NASHVILLE — As Tennessee Republicans prepare to take control of the entire General Assembly for the first time since Civil War Reconstruction, the likely new House speaker, Jason Mumpower, said GOP lawmakers plan to install their own candidates as secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer.

Democrats currently occupy the positions, which are elected by the legislature. The constitutional officers collectively control more than 1,000 positions in areas ranging from state auditing functions to bond finance, business incorporations and fundraising by charities.

“We have a constitutional majority so it is time to have new constitutional officers,” said Rep. Mumpower, R-Bristol. “I think there are people who can serve ably in those positions that we will have confidence in as representative and senators.”

Rep. Mumpower’s comments came as Tennessee Republicans and Democrats pondered the aftermath of Tuesday’s elections. The national wave that lifted Democratic presidential candidate Barak Obama to victory Tuesday night left Tennessee Democrats floundering.

House Republicans in Tuesday’s elections won a narrow majority of the 99-member House with a 50-49 majority, according to unofficial returns. Republicans last elected a House speaker in 1969 when the chamber was divided 49 to 49 with one independent.

Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, said that he expects Rep. Mumpower, who is currently Republican leader, will become speaker although bipartisan ruling coalitions are not unknown in the legislature where former Speaker John Wilder, D-Mason, held sway for years with GOP support.

“I believe the Republicans will stand together by whomever we nominate as our leader and I expect that to be Jason Mumpower,” Rep. McCormick said.

House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington, who became speaker in 1991, has a 53-46 majority in the current General Assembly.

Tennessee Republicans also made important gains Tuesday in the 33-member Senate, where they had previously enjoyed operational control in a chamber that was divided 16 to 16 with one independent who often sided with Democrats. According to unofficial returns, Republicans now have a 19 to 14 majority.

Unlike most states, the three constitutional officers are elected by the 132 members of the General Assembly and not the general public. It is unclear when any Republican last served as secretary of state, comptroller or treasurer. It takes 67 votes to elect one of the constitutional officers.

With a numerical superiority in the legislature, Republicans also are expected to take control and install a majority on the State Election Commission, which is in the secretary of state’s office, as well as on all 95 county election commissions.

Rep. Phillip Pinion, D-Union City, blamed the legislative upset on president-elect Obama, who while winning the presidency lost Tennessee to Republican John McCain in a 59.64 percent to 41.77 percent vote, according to unofficial tabulations by Secretary of State Riley Darnell’s Division of Elections.

“People in Tennessee did not like the top of the ticket and it cost us the House and the Senate,” said Rep. Phillip Pinion, D-Union City, who did not seek reelection. “It’s nobody’s fault, but Tennesseans are not ready for the change that the rest of the country is ready for.”

The last time Tennessee Republicans had an outright House majority appeared to be in the 19th century.

The constitutional officers also serve on the State Building Commission, the state Funding Board and a number of other key positions.