After losing his race to unseat Republican Gov. John Hoeven, Fargo state Sen. Tim Mathern says he may take a shot at replacing David O'Connell, the state Senate's Democratic leader.

"I think it would be important that we have some candidates … and do some work as a caucus to decide what we want to have done," Mathern said of his possible bid. "I think our caucus needs to bring forth options to people."

This week, the Legislature's majority Republicans and its House Democrats will pick their floor leaders for the 2009 session, which begins Jan. 6. Lawmakers will be in Bismarck Thursday and Friday to listen to reports by the Legislature's interim study committees.

Senate Democrats are likely to choose their floor leader later, shortly before the Legislature begins its three-day organizational session on Dec. 1, O'Connell said. The Lansford Democrat is running for his fourth term as Democratic leader.

Senate Democrats had planned to hold their own leadership election this week but some senators said they would not be able to attend, O'Connell said.

About the prospect of having opposition, O'Connell said: "I've heard rumbles, and that's fine. In this business, you expect that."

Fargo Sen. Carolyn Nelson is running for her second term as assistant minority leader.

Mathern, who was the Senate's Democratic floor leader during the 1997 and 1999 sessions, unsuccessfully challenged O'Connell for the job two years ago. He was thrashed in the governor's race, with Hoeven getting more than 74 percent of the vote.

Among Republicans, the most contested race is for House speaker, who presides over the daily House sessions during which representatives debate and vote on bills.

Reps. Duane DeKrey, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; David Monson, the incumbent assistant majority leader; and David "Skip" Drovdal are the declared candidates for the speakership.

Fargo Rep. Al Carlson is the only declared candidate to succeed another Fargo lawmaker, Rick Berg, as majority leader. Berg is not running for a fourth term in that job. He defeated Carlson for the position in 2004 and 2006.

Rep. Don Vigesaa, R-Cooperstown, is seeking the assistant majority leader's job, and Fargo Rep. Jim Kasper said he was considering his own run.

Vigesaa, who owns a car dealership in Cooperstown, said he has experience in his work with "meeting and visiting with and negotiating with all kinds of folks."

"I can speak to any member of the (House Republican) caucus, whether they be right or left or center, and maybe be a consensus builder," Vigesaa said. "I think I am someone who can reach into all parts of the caucus."

Monson, who has held the assistant's position for a decade, said he was not interested in another two years, even if he loses the speaker's race.

"I don't have any burning issues. I don't have any big platform," Monson said. "It is just time for me to do something different and serve the caucus in another capacity."

Leadership changes among Senate Republicans and House Democrats appear unlikely, lawmakers said last week.

The Senate's Republican majority leader, Bob Stenehjem, of Bismarck, and his assistant, Hazen Sen. Randy Christmann, said they are running for re-election. They have no announced challengers.

"I don't think you're going to see any changes on our side," Stenehjem said. "We had a good campaign this year. We worked hard, and we were successful."

Rep. Merle Boucher, D-Rolette, said he will run for his seventh term as the leader of the House Democratic minority. His assistant, Rep. Kenton Onstad, D-Parshall, also wants to stay in his job, which he has held for two years.

"It appears right now that we'll have the same team," Boucher said.

Boucher was Mathern's running mate for lieutenant governor this fall. He will welcome a larger group of House Democrats, who gained three seats in last week's elections.

Last week's elections left House Republicans with 58 seats, while Democrats have 38. In the Senate, the balance of power remained unchanged, with 26 Republican senators and 21 Democrats.

Republicans' Senate tally depends on the outcome of a likely recount in Jamestown's District 12, where incumbent Republican David Nething defeated Democrat John Grabinger by 10 votes in unofficial returns.

The Stutsman County canvassing board, which will count any late-arriving absentee ballots, is scheduled to meet Monday to finalize the results. State law requires a recount if the Nething-Grabinger margin is narrow enough.