Ron Paul supporters file full slate of delegates, 6 candidates for Congress

Supporters of Rep. Ron Paul's presidential campaign filed a full slate of delegates and will vie for the Republican nomination in six congressional districts, PolitickerMD.com has learned.

The movement was largely independent of Paul's national campaign organization, comprised mostly of volunteers recruiting fellow candidates.

Collins Bailey, a Republican candidate in the 5th District for Congress and for RNC delegate, acted as State Captain.

"There were so many more persons wanting to be Ron Paul delegates than what was actually needed," Bailey said. "Some were calling Ron Paul's headquarters asking to be delegates. In the meanwhile someone mentioned to the folks at headquarters that we were already way ahead in getting to know each other in Maryland."

"I was the first in the state to file as a Republican delegate and had been explaining the process to some others, so the Ron Paul organization just started forwarding the requests they were getting to me."

Now Paul's national campaign will receive a list of delegates, sign off on it to the State Party and the Board of Elections and designate the group "committed" Ron Paul delegates.

Maryland Republicans will select 68 delegates and alternates for their party's 2008 convention in Minnesota's Twin Cities: 48 district delegates and alternates elected in the February 12th primary and 20 at-large delegates and alternates to be selected at the Spring state GOP convention.

Successful district delegates are bound to the Republican candidate who wins their districts, while at large delegates are bound to the winner of the state primary.

Maryland delegates can be "released" (free to vote for someone else) by the candidate they are bound to, if their candidate receives under 35% in the first two rounds of balloting, or if the convention reaches a third ballot.