Citing budget, Owings might run

Former delegate mulls challenge to O'Malley

Friday, May 8, 2009

Some political observers believe such a run could fracture party unity and open the door for Republicans to win back the office.

"I am in a serious exploratory stage and am actively considering a challenge for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination," Owings said on Wednesday.

Southern Maryland Newspapers first reported in March that the ex-legislator from Calvert County and Veterans Affairs secretary under Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. was weighing a run for governor.

The chain-smoking, motorcycle-riding Owings, was one of the General Assembly's most colorful personalities during his 16 years in the House, the last 10 of which he spent as majority whip. But the Vietnam War hero was also one of Ehrlich's closest Democratic allies and he was tapped for the veterans affairs post in 2004.

O'Malley replaced Owings in the position he cherished early in his term, a dismissal that left Owings embittered, colleagues said.

Rumors that Owings, 64, would jump into the gubernatorial race have long been buzzing in political circles. He emphasized on Wednesday that he had not made a final decision, but expressed some frustration with the current Democratic leadership.

"I and a lot of other good, solid working-class Democrats have serious concerns about the direction the state is headed," said Owings, a conservative Democrat who has never been shy to break ranks with his party. "The Democratic Party is straying too far from the center of what the working-class Democrats believe in and they are the heart and soul of the party."

Owings said he has grown particularly upset that state leaders have failed to rein in spending enough in recent years and criticized O'Malley, in particular, for pushing through millions in unpopular tax hikes during a special legislative session in 2007.

"It appears there is a thought somewhere in Annapolis that the well is as deep as infinity and that's not the case," he said.

But challenging an incumbent within your party is a difficult task that requires a substantial war chest, said Michael J.G. Cain, a political science professor at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

"Without a fair amount of money, it's going to be hard to take O'Malley on, regardless of how some people view him as weak," he said.

Cain is skeptical that Owings' exploration reflects "discontent within the Democratic Party" toward O'Malley.

"I think a party always has different pushes and pulls," he said. "Clearly, there are tensions within the party. Whether those tensions amount to a serious concern for the governor and his re-election is another matter."

abrody@somdnews.com