The New Legislature: Left, Right or Center?

O'Malley called on legislators last week to move quickly to legalize slots at horse racetracks because of his concerns for the health of the industry. But he said it would not be a priority of his administration.

Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Montgomery) said the prospects for slots had not changed significantly because of the election. House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) was a staunch opponent during Ehrlich's term, and a bloc of Republican legislators, who reluctantly supported the GOP governor out of party loyalty, would no longer have such an incentive.

"People are overestimating the likelihood that slots will sail through General Assembly," Frosh said. "I'm personally hoping the governor-elect does not invest a lot of personal capital in getting it passed. I think it's a distraction."

Efforts to extend smoking bans statewide have failed for four consecutive years in the face of resistance from Ehrlich and legislative leaders. As Baltimore mayor, O'Malley said he favored a statewide measure to a piecemeal approach that could have put the city at a competitive disadvantage.

Rick Abbruzzese, an O'Malley spokesman, declined to say this week how the governor-elect would approach the subject when the General Assembly convenes in January.

Legislators from the Washington region are unlikely to move up in the traditional ranks of the House leadership, as none of the committee chairmanships is expected to change hands. But the area's stature has been enhanced because of the incoming statewide officeholders and the role the electorate played in their success.

Thirty-six percent of O'Malley's support, for instance, came from Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

Democrats with statewide ambitions "are keenly aware that the road to Annapolis now leads through Montgomery and Prince George's," said Blair Lee, a Silver Spring developer and political commentator.

Even as Prince George's loses House Majority Whip Anthony G. Brown -- the incoming lieutenant governor -- the county gains a valuable direct line to O'Malley. Besides the governor, the powerful Board of Public Works will include Peter Franchot (D), the incoming comptroller from Montgomery County, and state Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp (D), a former Montgomery legislator.

The most pronounced changes are likely to be felt in the Senate, a more intimate and less hierarchical setting where big personalities can make a difference.

Newcomers include Jim Rosapepe, a former U.S. ambassador to Romania and member of the University System of Maryland Board of Regents; Jamie Raskin, an American University law professor; Mike Lenett, a consumer protection lawyer; Del. Richard S. Madaleno Jr., a state budget guru; C. Anthony Muse, a pastor and former Prince George's delegate; Douglas J.J. Peters, a Prince George's council member; and James N. Robey, the outgoing Howard County executive.

Lee's advice to the freshmen trying to navigate a chamber controlled by the state's longest-serving Senate president, Thomas V. Mike Miller: Avoid ending up as a minority of one.

"The Senate is a place where you go along to get a long," Lee said. "If not, you basically end up isolated."