Gov. Martin O'Malley has picked a former Baltimore aide and prominent adviser to several African-American organizations to become the next chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party.
"I'm a behind-the-scenes kind of guy," said Michael E. Cryor, 60, of Baltimore, who was co-chairman of O'Malley's "Believe" campaign when he was mayor. "This is a little bit of a change for me. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
African-American leaders have expressed concern about the state party's commitment to blacks in recent elections.
The 2002 statewide ticket didn't include any blacks, and a prominent black leader was defeated for the U.S. Senate nomination after party leaders coalesced around his opponent. O'Malley selected an African-American, then-Del. Anthony G. Brown, as his running mate last year.
Cryor, a communications consultant and host for 10 years of WJZ-TV's talk show On Time, said his race is an "added benefit."
He must win a vote of the 300-member Democratic State Central Committee at a June 16 meeting in Lanham. Other candidates could be nominated for the position, but state Democratic Party aides say that with the governor's backing of Cryor, the committee vote is a formality.
"The governor has worked closely with Mike Cryor for years and believes he will make a great party chairman," O'Malley spokesman Steve Kearney said yesterday.
Kearney said Cryor is supported by many other state party officials, including state Sens. Ulysses Currie of Prince George's County and Nathaniel J. McFadden of Baltimore, as well as U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski.
"Michael Cryor is a talented, seasoned professional who can build on our Democratic victories," Mikulski said in a statement. "He is a great choice."
If approved, Cryor would replace Terry Lierman, who is leaving the job after 2 1/2 years to become chief of staff to House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer. Lierman led a party sweep last year of key state races, including the gubernatorial contest that pitted O'Malley against Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., and Maryland's U.S. Senate battle between then-Democratic Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin and Republican Michael S. Steele, then the lieutenant governor.
It was the latter contest, in particular, that prompted some black Democrats to criticize the party for not doing more to promote a black candidate for Senate. Cardin, who is white, defeated former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chief Kweisi Mfume in the Democratic primary. Some Prince George's County Democrats backed Steele, who is black, over Cardin during the general election contest.
