Marylanders eye '06 at convention

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Maryland Democrats Douglas M. Duncan and Martin O'Malley will use their party's Boston convention to jockey for 2006 gubernatorial endorsements, while the Virginia delegation will bask in a major final-night speech by their governor.

Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia has been told he has a four-minute speaking slot during the convention, according to his spokeswoman Ellen Qualls.

Miss Qualls said the governor will likely speak Thursday evening, at some point before Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts gives his speech officially accepting the party's presidential nomination.

"The governor would like to talk about fiscal responsibility and the deficit," Miss Qualls said.

For its part, the Maryland party has had a tough two years under Robert L. Ehrlich -- the first Republican governor in 30 years, said state Democratic Chairman Isaiah "Ike" Leggett. He said the process for candidates has begun and will culminate at the convention.

"We are going to have a couple outstanding candidates for 2006 -- Montgomery County Executive Dougl Duncan and Baltimore Mayor O'Malley," Mr. Leggett said. "They will both have functions at the convention and both will have independent receptions."

Mr. O'Malley will be the more prominent, with a main-stage speech planned for Wednesday, before Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina accepts the party's vice-presidential nomination.

The two northern Maryland politicians announced their interest in the gubernatorial campaign early last year and have been touring the state for support ever since.

Besides the internal struggle between Mr. Duncan and Mr. O'Malley for endorsements and fund-raising help, the Maryland delegation should produce few fireworks, Mr. Leggett said.

"The only issue where there may be some difference is coming from the progressive elements of the party ... some want to say we should get out of Iraq as soon as possible, but that is not something the national party or John Kerry has advocated," he said.

Virginia Democratic Chairman Kerry J. Donley, undaunted by his party's minority status in the state, said he believes that Virginia could go for a Democratic candidate for the first time since Lyndon B. Johnson.

"Our major goal this year is to make Virginia a competitive state, and there is evidence we have seen that the state is in play this year," Mr. Donley said.

Mr. Kerry has spent considerable time in the state and raised nearly $2 million at a fund-raiser in Crystal City last week.

Mr. Donley said the popularity of Mr. Warner and Lt. Gov. Tim Kane has gone a long way to helping the party grow in the conservative state. And Mr. Donley said Mr. Edwards' addition to the ticket as the vice president could also pull votes for Democrats.

"John Edwards is very popular in Virginia; he comes from our sector of the country, and he carried with him an energetic style that revs folks up," he said. "He reminds me of Robert Kennedy."

Mr. Warner, who is chairman of the National Governors Association, was thrust in the national spotlight this year during an historic budget battle with the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

Ultimately the legislators passed a $1.38 billion tax increase to fund a balanced budget that affirmed the state's prized AAA bond rating. Mr. Warner was recently honored by the Democratic Leadership Council for helping the traditionally anti-tax state out of a fiscal crisis.