O'Malley Selects His Adviser to Lead Party

Cryor's Approval Is Likely, Leaders Say

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) has tapped Michael E. Cryor, a communications adviser from Baltimore, as the next chairman of the state Democratic Party, O'Malley aides said yesterday.

If his nomination is approved by a Democratic committee, Cryor, 60, will succeed Terry Lierman, who is leaving at the end of the month to become chief of staff to House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.).

Cryor, president of the Cryor Group, a communications consulting firm, has advised O'Malley since early in his tenure as mayor of Baltimore, which began in 1999. Cryor helped orchestrate and raise money for the "Baltimore Believe" campaign, a public service campaign to combat the city's drug epidemic.

Cryor served as an adviser to O'Malley during last year's campaign against then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) and was an active member of O'Malley's transition team in the fall.

"The governor has worked closely with Mike Cryor for years, and he believes he'll make a great party chairman," O'Malley spokesman Steve Kearney said.

Cryor said in an interview that he is "obviously thrilled and honored that the governor would ask me to assume such an important role at an important time for our state and country."

Among the party chairman's duties are to increase party registration, recruit candidates and coordinate the party's message among Democratic officeholders and party committees across the state. The chairmanship is an unpaid position.

Although party officials are free to nominate other candidates to succeed Lierman, that appears unlikely to happen, Democratic leaders said. A vote is planned for a June 16 state party meeting.

Lierman, who was widely credited for his fundraising ability, said he considered O'Malley's recommendation "excellent" and predicted Cryor would be overwhelmingly approved by the party committee.

O'Malley aides said yesterday that other Democrats backing Cryor include U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (Md.), U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (Md.), Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and Karen Britto, chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee.

Mikulski said Cryor was a "great choice," calling him "a talented, seasoned professional who can build on our Democratic victories."

Besides O'Malley, Cryor has also advised Baltimore's school board. His firm assists corporate and nonprofit organizations with urban policy, health-care and technology-based initiatives. He has previously worked as host of a public-affairs program on Baltimore television and as a psychologist.

One of Cryor's former corporate clients is Magna Entertainment, a firm that advocates the legalization of slot-machine gambling at two Maryland racetracks it owns. Cryor said he has had "virtually no contact" with Magna recently.