Doug Gansler

Sen. Barack Obama: Getty Images PhotoState Attorney General Doug Gansler and Sixth District Rep. Elijah Cummings are heading west tomorrow to campaign for Barack Obama in West Virginia, which holds its presidential primary this Tuesday.

Cummings will kickoff a canvassing event in Martinsburg, while Gansler will take part in a similar rally in Shepherdstown.

Gansler and Cummings, the co-chairmen of Maryland for Obama, endorsed the Illinois Senator last year.

Doug GanslerDoug Gansler's stock appears to be on the rise while the fortunes of Marylanders United Against Slots are on the decline.

Find out why in Maryland's Winners and Losers for May 9, 2008.

Former Gov. Parris Glendening and former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend were selected by the state Democratic Central Committee as un-pledged add-on delegates to represent Maryland at the Democratic National Convention, this morning.

Despite their titles, Kennedy Townsend and Glendening have endorsed candidates during the primary cycle; Kennedy Townsend has been a vocal supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) for several months, while Glendening endorsed Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) last December and has not officially endorsed another candidate since Richardson ended his campaign in January. Richardson, himself, endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in March.

An additional 15 at-large delegates and another 9 delegates selected from party leaders and elected officials were selected. Of these 24 delegates, which are tied to the state's popular vote, which Obama carried in the Feb. 12 primary by 24 points, 15 are pledged Obama supporters and 9 are pledged Clinton supporters. Four additional pledged at-large alternates, three of which are Obama supporters, were also selected.

A task force commissioned by Attorney General Doug Gansler (D) in May 2007 to study election irregularities in Maryland released 13 recommendations to strengthen the state's voting process, Tuesday.

The report was co-chaired by Professor Sherrilyn Ifill from the University of Maryland School of Law and Orlan Johnson, a partner at Saul Ewing LLP in Washington, D.C.

"The task force found that many of the issues brought to its attention will require long-term solutions and changes," Raquel Guillory, director of communications for the attorney general, said in a statement. "However, given the urgency of the 2008 general election, the task force decided to issue its report in two parts. The first report is limited to identifying and addressing problems that can be addressed in time for the general election this year."

Last week, Rep. Al Wynn (D-Mitchellville) announced that he would resign his position in June, leaving seven months before Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington), the presumptive next representative in Maryland’s Fourth Congressional District, is to be sworn-in.

The resignation set off speculation as to whether Gov. Martin O’Malley will declare a special election to fill the remainder of Wynn’s term.

According to the Maryland State Code, Election Law, subsection 8-710- Congressional vacancy - Governor's proclamation, “If there is a vacancy in the office of Representative in Congress, the Governor shall issue a proclamation, within 10 days after the date that the vacancy occurs or becomes known to the Governor, declaring that a special primary election and a special general election shall be held to fill the vacancy.”

BALTIMORE- Sen. Barack Obama brought his message of hope and change to Baltimore this evening.

On Monday evening, Maryland for Obama co-chairs Rep. Elijah Cummings and Attorney General Doug Gansler will greet other elected officials and supporters for a preparation session as they head into the last week of campaigning for the Feb. 12 primary.

The meeting will take place at Asbury Methodist Church in Annapolis, where Cummings and Gansler will provide updates on the Illinois senator's campaign and the road ahead if and when the nation's attention turns to the mid-Atlantic region and its ‘Chesapeake Primary.'

Since Jan. 1, some 25,656 Marylanders have registered to vote.

But that number was almost far lower.

At the urging of both parties last month, Attorney General Doug Gansler, a Democrat, decided the State Board of Elections should allow those who will be 18 years-old by the November general election to register and vote in the state primary.

According to numbers released this afternoon, 15,235 of the newly registered are 17 year-olds. Of those, state Democrats announced 8,593 – about 68% – are now officially members of their party, maintaining their 3-1 advantage over state Republicans.

With Sen. Barack Obama's schedule understandably a little busy these days, Jim Shelton and Theresa Shaver are getting one of his top Maryland surrogates for their fundraiser today: Attorney General Doug Gansler.

Gansler will meet with supporters at Shelton and Shaver's Boyds house party this afternoon hoping to raise awareness and money on behalf of Obama's presidential bid.

"We have become strong Obama supporters and are interested in generating additional support," Shelton told PolitickerMD.com.

He said the response to the event from the local community "has been quite strong."