O’Donnell suggests presidential race may sway O’Malley against special election

House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell (R-Lusby) said this afternoon that Gov. Martin O’Malley might be thinking twice about calling a special election in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District because of the possible implications for the Democratic Party’s presidential contest.

“The governor might not be inclined to call for a special election,” O’Donnell told PolitickerMD.com. “He is a Clinton supporter.”

Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington), who beat Rep. Al Wynn (D-Mitchellville) in this year’s primary and would be the presumptive winner of a special election, is a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and would cast her superdelegate vote for Obama at the Democratic National Convention in late August. O’Malley, also a superdelegate, has pledged his support for Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.).

O’Donnell’s remarks come one day after Wynn announced his intention to resign his seat in June. His term was scheduled to expire January 3. Edwards is expected to easily win November’s general election.

According to the Maryland State Code, the governor has the right to declare a special election or leave the position vacant.

Rick Abbruzzese, O’Malley’s communications director, had no comment on O’Donnell’s allegation, and said, “The governor is considering the options under the law.”

Like Edwards, Wynn is an Obama supporter. Assuming the congressman resigns in June, that would leave more than two months before the Democratic convention in Denver. If his seat were to remain open through the convention, no superdelegate vote would be cast from the 4th District.

Initially, O’Donnell said he was “not sure,” if a special election was necessary. He then seemed to backtrack, saying the districts’ nearly 700,000 people “need a representative” at a “time when critical decisions are being made.”

The minority leader said the potential high cost of a special election was not as important as the need for representation.

“We should do everything we can to fill the vacancy as quickly as possible,” O’Donnell said.

A special primary and general election would likely cost the state more than $1 million.