Maryland's Fourth Congressional District

Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington), the Democratic nominee in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District, issued a statement expressing her support for the 2008 G.I. Bill, which passed in the Senate on Thursday.

The legislation, which President Bush has vowed to veto, will increase educational benefits for members of the Armed Forces, and will include a full-ride to in-state public colleges and universities along with the elimination of a $1,200 fee service members pay to qualify for the G.I. bill.

Fourth Congressional District candidate Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington) issued a statement commending Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) after he issued a proclamation declaring June 17 as the date of the special general election to fill the impending vacancy caused by the June resignation of Rep. Al Wynn (D-Mitchellville).

“I commend Gov. O'Malley for his leadership and the hard work of the delegates and senators to find a common sense approach for residents of Maryland's Fourth Congressional District to be represented in Congress,” Edwards said.

The General Assembly passed emergency legislation in the final days of the legislative session allowing the governor to bypass a special primary election, which would have cost the state an estimated $1 million.

Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) will issue a proclamation tomorrow declaring June 17 as the date of the special general election to fill the impending vacant seat in Maryland’s Fourth Congressional District.

“At a time when our families are struggling to deal with a recession and national foreclosure crisis they must have representation in the United States Congress,” O’Malley said at an afternoon press conference.

Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington) and Peter James (R-Germantown), who prevailed in their party’s primary on Feb. 12 for the District 4 seat, are expected to compete against each other on June 17.

Edwards is widely expected to win in the heavily Democratic district.

Edwards defeated incumbent Rep. Al Wynn (D-Mitchellville) in the Democratic primary. On March 27, the congressman announced his intention to resign in June to join a Washington, D.C. law firm, creating the vacancy.

Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has yet to determine when a special general election in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District will be held, according to his communications director, Rick Abbruzzese.

“He still has to make that announcement,” Abbruzzese told PolitickerMD.com, saying the governor would “continue to talk to local jurisdictions” before making a final decision.

Abbruzzese said he did not know when the governor would set a date for the election.

The General Assembly passed emergency legislation last weekend to allow O’Malley plans to bypass a special primary election and hold a special general election.

Under the new law, the governor has the right to decline a special primary, while local and state central committees shall have the power to nominate a candidate if the governor refuses a primary.

ANNAPOLIS -- Alexandra Hughes, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Annapolis), said the speaker did not have a position on Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposal to hold a special general election in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, while bypassing a special primary election.

“In the last days of the session, until we see a bill—I don’t think he’s given much thought to it,” Hughes said.

The General Assembly will adjourn on Monday.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Mechanicsville) both expressed support today for Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposal to bypass a special primary election and hold a special general election in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District.

Leggett’s spokesman Patrick Lacefield said, “He’s in support of Governor O’Malley’s proposal.”

Stephanie Lundberg, Hoyer’s press secretary, told PolitickerMD.com, “Congressman Hoyer believes there is potential for this proposal to have the dual positives of seating a new representative in the current Congress and saving on the additional expense of a special primary election.”

Former Gov. Parris Glendening would hold a special election to fill Maryland’s 4th Congressional District seat if he were in office today, he told PolitickerMD.com.

“It’s not an easy yes or no question,” Glendening, who served as governor from 1995-2003, said. “I don’t envy Governor (Martin) O’Malley on this.”

Despite the fact that a special election could cost the state “several million dollars,” Glendening said, “I wouldn’t want to see the district without representation.”

O’Malley has yet to say if he will hold a special primary and general election to fill the remaining seven months of Rep. Al Wynn’s (D-Mitchellville) term when he resigns in June.

It is expected that Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington), who defeated Wynn in the Feb. 12 Democratic primary, would win a special election.

House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell (R-Lusby) said this afternoon that Gov. Martin O’Malley might be thinking twice about calling a special election in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District because of the possible implications for the Democratic Party’s presidential contest.

“The governor might not be inclined to call for a special election,” O’Donnell told PolitickerMD.com. “He is a Clinton supporter.”

Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington), who beat Rep. Al Wynn (D-Mitchellville) in this year’s primary and would be the presumptive winner of a special election, is a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and would cast her superdelegate vote for Obama at the Democratic National Convention in late August. O’Malley, also a superdelegate, has pledged his support for Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.).

O’Donnell’s remarks come one day after Wynn announced his intention to resign his seat in June. His term was scheduled to expire January 3. Edwards is expected to easily win November’s general election.

Senate Minority Leader David Brinkley (R-New Market) told PolitickerMD.com today that a special election in Maryland’s Fourth Congressional District was necessary to ensure that residents have “congressional representation until January 3.”

Yesterday, Rep. Al Wynn (D-Mitchellville) announced his intention to resign his seat in June to join a law firm. Wynn lost his reelection bid to Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington) in the Feb. 12 Democratic primary. His term was scheduled to expire January 3.

“The procedure is proscribed in state law,” Brinkley said, reaffirming his support for a special primary and general election.

According to the Maryland State Code, the governor has the right to declare a special election or leave the seat open.

Seven months will remain on Rep. Al Wynn’s (D-Mitchellville) term when he resigns from Maryland’s 4th Congressional District in June. According to the Maryland State Code, Election Law, subsection 8-710- Congressional vacancy - Governor's proclamation, Gov. Martin O’Malley has the right to order a special primary and special general election to fill the seat, if he so desires, within ten days after the vacancy occurs or becomes known to him.

He also has the right to leave the position open, according to Raquel Guillory, a spokesperson for Attorney General Doug Gansler. O’Malley has yet to make a statement in regards to the matter, and telephone calls left with his press office have yet to be returned.

A similar event occurred in Maryland in April 1996, when Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Baltimore) was elected to fill the open position in the Seventh Congressional District, vacated by Kweisi Mfume (D-Baltimore), who resigned to become president of the NAACP.