Al Carr

Governor Martin O’Malley has chosen Kensington Councilman Al Carr to serve the remainder of Delegate Jane Lawton’s term.  read more »

Vacancy Replacement Process Opens Up

All eyes were on Marie Wallace.

The assistant secretary of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee, a hushed crowd packed inside their Kensington headquarters to listen as she read aloud the names of each committee member, followed by his or her vote.

Last night, Montgomery’s Democratic leadership overwhelmingly recommended Al Carr to replace the late Del. Jane Lawton in District 18, the fourth time they have voted to fill a vacant legislative seat this term.

But unlike the prior three selections, this time committee members were required to attach their names to their ballots in accordance with new rules meant to impose more transparency and accountability.

Al Carr: Elated to be the MCDCC's pick for District 18 delegate.Kensington Councilman Al Carr has been recommended by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee to fill the open District 18 Delegate seat vacated by the death of the late Del. Jane Lawton.

Carr received 14 of the 22 votes cast from the committee. Former congressional aide Rick Kessler finished second with 6 votes, and community activist Roz Pelles finished a disappointing third with just 2 votes. Fredric Cooper and George English did not receive any votes.

The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee has picked Kensington Councilman Al Carr to fill the District 18 Delegate seat left vacant by the death of Del. Jane Lawton. Carr defeated former congressional aide Rick Kessler by a 14-6 vote, with community activist Roz Pelles finishing third with just two votes.

Councilman Al Carr from Kensington and community activist Rosalyn "Roz" Pelles of Silver Spring have emerged as the leading contenders to fill the vacant District 18 Delegate seat, according to a source familiar with the race. The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will recommend a candidate to fill the position this evening at party headquarters.

The event, which is open to the public, begins at 7:30 PM, at 3720 Farragut Avenue in Kensington.

Carr, who was first elected to the Kensington town council in 2002, has been highlighting his record as an elected official. In a Dec. 7 letter to the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee declaring his intention to seek the open position, Carr wrote, "My most significant accomplishment in recent months was my work to successfully push three bills through to passage in Annapolis, working closely with the District 18 delegation."

Beyer Withdraws

The race to fill the District 18 Delegate seat left vacant on November 29 by the death of Del. Jane Lawton, continued Sunday night, as six candidates participated in a town-hall style forum before a large crowd at the Leland Center in Chevy Chase. And in an unexpected move, Dana Beyer withdrew from the race during her closing remarks.

The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will recommend a candidate for appointment on Tuesday night. Their recommendation will then be sent to Gov. Martin O’Malley for approval.

Five Democrats remain in the race: Eric “Rick” Kessler, Al Carr, George English; Rosalyn “Roz” Pelles and Fredric Cooper.

Al CarrOscar Ramirez, congressional staffer to Rep. Al Green (D-TX) and early candidate for the vacant District 18 delegate seat, has announced he is withdrawing his candidacy and endorsing Kensington Councilman Alfred Carr.

Ramirez is phoning members of the Montgomey County Democratic Central Committee, who are picking a replacement for the late Del. Jane Lawton on Tuesday evening, to inform them of his decision.

The candidates will meet for a public forum tonight at 7:30 PM in the Leland Center in Chevy Chase.

Dana Beyer, M.D.The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee has confirmed that Dana Beyer, M. D, of Chevy Chase and George T. English, Jr. of Silver Spring have joined the race for the vacant District 18 seat in the House of Delegates.

Dr. Beyer, an adviser on health matters to Montgomery Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg, waged a strong campaign for delegate in the 2006 primary, spending more than $108,000. The fact that she would have been the first transgender Maryland lawmaker gained wide notoriety, and she finished as the second runner-up with 12.3% of the vote.

George T. EnglishEnglish is a retired NOAA economist and former officer in the U.S. Army. He is a frequent candidate for office, most recently running for U.S. Senate last cycle.

Kensington Councilman Alfred Carr and congressional staffer Oscar Ramirez announced their candidacies earlier in the week.

More Candidates Expected

Montgomery County Democrats Oscar Ramirez and Alfred Carr have announced that they are running for the District 18 Delegate seat of the late Jane Lawton, according to Milt Minneman Communications Director of the County Democratic Central Committee.

"Several other Democrats are considering running, but have not announced their intention yet," Minneman said.

Ramirez is legislative director for Rep. Al Green of Texas and a member of the District 18 Central Committee. Carr is a councilman in Kensington and also serves as a District 18 precinct Vice Chair.

Members of the committee seeking office are not permitted to vote.

Due to a conflict, the committee's December 11 meeting to decide the successor will now be held at their headquarters in Kensington, located at 3720 Farragut Avenue.

Sources say three-term Kensington Town Councilman Al Carr is expressing interest in the late Jane Lawton's seat in the House of Delegates.

Carr ran in last year's Democratic primary, finishing at the bottom of a six-person field but with a respectable 8.3% of the vote. He also received the endorsement of The Gazette in that race.

This would be Carr's second time going before the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee: he competed with Lawson and several others in October 2005 for the appointment to finish Del. John Hurson's unexpired term.