Gov. Brad Little announced Monday that he’s accepting applications for a new Fish & Game commissioner from the Clearwater Region, after asking his previous appointee to resign because the commission already had four Republicans.

By law, no more than four members of the seven-member commission can be affiliated with any one political party.

Bradley Melton, who had been appointed in the fall as the Clearwater Region representative on the commission, resigned Friday, acknowledging he had changed his political affiliation from Republican to unaffiliated shortly before applying for the post in September.

The Idaho Press reports, everyone else on the commission now is either a registered Republican or unaffiliated; there are no Democrats.

The governor asked qualified individuals interested in applying for the vacancy to submit applications to his office by March 13.