O’Malley’s pick for party: Baltimore consultant with ties to political campaigns

‘‘I have enjoyed being part of his [O’Malley’s] network and I’ve been in politics for a while,” Cryor said Tuesday.

As the state’s top elected statewide Democrat, O’Malley is expected to have Cryor nominated at a party conference on June 16. Central committee members from across the state will vote on the nomination.

In the interview, Cryor gave little indication of what direction he would lead the party, preferring to meet first with staff and elected officials. He did say he wanted to build on the work of outgoing chairman Terry L. Lierman, who is leaving May 31 to become U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer’s chief of staff.

‘‘The role of the party is to advance the interests and needs of its citizens through the wisdom and hard work, integrity and ideas of the Democratic leadership,” Cryor said.

Lierman treated the chairmanship, which is unpaid, like a full-time job. Cryor said he would not.

‘‘I am not wealthy nor am I taking vows of poverty,” he said. ‘‘I do intend to make this a real investment. It will not be ceremonial ... People will be able to count me present and active.”

Cryor now has only a single client, Forest City Science and Technology Group of Cambridge, Mass., which is the primary developer of a biotechnology park at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He said he has no interest in expanding his client list now.

State and federal campaign reports show he donated $1,350 to state Sen. Nathaniel J. McFadden (D-Dist. 45) of Baltimore, $1,000 to O’Malley’s gubernatorial effort, $1,000 to Sen. Catherine E. Pugh (D-Dist. 40) of Baltimore, $500 to U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Dist. 7) of Baltimore, $250 to Kweisi Mfume’s U.S. Senate run, $250 to Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Dist. 25) of Forestville, $100 to Baltimore City Councilman Keiffer Mitchell and $57 to Baltimore State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy.

The nomination of Cryor, who is African American, fulfills calls by black leaders to tap a minority as party chairman. Some party members were frustrated that the only African American on the Democrats’ statewide ticket last year was Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown.

Cryor would bring both diversity and experience to the position, said Sen. Verna L. Jones (D-Dist. 44) of Baltimore, chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus. She applauded the pick and pointed to other leaders — recently hired executive director Maya Goines and first vice chairwoman Lauren Dugas Glover — as more signs of a diverse Democratic Party.

Cryor said he would be impartial during the upcoming presidential campaign. Although he praised U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and former senator John Edwards of North Carolina, he singled out U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) for energizing people turned off by politics.

Of the upcoming election, Cryor said: ‘‘We are not in a coasting period in history. It does call for enlightened leadership, compassionate leadership and it calls for more people engaged in the process.”