Gov. Martin O’Malley said he’s hoping Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown doesn’t take a job in the Obama administration, forcing the governor to pick a new sidekick.
Reports surfaced Friday that Brown, an Army Reserve colonel who served in Iraq, was on a short list for being considered secretary of Veterans Affairs, just days after it was announced he was co-chairing Obama’s transition team for the department.
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“I think that speculation is natural given his talents and given his military service,” O’Malley said Monday night on Maryland Public Television.
“I would hope that I do not have to look for a new lieutenant governor. I want him to stay.
“I rely on Anthony Brown every day. He managed our whole transition process, so it doesn’t surprise me that President-elect Obama would have recruited him to take a leadership role.”
Brown is the highest elected official in the country to have served in Iraq. He commands the 153rd Legal Support Organization based in Pennsylvania.
O’Malley was responding to a question from host Jeff Salkin about whether he was being bombarded with resumes for Brown’s position.
“I have not seen a flurry of resumes, and I hope I do not ever have to see a flurry of resumes,” O’Malley said.
If Brown leaves, the governor must nominate a successor subject to the confirmation of the General Assembly in joint session, meaning the 141 delegates and 47 senators each have a single vote, according to the Maryland Constitution.
This would give the upper hand to the members of the House.
Brown, a former House majority whip from Prince George’s County, is doing little to encourage or discourage the speculation, saying he is focused on his job and the transition process.
But he has not ruled out taking an Obama appointment, and O’Malley said he and Brown have discussed the matter.
Speculation is surfacing about who might replace Brown — for instance, another black official from the Washington suburbs such as House Economic Matters Chairman Dereck Davis or State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey, both from Prince George’s County, or Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett.
But first Brown would have to beat out significant competition for the Veterans Affairs seat. These include Tammy Duckworth, the Illinois director of veterans affairs who lost two legs in Iraq and laid a wreath with Obama on Veterans Day. Also mentioned is former Veterans Affairs Secretary and Sen. Max Cleland, who lost two legs and an arm in Vietnam.
An organization called VoteVets, which helps veterans become engaged in politics, is circulating a petition signed by 5,400 people, asking Obama to find a role for Duckworth and Cleland in the administration.
“We have not urged them to grant them any specific position in the administration,” said Brandon Friedman, co-chairman of the group he says has 100,000 members.
“We do think they should be used in some capacity.”
Friedman, an Iraq Army veteran, said he had heard of Brown, and “I’ve heard only good things.”
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