Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. might not be on the ballot in 2010, but he is set to leave office with one of the largest war chests of any departing Maryland elected official - meaning his next role could be as kingmaker.
Smith, 67, amassed more than $1 million in the months he was exploring a statewide run for comptroller. Although the term-limited Democrat abruptly announced this week that he's not interested in becoming Maryland's tax collector, he won't have to give the donations back.
Campaign finance laws give Smith wide discretion over the money he raised. He could save it for a run for another office years down the road, or, just as likely, he could steer it in unlimited amounts to the candidates of his choosing - helping friends and knocking off enemies.
"It's a lot of money, and it makes him viable well into the future," said state Sen. Jim Brochin, a Baltimore County Democrat and a former gubernatorial campaign manager. "I don't know anybody who has left office with over $1 million. It's unprecedented."
After touring the state for months and scheduling several high-profile fundraisers, the county executive announced in a statement Monday that the comptroller's job "is not a position to which I aspire." Smith left the state Tuesday for the birth of a grandchild, and could not be reached for comment.
Don Mohler, a spokesman for Smith, said the county executive "hasn't entertained" the idea of how to spend his campaign money. "He just decided that comptroller wasn't a good fit for him," Mohler said. "One decision at a time."
David Carroll, an Annapolis lobbyist and former Democratic Party fundraiser, said few have left office with the "great number" that Smith has in his campaign account, because so many state politicians stay in their jobs for decades. "It's a nice luxury to have," Carroll said.
A former county councilman and judge, Smith had taken seriously the run for comptroller, a position perhaps most notable as one of three votes on the state Board of Public Works, along with the governor and treasurer. Democratic incumbent Peter Franchot defeated former Gov. William Donald Schaefer in 2006, and has said he is running for re-election.
Despite bypass surgery last year, Smith is in good health, as is his wife, who was successfully treated several months ago for lung cancer, according to one supporter close to Smith who did not want to be named because of the personal nature of the information.
