With the departure of Maryland Democratic Party Chairman Terry Lierman later this month, Montgomery County will, one way or another, gain a coveted seat in the state party system, according to officials.
Either someone in the county will be the next chairman, since Lierman hailed from Montgomery, or someone from a different county will take the top role and a Montgomery County resident will come in to fill a central committee officer slot to even out the representation.
Maryland Democratic Party Communications Director David Paulson said the situation is explained by a party rule implemented within the past four years — and strongly pushed by Lierman — to set geographic requirements governing who the decisionmakers are in the state.
The belief in setting the strict standards was fairness, Paulson said, as high-population areas were perceived to be overrepresented in leadership capacities.
“Terry came in with this approach like Howard Dean that the party should represent the state in its entirety; only he looked at it from a state versus national view,” Paulson said.
Party insiders said Gov. Martin O’Malley will likely play a large role in selecting a replacement for Lierman. Typically, senators and representatives also weigh in, as do county executives. Nominations come to the floor at one of the party’s bi-annual central committee meetings, debate occurs and eventually the 200 to 300 central committee members vote on the chairman.
Paulson said the next meeting is June 16, which is in all probability when a chairman will be finalized. There is the option of a specially called meeting if a decision is not reached. However insiders said that floor fights about leadership selections are a very slim possibility.
Democrats across the country have been riding a wave of success since last election cycle when their candidates emerged victorious. Wins in a rather dependable blue state such as Maryland were in no way surprises.
dlevitz@dcexaminer
