Dana Beyer

Dana Beyer, M.D.Dr. Dana Beyer said she decided to drop her bid to replace the late Del. Jane Lawton at the conclusion of a candidate’s forum last night because she knew she wasn’t going to win.

Beyer indicated that she had spoken to members of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee prior to the event, and informed them that she was contemplating withdrawal. She did not make a final decision until the forum was about to begin, and had yet to inform committee members of her decision.

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.

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.