Stephanie Lundberg

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.

Last week, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Mechanicsville) addressed reporters and discussed a variety of issues, including his view on the role that superdelegates should play in selecting the Democratic presidential nominee. Stephanie Lundberg, a spokesperson for the congressman, referred to these remarks when contacted by PolitickerMD.com.

“The superdelegates were created, in my view, to bring their judgment, their experience and their commitment to success in the general election and to bring that judgment to bear on how best we can accomplish the most success, and I think that's what the superdelegates will do,” Hoyer said.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) leads Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) by roughly 150 pledged delegates in the race for the nomination. Obama defeated his rival by 24 points in yesterday’s Mississippi primary.

Neither candidate is expected to achieve the necessary 2,025 delegates, but Clinton cannot mathematically overtake Obama in the pledged delegate lead, so she will have to rely on the superdelegates to overturn Obama’s pledged delegate support.