The Central Committee

On September 12th, Democrats and Republicans will not just nominate candidates for elected office, they will also elect their party's central committees. In the minds of those of us who were around before the demise of the USSR, the term "central committee" evokes sinister behind-the-scenes Communist politics. In Maryland, the central committees are the much more mundane governing bodies of the party. No one has the right to send anyone off to Siberia, or even Delaware, but the central committee provides structure and organization for the party.

Although they are unknown to most people, central committees become very powerful when a state legislator steps down before the end of their term. While many states hold special elections to fill vacancies, Maryland allows the central committee of the party of the official who is being replaced to choose the new legislator. As a result, the Democratic Central Committee members are far more important in Montgomery and Prince George's than their Republican counterparts. There are almost no Republican officials in Montgomery or Prince George's so the Republican Central Committee almost never gets to fill a vacancy.

Vacancies occur with some degree of regularity. For example, Del. Susan Lee of District 16 and Del. Jane Lawton of District 18 both became delegates between elections after their election by the Democratic Central Committee. The Central Committees in both Montgomery and Prince George's can expect to fill vacancies over the next four years due to the large size of the state legislative delegations in both counties.

One of the first vacancies in the new legislature could occur in District 16. Del. Marilyn Goldwater is currently ill. Nevertheless, it seems highly likely that she will win reelection despite the presence of two challengers in the district. In 1980, the voters of Prince George's County paid tribute to Rep. Gladys Noon Spelman by reelecting her even though she was in a coma. Voters are reluctant to fire legislators they respect even if they suffer from health problems.

Moreover, Del. Goldwater has a long record of outstanding service stretching back to the 1970s, is well-known in the area, and is part of the District 16 Democratic slate. In short, she would normally be a lock for reelection. Assuming that Del. Goldwater wins reelection this year, one can nevertheless imagine that she might choose to retire sometime during the next session.

If Del. Goldwater steps down before the end of her next term in 2010, then District 16 will have two delegates who were originally selected by the central committee. Del. Lee, also an excellent delegate in my opinion, was returned to office by the voters in 2002. Her status as an incumbent and as part of the District 16 slate surely aided her reelection bid a great deal.

Just another example of how relatively obscure rules can play an important role in who represents you.