Wynn Decides to Leave Congress Months Before His Term Expires

If O'Malley calls a special election, Maryland taxpayers would shoulder the costs. If he elects to leave the seat open, the district would be without congressional representation for at least six months.

Some in the district said yesterday that they found those choices unappealing and predicted that voters would be disappointed in Wynn for forcing them.

"It's a mess," said University of Maryland political science professor Ron Walters. "The reaction will run the gamut. . . . But most people will be put off that he didn't wait and think it's some kind of vindictive act, leaving those in the district in the lurch."

Edwards, who defeated Wynn by criticizing his 2002 vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq and arguing that he had grown too close to corporate interests, praised him yesterday for his service.

"In the spirit of a dedicated public servant, Congressman Wynn is looking out for the interests of his constituents and I commend him for that," Edwards said in a statement.

She did not indicate whether she wants a special election to be held.

House rules say that Wynn will be barred from directly lobbying former colleagues for a year. By leaving office early, he could become a registered lobbyist sooner. In a statement, the law firm he will join said that Wynn will focus on legal, legislative and regulatory counseling.

"I think it mirrors what senator Trent Lott did and others," Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) said of Wynn's early exit. "I haven't talked to him about this, but rather than be a lame-duck congressman, he'd rather be a well-paid lobbyist as soon as possible."

Dickstein Shapiro is one of Washington's larger lobbying firms, with $6.2 million in reported lobbying fees last year. Its clients include the tobacco, entertainment, energy and software industries. It also represents the Teamsters.

Wynn, first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1982, has been a powerful fixture in local politics, and his decision to leave public life suddenly took many by surprise. In his statement, Wynn called it a "great honor" to have served in Congress.

A chorus of elected leaders praised Wynn yesterday for his years in public life, sympathizing with his need to find new employment.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) called Wynn a "good friend" who had worked tirelessly on behalf of his constituents.

"During a period of significant growth, Congressman Wynn's work has helped solidify the position of Prince George's and Montgomery Counties as highly attractive places to live and work within the region," Hoyer said in a statement. "The impact of his efforts and contributions will carry on long after he has left office."

Staff writers John Wagner and Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.