Baltimore County State?s Attorney Sandra O?Connor once again batted down speculation on Monday that she was being considered as Gov. Robert Ehrlich?s running mate.
“I?m retiring,” insisted O?Connor, 63, a Republican who has served an unprecedented 32 years as chief prosecutor.
But she was actively boosting the candidacy of Democrat Stuart Simms for attorney general.
“I want him to run,” O?Connor said. “I think he?d be great.”
Members of the state Senate began a movement to draft Simms on Friday after Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan dropped his race for governor.
Simms was running as his lieutenant governor.
O?Connor knows Simms from his eight years as the state?s attorney in Baltimore City. Simms was also secretary of juvenile services and then of public safety. There already are two state?s attorneys in the race to succeed retiring Attorney General Joseph Curran: Republican Scott Rolle, of Frederick County, and Democrat Doug Gansler, of Montgomery County.
“I like Scott Rolle,” said O?Connor, a tough prosecutor known for seeking the death penalty more often than any other Maryland state?s attorney. “I think he?d be good.”
Asked what she thought of Gansler, O?Connor responded, “I want Stu Simms to run,” though she conceded that “Doug has a lot of money, and he?s obviously a formidable candidate.”
The two Democrats in the race were taking the effort to draft Simms in stride.
“We?re focused on the race that we?re running, and we?re getting great reaction around the state,” said Gansler spokesman Mike Morrill. “We?re looking forward to the race however it shapes up.”
Montgomery County Council Member Tom Perez, a former civil rights enforcer in the Clinton administration, is also running.
“What we?re doing right now is pushing our campaign forward,” said Perez campaign manager Luke Clippinger. “We have seven field organizers across the state building our campaign from the grass roots up.”
Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno will headline an upcoming fundraiser for Perez.
Perez has garnered some union endorsements, including that of the state teachers union.
The Duncan campaign was looking into how any of his campaign funds could be used to help Simms.
“I?m sure he?s very supportive of whatever Stu would like to do,” said Duncan spokeswoman Jody Couser.
