MCDCC Likely to Choose Caretaker for District 16 Appointment

In its meeting on Tuesday night, the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) did not pick a replacement for retiring District 16 Delegate Bill Bronrott. That will happen at the Central Committee’s May 11 meeting. But the committee did make an important decision by clearly indicating its preference to nominate a caretaker for a legislative vacancy under circumstances resembling Bronrott’s resignation.

Maryland’s constitution provides that state legislative vacancies are filled through appointments by the party central committees matching the county and party of the departing legislator. So in the case of a departing Democratic legislator in Montgomery County, such as Bronrott, the 23-member MCDCC would have the responsibility of picking the successor. Under the constitution, the committee has thirty days after the date of a legislator’s departure to send a nominee’s name to the Governor. If the committee does not decide on a nominee, the Governor is free to select any member of the resigned legislator’s party who resides in the district to fill the vacancy.

MCDCC passed the following change to its rules on a 22-1 vote, with Milt Minneman the sole dissenter.

§ 5A. Gubernatorial Election Year Vacancies.
This section deals with special situations caused by vacancies occurring in the last year of a legislative term.

If the meeting called for in §§ 4 or 4A of this Policy is to take place between

the last day of the regular session of the Legislature in a gubernatorial election year; and

the day of the gubernatorial primary election, then

the Central Committee will give preference to selecting a person who has publicly agreed to not run as a candidate for any public office in the upcoming primary election.

If

the meeting called for in §§ 4 or 4A of this Policy is to take place after the deadline for filing as a candidate for the a seat in the Legislature; and

the number of Democratic candidates for the seat equals the number of seats that will be on the general election ballot; then

(notwithstanding subsection (a), above) the Central Committee will give preference to selecting one of the Democratic candidates who has filed for the seat.

If

the vacancy takes place after the deadline for filing as a candidate for a seat in the Legislature; and

the legislator who caused the vacancy was at the time a candidate for re-election; and

section 4(c) of the Policy on Filling Candidate Vacancies for Positions Elected Entirely Within Montgomery County provides an earlier day than §§ 4 and 4A of the Policy on Legislative Vacancies; then

the meeting to fill the legislative vacancy will be held on the date specified in section 4(c) of the Policy on Filling Candidate Vacancies for Positions Elected Entirely Within Montgomery County.

This is a very wise decision by MCDCC. The individual selected to fill out Bronrott’s term will almost certainly not be casting any votes in Annapolis as the term’s four general sessions are over and no one believes a special session is imminent. So this nomination would be purely a ceremonial appointment. If the nomination went to an active candidate, its only function would be to prejudice the outcome of the party primary in September. MCDCC has stated its preference to stay out of that fight and let the many qualified contenders in District 16 duke it out for the open seat.

District 16, which includes Bethesda and parts of Potomac and Chevy Chase, is jam-packed with ambitious, smart people who would love to go to Annapolis. We could be seeing a great race there this summer.