Before 2006, there was a logjam of ambitious Democrats at the top of the Maryland political hierarchy. That year, some of the pressure was released thanks to four developments.
First, the retirement of the state's longest-serving U.S. senator, Paul Sarbanes, allowed Rep. Ben Cardin to bid for and win the seat held by Mr. Sarbanes, whose son John took Mr. Cardin's seat.
Then-Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley's victory over incumbent Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., offered a second release valve. The Democratic gubernatorial primary drew Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan into the fray, creating a path for council member Isiah Leggett to run and win the county executive spot. (Four years earlier, Mr. Ehrlich's victory freed the state's second congressional seat, into which then-Baltimore County Executive Dutch Ruppersberger promptly slid.)
FOR THE RECORD - A column Thursday by Thomas F. Schaller included incorrect dates for upcoming gubernatorial elections in Maryland. Those elections will be held in 2010 and 2014.
The Baltimore Sun regrets the error.
A third development was state Del. Peter Franchot's bold primary challenge of then-Comptroller and former Democratic governor William Donald Schaefer. Though Mr. Franchot couldn't know upon announcing that Mr. Schaefer would later damage himself by publicly harassing a young, female state employee, Mr. Franchot eked out a victory in the three-way primary and won the general election, thus satisfying his ambitions for higher office - at least for a while.
Finally, Democratic attorney general Joe Curran retired, opening the only other statewide elected office to competition. Another smart, young and aggressive Democratic pol, Montgomery County State's Attorney Doug Gansler, leapt at that opportunity and won.
And so, for a brief moment at least, everybody in elite Democratic circles breathed a bit easier.
Last week came word that Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith will not seek to challenge Mr. Franchot in next year's Democratic primary. The news eased slightly the not-so-secret tensions between the governor - a close ally of Mr. Smith - and the comptroller.
Still, the Smith-Franchot episode is a reminder that pressure is again building at the top levels inside the state Democratic Party. Barring some cataclysm, Mr. O'Malley will be the party's gubernatorial nominee in 2012, of course. But there are rumblings already about who will be best positioned to be the 2016 nominee.
Along with Messrs. Smith, Franchot and Gansler, that not-so-small list includes Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. Perhaps former congressman and NAACP president Kweisi Mfume will try to build upon his solid 2006 Senate primary effort.
