Gov. Larry Hogan told MarylandReporter.com Wednesday morning that he expected to have a meeting later in the day to discuss appointments, including the filling of three vacancies in the legislature he caused by naming two senators and a delegate to posts within his administration.
He has 15 days to make the legislative appointments after he receives a letter with nominations from the local party central committees.
The vacancies caused what was the first major public political flap even before he was sworn in last week.
The Carroll County Republican Central Committee voted to send him the name of former County Commissioner Robin Bartlett Frazier, defeated in the Republican primary, to fill the seat of Sen. Joe Getty, who became Hogan’s legislative and policy director.
Hogan asked for more names, and after some persuasion from Hogan Public Affairs Director Steve Crim and Deputy Appointments Secretary Chris Cavey, one member of the committee apparently switched sides, and in a closed meeting agreed to send three names to the governor. Those three names were believed to be Frazier, Del. Justin Ready and former congressional candidate Dave Wallace.
Ready, a Hogan supporter during last year’s election, is considered likely to get the nod, creating another Carroll County vacancy in the legislature.
Getty resigned his Senate seat quietly on Friday, and he said the letter submitting three names has been sent to the governor.
Hogan must also fill the Senate vacancy in Washington County created when Sen. Chris Shank became Hogan’s director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. Del. Andrew Serafini has been nominated to fill the seat, which would create yet another vacancy in the legislature.
Hogan must also fill the seat of Del. Kelly Schulz in Frederick County, who became secretary of the Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation. Since legislative District 4 includes both Carroll and Frederick counties, the Carroll County GOP Committee submitted the names of Jason Miller, Ken Timmerman, a former candidate for Congress and lieutenant governor; and Barrie Ciliberti, who lost the Republican primary for a delegate seat last year and is a former delegate from Montgomery County.
The Frederick County Republican Central Committee submitted Ciliberti’s name alone.
–Len Lazarick
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