So You Want to Be My Delegate?

by Holly Olson, a District 18 resident from Silver Spring

Soon, residents of District 18 will have a new delegate. This individual will take the spot of our irreplaceable and most beloved Jane Lawton. But do you know how this new delegate will be selected? ‘Why, by a special election’, you might say. And of course, this seems like a most rational and logical answer. After all, our officials are supposed to be elected for the people, by the people. Well, not in this case. Instead, an obscure group will select from among a pool of candidates, most of whom did not run for this seat in the 2006 election cycle.

The people selecting our next delegate are a group called the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC). MCDCC members are either elected from Legislative Districts or At-Large in the Maryland primary election. But unless you are a political junkie, way into local politics, or had a friend that was running, chances are this is one of those races you didn’t bother voting on.

The process for filling a delegate vacancy works something like this. Potential candidates submit an application consisting of a resume and a cover letter. The only candidate requirement is that they be a registered Democrat residing in D18. Next Tuesday, the MCDDC will hold a meeting which delegates are expected to attend. There will be a Q&A session followed by a vote. The nomination then gets submitted to the governor for approval, and that’s it—wam, bam, thank-you mam’—you have a new delegate selected by a group most people have never heard of. The only opportunity for public input will occur this Sunday during a candidate’s forum.

Call me crazy, but I want a politician to work for their seat. I want them to attend the community events, go door-to-door, and check the pulse of the people. Running for office takes blood, sweat, and tears. It means that as a candidate, they have made a commitment to a job that they may not even get a chance to serve in. It means that hopefully, it was a decision that was not taken lightly.

Yet here we are, with a group of candidates, and only two of them ran for the D18 seat in the 2006 cycle. If these candidates were serious about this seat, why didn’t they run in 06? It is easy to earn a special appointment—submit a resume, attend a couple of meetings, and know the right people. It is not easy to run for office.

My intent is not to belittle any of the candidates. Of those that have declared their intentions, the only candidate I have met is Dana Beyer, and that was in passing. I have no idea whether Dana or Al, both of whom ran in 06, will make better legislators that those that did not. I am not ‘for’ or ‘against’ any candidates. I am simply an advocate for a transparent and accountable process.

Without holding a special election, the only comprehensive measures of public sentiment we have are the results from the 06 elections. I would hope that the MCDCC takes that into consideration when they cast their votes.