PG holds clout in race for governor

Elected officials in Prince George’s County say they are withholding their endorsements of gubernatorial candidates until they exact promises for their county, which they say is voter-rich but often shortchanged in the state budget.

“If we are going to have leverage, we have to utilize it,” said Delegate Obie Patterson, a Democrat. “We know that we are going to be looked upon, stroked and everything else.”

State Sen. Ulysses Currie, a Democrat, said he would endorse the candidate who pledges more of the state’s $29 billion budget to the county.

“I want more promises,” he said.

Mr. Currie, who is chairman of the Budget & Taxation Committee, said he wants funds committed to improve schools, fight crime and expand economic development in the county.

The leading Democratic candidates — Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan and Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley — are focusing on Prince George’s County because it is Maryland’s second most populous jurisdiction after Montgomery County and has the state’s largest concentration of registered Democrats — more than 319,000, according to Maryland State Board of Elections.

Prince George’s County Council member Marilynn M. Bland comprehends the county’s pivotal role in the election, said David J. Billings, her chief of staff.

“She is looking for the best candidate who can help us countywide,” he said. “We would want a governor who is sensitive to the needs of a county that has been ignored in the past.”

County Council Chairman Thomas E. Dernoga said he is a member of a slate of county Democratic candidates that will endorse either Mr. Duncan or Mr. O’Malley.

“A lot of people come to Prince George’s County and want the votes and want the endorsements, but what are you going to do for the county?” he said.

The slate includes four other council members, the sheriff and state lawmakers.

A few county officials have made endorsements. Rep. Albert R. Wynn and County Council member Thomas R. Hendershot, both Democrats, are backing Mr. Duncan.

Mr. O’Malley has received pledges of support from some county leaders but is waiting to announce them, campaign manager Jonathan A. Epstein said.

The county’s power to decide elections is magnified in the Democratic primary next year because the base of the two candidates are the state’s other heavily populated Democratic strongholds. The county also is expected play a key role in the general election.

In 2002, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. became the first Republican to be elected governor in more than 30 years. His running mate, Michael S. Steele, who is from Prince George’s County, became the first black to win a statewide office in Maryland history.

The lieutenant governor now is running for the U.S. Senate, and Mr. Ehrlich likely will consider a new running mate from Prince George’s County.