Political central committees in Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions are charged with filling legislative vacancies and vetting the candidates to see if they’re eligible for the offices they are seeking. Those reviews, however, do not always include scrutiny of public records — including court records.
A whisper campaign against one candidate seeking to fill a House of Delegates vacancy has spotlighted the vetting procedures of state central committees charged with filling the positions. It is a process currently underway in Montgomery County, where the Democratic Central Committee on Thursday will recommend a candidate to Gov. Wes Moore (D) to fill a vacant House of Delegates seat.
Two of nine Democrats seeking to fill the District 16 seat vacated last month by now-Sen. Sara Love (D) were found to have had some contact with the courts involving criminal charges or other proceedings.
The criminal charges — and in one case a conviction nearly a decade ago — raise questions about how thoroughly political parties vet candidates. It also adds another wrinkle in an ongoing debate in Annapolis over moving to fill vacancies with special elections instead of an insular process involving party insiders...
