Johnson Was Force In Senate Selection

County Executive Backed Harrington

Intense backroom politicking, including the spirited intervention of Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson, led this week to the selection of council Chairman David Harrington for a vacant state Senate seat.

The county Democratic Central Committee late Wednesday voted 12 to 11 to choose Harrington for the nomination over former delegate Rushern L. Baker III, a bitter political rival of Johnson's. Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) said yesterday that he will soon formally appoint Harrington to the seat. The state constitution requires him to follow the recommendation of the party.

Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D), a former Prince George's delegate, called Harrington "a very good choice" and said he will carry on the traditions of Sen. Gwendolyn T. Britt (D-Prince George's), whose recent death created the vacancy.

Lawmakers, Democratic Central Committee members and others said the committee vote came after a strong effort by Johnson to ensure that Harrington got the seat.

Baker came within 5 percentage points of defeating Johnson in the Democratic primary for county executive in 2006. Some observers saw the Senate selection process as a rematch of that battle.

"It was an internal power struggle -- it was about Rushern and the people who support him and don't support him," said Del. Jolene Ivey, who also competed for the seat. She is married to State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey, who will probably face Baker in a campaign for the Democratic nomination for county executive in 2010.

Just after the vote, Johnson indicated he had worked to ensure Harrington's selection, a potentially surprising alliance given that Johnson and the County Council have clashed frequently in the six years since both Johnson and Harrington were elected.

"Rushern Baker doesn't want to work for the people -- he just wants to run for office," Johnson said after the vote. "I don't want to call him a loser, but that's basically what he is."

Baker said he still plans to run for executive in two years and dismissed Johnson's comments.

"It's sad to hear he is obsessed with what I'm doing and where I am," he said. "I think he has some bigger problems we need to address in this county."

Harrington is a controversial choice for the committee. In 2006, he joined four other black County Council members in crossing party lines and endorsing Michael Steele, then the Republican lieutenant governor, in a race for the U.S. Senate. Steele, who is black and a Prince George's resident, was defeated by the Democratic candidate, Benjamin L. Cardin, who was then a congressman.

A Washington Post story that year revealed that Harrington had made several charges that appeared to be for personal expenses to his county-issued credit card.