Fargo's delegation to the North Dakota Senate has two new Democrats, which has prompted incumbent Sen. Tim Mathern, a former Democratic floor leader, to consider another race for the job.

"I'm interested in a leadership position. I am interested primarily, though, in getting all of our caucus members to talk about (leadership races), and see where we ought to go," Mathern said. "I'm interested in what's best for our caucus, and what's best for moving our agenda forward."

With the elections over, the Legislature's Democrats and Republicans now will be choosing their floor leaders for the 2007 Legislature, which begins Jan. 3.

Republicans plan to elect their leadership teams this week. Democrats are waiting until early December, in part to provide more time for 16 newly elected Democratic lawmakers - nine in the Senate, seven in the House - to get acquainted with leadership candidates.

In the House, the Republican majority leader, Rep. Rick Berg, R-Fargo, is expecting a challenge Monday from another Fargo Republican, Al Carlson, who unsuccessfully ran against Berg for majority leader two years ago.

Two other potential Berg challengers, Reps. Ron Carlisle, R-Bismarck, and Duane DeKrey, R-Pettibone, are not running. Almost a year ago, Carlisle had declared he would run against Berg, but the Bismarck lawmaker said he has reconsidered.

"I talked to a number of people, and I just didn't think the votes were there for me," Carlisle said.

The incumbent Republican Senate leader, Bob Stenehjem, of Bismarck, and House Democratic leader Merle Boucher, of Rolette, said they intend to seek re-election. Neither man has an announced challenger.

Last week's elections sapped some Republican power in the Legislature, even though the GOP was able to keep control of both the House and Senate.

Republicans lost six Senate seats, leaving them with 26 to Democrats' 21. Democrats gained seven House seats, increasing their ranks to 33, compared to 61 Republican House members.

Two Democratic Senate pickups were in Fargo city districts. Jim Pomeroy defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Richard Brown in District 27 in southwest Fargo, while Democrat Tom Fiebiger beat Sen. John Syverson in District 45, in north Fargo.

The results leaves four of the eight Senate seats in Fargo and West Fargo in Democratic hands, and gives Mathern a built-in advantage should he decide to run for Democratic leader.

"You've got four votes before you even start, and you only need 11 to win," said David O'Connell, D-Lansford, minority leader in the 2005 session. "That's fine. If I could have gotten three more (Democratic senators) elected, if they were from Fargo, that would have been fine with me."

Mathern was a Democratic Senate floor leader during much of the 1990s. He was the assistant to Majority Leader Dan Wogsland in the 1993 Legislature, the last session in which Democrats controlled the Senate.

Mathern was minority leader during the 1997 and 1999 sessions of the Legislature, but he was replaced at the end of the 1999 session amid unhappiness among some Democratic senators that he was not aggressive enough in challenging majority Republicans.

Democratic legislators in the state Senate and House plan to elect their floor leaders Dec. 3, the day before the Legislature's three-day organizational session begins at the Capitol.

House Republicans are picking their leaders today in Bismarck, while Senate Republicans are holding their leadership elections Tuesday night.

The GOP elections will coincide with this week's two-day meeting of the Legislative Council, which begins Tuesday. The council, of which Stenehjem is chairman, oversees a network of 24 interim committees, whose chairmen will be giving reports Tuesday and Wednesday.