Delegation is still looking for leaders

With so many new members, a shortage of seasoning and opportunity

But the delegation, which this year included 11 new members and one delegate-turned-senator, lacks experience.

‘‘You don’t have as many opportunities for leadership positions,” said Sen. Patrick J. Hogan (D-Dist. 39) of Montgomery Village.

That could change. Two Montgomery politicians were elected to statewide office in 2006.

‘‘There have been very few statewide elected officials from the Washington suburbs,” said House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Dist. 30) of Annapolis.

To have Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) and Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D) elected ‘‘is a sea change,” he said.

Just as Gansler’s and Franchot’s elections demonstrated Montgomery’s political clout beginning to bloom on the state level, ‘‘the seeds are there for it to happen” in the legislature, said Zach P. Messitte, director of the Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Montgomery holds two powerful committee chairmanships. Del. Sheila Ellis Hixson (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring leads the House Ways and Means Committee. Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda heads the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.

But just 10 of the delegation’s 32 members have more than five years in office.

Hogan, vice chairman of the influential Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, said the junior members need two things: seasoning and opportunities to move through the ranks.

Having more people in leadership would make it easier for the county to have its voice heard, Leggett said.

‘‘In Annapolis, a lot is centered around the leadership,” he said. ‘‘We don’t have a lot of leadership in all the key places.”

One place the county has found leadership is in its county executive, said Richard N. Parsons, chief operating officer for Rodgers Consulting in Germantown and a former president of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.

‘‘Leadership either has to come from someone in the delegation itself or it has to come from the county executive,” said Parsons, who called former Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D) the county’s ‘‘honorary ninth senator.”

‘‘They’ve had some great leadership,” Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. acknowledged. ‘‘Doug Duncan has done a great job over the years, pushing, pulling, tugging.”

Montgomery will have leadership ‘‘far into the future” under Leggett, said Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach.

Del. Charles E. Barkley, the former House delegation chairman, said he expects county leaders will speak with one voice when they come to the table during state budget negotiations.

‘‘I think that voice is not only going to be the voice of the delegation,” said Barkley (Dist. 39) of Germantown. ‘‘It’ll be the county executive and the County Council.”

The delegation has a good relationship with Leggett, Barkley said. ‘‘He’s reached out to us.”

In fact, Leggett has met with delegation leaders and County Council President Marilyn J. Praisner (D-Dist. 4) of Calverton several times since April to discuss the county’s strategy in the special session. They plan to meet again on Monday in Rockville.