Montgomery loses in House leadership shuffle

Speaker readjusts assignments to respond to retirements, departures

The leadership changes leave Montgomery, the state’s largest jurisdiction, with a single committee chairman in each chamber and House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve (D-Dist. 17) of Rockville. Baltimore city boasts three chairmen, three vice chairmen and the majority whips in each chamber; Prince George’s County has three chairmen and one vice chairman in the General Assembly.

Geography, however, was only one factor in appointing Pendergrass, said House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Dist. 30) of Annapolis.

‘‘You try to balance things as evenly as you can, but it doesn’t always work out,” he said, noting that Howard County previously had no one in the committee hierarchy.

Still, the loss of Hogan, who took a job as the University System of Maryland’s top lobbyist, and Goldwater, who served 25 nonconsecutive years in the House, creates a leadership void for Montgomery.

‘‘Losing both of these people are major setbacks for us,” said Gail Ewing, a political science professor at Montgomery College and a former Montgomery County councilwoman. ‘‘Even before they went, we still have yet to make our mark. ... We’ve got our foot in the door, but we haven’t really taken hold as a major force in the General Assembly.”

One reason Montgomery lacks more leadership positions is the number of relatively new lawmakers. Three-quarters of the 32-member Montgomery County delegation have less than two terms under their belt. The nominations Tuesday evening of C. William ‘‘Bill” Frick and Kirill Reznik to replace Goldwater and delegate-turned-senator Nancy J. King, respectively, will give the county 13 freshmen.

‘‘We’re short on seniority, but we’re long on up-and-coming talent, so in the long run, Montgomery County is going to be well positioned,” said Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring, who is serving her first term.

Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D), Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D) and Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp (D) give Montgomery considerable sway in other areas of state government, Busch said.

Despite the desire to retain Goldwater’s leadership rank, Montgomery had no viable candidates for the No. 2 slot on HGO, acknowledged House Delegation Chairman Brian J. Feldman (D-Dist. 15) of Potomac.

‘‘That is a committee assignment that should go to somebody who knows a lot about health care and has a lot of experience, and when you look at the Montgomery House delegation, there isn’t someone who would be a good fit for that spot,” he said.

A leading authority on health care and insurance issues, Pendergrass (D-Dist. 13) of Columbia fits the bill, Busch said. ‘‘Shane Pendergrass has put a lot of time in. ... She’s got the institutional history to understand the health insurance market.”

Expanding Medicaid to cover more uninsured Marylanders is the new vice chairwoman’s top priority; she supports doubling the tobacco tax to do so.

Pendergrass called Goldwater a mentor and her best friend in Annapolis. ‘‘I think I will be doing the same kind of things that Marilyn would be doing, so in terms of philosophy, I think there will be some overlap.”

Montgomery County fared better in other committee moves: Anne R. Kaiser (D-Dist. 14) of Olney was tapped to chair the House Ways & Means Education Subcommittee previously held by King (D-Dist. 39) of Montgomery Village.

‘‘In some cases, subcommittee chairmanships in key subject areas are every bit as important as vice chairmanships,” Feldman said.

Busch made three other changes: Dan Morhaim (D-Dist. 11) of Owings Mills replaces Pendergrass as deputy majority leader; James W. Hubbard (D-Dist. 23A) of Bowie replaces Morhaim as assistant majority leader; and Justin D. Ross (D-Dist. 22) of Greenbelt replaces King as a member of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review.