A Shake-Up Attempt Roils Democrats' Inner Circle

Some Montgomery County legislators in Annapolis are locked in a nasty power struggle with Democratic activists over the composition of the local Democratic Central Committee.

The debate over whether the committee's current makeup should be scrapped in favor of a district-based system highlights growing tension within the party in the run-up to this year's Democratic primary.

Last week, the delegation held a hearing on a proposal to eliminate at-large seats on the central committee so all members are elected from districts. If the proposal is approved, the committee would have 24 voting members, three from each of the county's eight legislative districts.

The central committee is currently made up of 23 members, including seven serving at large and 16 chosen by district.

State Sen. Ida G. Ruben (D) authored the proposed change, even though the entire delegation is officially listed as sponsoring it.

Ruben, who chairs the county's Senate delegation, is facing an aggressive challenge in this year's District 20 primary from Jamin "Jamie" Raskin , an American University law professor. The district includes Takoma Park and parts of Silver Spring.

Unlike in past elections, some Democratic committee members and party activists are supporting challengers instead of incumbents this year. The dissension has angered some elected officials, who last month organized a private meeting to explore ways to keep the Democratic establishment unified in its support for incumbents.

In an interview last week, Ruben said the change in committee makeup is needed because the committee has not been consulting with elected officials before making decisions, including which candidates the party is endorsing for seats on the committee.

"A lot of legislators were concerned they were not brought into the process," said Ruben. "The idea was to assure you have equal representation in the districts."

But some Democrats said Ruben and other legislators are just trying to tighten their grip on the central committee. Critics of the change said the committee will be more beholden to state legislators if all its members are elected from districts.

"In my 40 years in politics, I have never seen anything as sneaky and underhanded as this bill," said Esther Gelman , a longtime Democratic activist who dislikes Ruben. "It was nothing but a ploy to gain control."

Some candidates are using the proposal, which appears unlikely to pass the General Assembly, to boost their campaigns.