The New Legislature: Left, Right or Center?
There Will Be More D's, Fewer R's

By Ann E. Marimow
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 16, 2006

The freshman class ushered into the General Assembly by last week's election will reflect a subtle change in complexion fueled more by personality, experience and demographics than by any drastic shift in ideology.

Voters from the Washington suburbs elected to the state Senate an aggressive team of newcomers accomplished in their respective fields, including a religious leader from Prince George's County who could take oratory in the chamber to new heights, a former Howard County police chief and the outgoing county executive, and experts in constitutional law and state finances from Montgomery County.

The makeover of the 47-member Senate resulted in the loss of four of 15 women, including an outspoken advocate for domestic violence victims and reproductive health, and the sponsor of legislation to make most of Maryland's public places and restaurants smoke-free.

The Republican Party's loss of the governor's mansion as the state became more Democratic trickled down to the 141-member House of Delegates, where the majority picked up at least five and possibly as many as seven seats, pending the final count of absentee and provisional ballots. The balance in the Senate, where Democrats hold a 32 to 15 advantage, probably will remain the same.

The somewhat smaller GOP caucus in the House will bid adieu in January to some of its more moderate voices, such as Anne Arundel Del. John R. Leopold, the incoming county executive, and Del. David G. Boschert, who ran unsuccessfully for the office.

There were conflicting interpretations this week of the addition of Democratic seats in the House.

"I certainly don't think we've moved Maryland to the center," said House Minority Whip Anthony J. O'Donnell (R-Calvert). "I think it's more of a question of how far to the left things have moved. Only time will tell."

Republican Party Chairman John Kane's assessment: "The tax-and-spend group has gained momentum."

On the flip side, Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve (D-Montgomery) said many of the jurisdictions where Democrats picked up seats were in more conservative areas, such as Southern Maryland and Anne Arundel.

Those victories, he said, "tend to move the center of gravity a little closer to the center."

With Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. -- the first Republican chief executive in a generation -- leaving office, Democratic legislators predicted a flood of initiatives to make college tuition more affordable, raise the minimum wage, expand access to health care and protect the environment.

But how the General Assembly handles such volatile subjects as slot machine gambling, energy prices and a statewide smoking ban could have more to do with the path Gov.-elect Martin O'Malley (D) chooses than the makeup of either chamber.

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."