ST. PAUL (AP) — Democrat Mark Dayton has tapped two veterans of Sen. Al Franken’s 2008 recount as he prepares for a recount in the governor’s race.

His unofficial lead over Republican Tom Emmer is small enough that the race could be headed for an automatic recount.

Dayton said Thursday that his chief counsel will be Charlie Nauen, who represented Franken in St. Louis County. Also on the team is former U.S. Attorney David Lillehaug, who also represented Franken.

Two political movers also joined the effort.

The team’s director is Ken Martin, who headed a pro-Democratic political fund that raised money to help Dayton’s bid for governor. Denise Cardinal will lead communications while on leave from the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a group that ran ads attacking Emmer.

Republicans to choose majority leader

State Senate Republicans are picking a majority leader for the first time since the early 1970s.

The Senate GOP caucus meets privately at the Capitol Friday to organize as the majority after 38 years in the minority.

Three senators have been mentioned as the possible majority leader — current caucus leader Dave Senjem of Rochester, Amy Koch of Buffalo and David Hann of Eden Prairie.

Republicans snatched 16 seats from Democrats in Tuesday’s election. The GOP Senate takeover puts both legislative chambers under Republican control for the first time since 1972.

Dems tap Bakk, Thissen for minority leaders

A diminished Democratic caucus in the Minnesota House has picked Rep. Paul Thissen as their minority leader.

The four-term Minneapolis Democrat emerged Thursday night from a closed meeting as the new caucus leader.

Earlier Thursday, Democrats who lost their Minnesota Senate majority after 38 years chose Sen. Tom Bakk as their new caucus leader. Caucus spokesman Gary Hill said that Bakk was picked at a closed caucus meeting in Minneapolis.

Bakk has served in the Senate since 2002 after eight years in the House.

Both Thissen and Bakk were part of a crowd of Democrats who ran for governor last year before the field was narrowed.