The Associated Press

Friday, July 9, 2004

ANNAPOLIS (AP) - Gov. Robert Ehrlich on Thursday appointed Gene Raynor, a former Maryland elections administrator, to the five-member State Board of Elections.

Raynor will replace Bobbie Sue Mack, whose term expired June 30, as one of the two Democratic members of the board. The board oversees the election laws office and staff, including Linda Lamone, the state administrator of election laws.

The appointment stirred speculation that putting Raynor on the board would make it possible for the Ehrlich administration to replace Lamone in the nonpartisan, professional position.

The governor had wanted to put a new administrator in place, but needed four votes to make a change and had only three Republican members on the board. Democratic lawmakers also rallied to her side when word came that Ehrlich would like to replace her.

Raynor was replaced by Lamone as the administrator in 1996 after Parris Glendening was elected governor. She had been the assistant attorney general assigned to the board when Raynor was the administrator.

Asked about the speculation he would help remove Lamone, Raynor said, "I hadn't thought about it." He also said he had not talked to Ehrlich about the administrator's position.

Shareese DeLeaver, a spokeswoman for the governor, said the appointment "isn't about Linda Lamone."

"It's about filling a vacancy on the Maryland State Board of Elections. No one is more qualified to fill the position than Gene Raynor," she said.

Raynor's appointment will require confirmation by the Senate when the legislature returns in January. But he will be able to serve on the board and have full voting rights until he is approved or rejected by the Senate.