Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. has made no secret that he has political aspirations beyond his current office, which he will have to leave next year because of term limits. He is raising funds and traveling across the state, and has formed a campaign committee, even as he insists it will be several months before he decides which office he will seek.
But others think there's not much to wait for.
Many expect Smith to run for Comptroller Peter Franchot's job in the Democratic primary, state Sen. James Brochin says. "It will be a competitive race that will probably go down to the wire," Brochin predicts.
"I have heard that rumor," Smith said with a broad grin during an interview Friday. "I like public service and am interested in continuing in public life. But it is way too early to announce anything specific."
He is looking closely at every statewide office, except for the governor's, Smith said, adding that he is working with Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley "as a partner."
The close alliance between O'Malley and Smith (O'Malley's brother, Peter, is Smith's chief of staff), coupled with the governor's sometimes combative relationship with Franchot, has fueled speculation that the governor's friend will try to unseat the comptroller.
"If Smith runs, he will have the support of the governor and the governor's organization," said Donald F. Norris, professor and chairman of the department of public policy at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "If Smith gets out there early enough, he will be a viable candidate."
Smith, 67, is considered a moderate Democrat who has earned generally favorable marks at the helm of an increasingly diverse, large county. He has kept taxes in check and worked aggressively on redevelopment in older neighborhoods.
Norris said more liberal voters will favor Franchot, but Smith would be a formidable opponent. Franchot has built a reputation as a maverick that might not appeal to party moderates, Norris said.
Brochin said Democratic primaries typically draw more liberal voters but are hard to predict. Either Smith or Franchot would bring "something different to the table, and each has strengths from different parts of the state," he said.
A primary fight between the two could shape up as a duel between the Washington and Baltimore metro areas: Franchot's base is in Montgomery County, which he previously represented as a state delegate, and Smith's is Baltimore County, where he has also served on the County Council and as a Circuit Court judge.
