Republican election lawyer Donald McGahn was named chairman of a newly seated Federal Election Commission Thursday, taking the helm of the regulatory agency on his first day on the job.

The FEC convened for the first time in more than six months, a period of inactivity caused by a confirmation standoff in the Senate.

With four of six commissioners new to their jobs, the FEC faces a backlog of work that has accumulated during an election year marked by a hard-fought and financially record-breaking presidential campaign.

Among the top issues the FEC must sort through are a Supreme Court decision invalidating a campaign finance law that governs congressional contests involving wealthy candidates who spend large sums of their own money. It also is behind schedule in writing rules addressing candidate air travel as well as new rules on lobbyist fundraisers.

McGahn, general counsel to the National Republican Congressional Committee since 1999, also represented former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, on a number of federal campaign finance related matters. DeLay is awaiting trial in Texas on unrelated state campaign finance charges.

Watchdog groups such as Common Cause opposed McGahn's nomination, citing his association with DeLay.

But McGahn also had support from Democrats, including campaign election lawyer Robert Bauer, who is counseling Barack Obama's presidential campaign.