Martin G. Knott

State Sen. James Brochin (D-Towson) confirmed that he is “very interested” in running for the position of county executive in Baltimore County.

ANNAPOLIS- Sen. James Brochin (D-Towson) often finds himself at odds with the state’s Democratic leadership. From his support for the death penalty, to his opposition to tax increases brought about by the governor’s plan to balance the budget, Brochin is often courted by Republicans, and his willingness to cooperate might be hurting him within his own party.

Brochin told PolitickerMD.com that his views on several key issues make him “more of a Democrat than a Republican,” calling himself a “moderate to conservative” Democrat.

“I’ve always believed in things like choice and stem-cell research,” Brochin said, adding that he was “very anti-war” and “very liberal on the environment.” He also described himself as “pro-union.”

But Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, for whom Brochin once worked as a legislative analyst, actually moved his colleagues’ seat to the back row of the Senate chamber after Brochin sided with Republicans during last fall’s legislative special session in their attempt to filibuster Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan to balance the budget, which raised taxes by $1.3 billion.