke to the importance of serving the public.

"I believe strongly in what I do; and am grateful for the opportunity to continue in this role bestowed on me by the Legislature," he said. "Being able to help people access their government is one of the great blessings of my life, and the calling is strong enough to keep me coming back."

The Secretary of State oversees three bureaus of State government: the Maine State Archives
http://www.maine.gov/sos/arc/index.html , the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions (CEC) http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/index.html , and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) http://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/index.html .

This will be Dunlap's second consecutive term in the office. He previously served three terms, from 2005-10, as Maine's 47th Secretary of State. Secretary Charlie Summers Jr. held the office from 2011-12 and Dunlap returned for the 2013-14 term as the state's 49th secretary. The office of the Secretary of State is term-limited to eight consecutive years, or four two-year terms.

A resident of Old Town, Secretary Dunlap previously served in the Maine House of Representatives for eight years, beginning in 1996, and has a varied professional background that includes work in the food service industry, textiles, radio and copy editing.

As Secretary of State, Dunlap has promoted historic preservation and promotion of Maine libraries, as well as technological improvements in the delivery of government services. He is also a past president and an active member of the National Association of Secretaries of State, and was instrumental in bringing the association's annual conference to Maine this coming summer.