Political unknown from Md. joins race for DNC chair

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is no longer the only candidate in the race to become the next chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). In fact, as of Sunday, he wasn’t even the only Marylander seeking the job.

Robert Kennedy Houton, a Bethesda resident who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate this year, wrote to all the DNC members Sunday declaring his candidacy. The DNC is scheduled to pick a replacement for outgoing Chair Jaime Harrison on Feb. 1, during its annual winter meeting at National Harbor in Prince George’s County.

O’Malley was the first candidate to enter the race, on Nov. 18, touting his governing experience, his success as chair of the Democratic Governors Association and the contacts he made running for president in 2016. Since then, Minnesota Democratic Chair Ken Martin, Wisconsin Democratic Chair Ben Wikler and New York State Sen. James Skoufis have joined the fray — and several other high-profile political leaders and lesser-knowns could follow.

Then there’s Houton, who made crusading against opioid abuse the centerpiece of his Senate campaign. He did not respond to an email seeking comment Monday, but in his letter to DNC members, Houton introduced himself as a public health advocate and someone who, during the Senate primary, “boldly led in fighting the fentanyl crisis plaguing our nation and America’s youth, particularly by bringing common sense, bipartisan solutions and initiating the federal advocacy for legalizing fentanyl test strips in the U.S Congress.”

“Despite being outspent by $100 million dollars [sic] in the most expensive election in Maryland electoral history, I have the support of my community and Marylanders who want a fighter with passion and integrity to speak boldly and lead,” Houton wrote.

He received 1,946 votes in the Senate primary, good for 0.29% of the vote, finishing ninth in a 10-candidate field that was headed by Sen.-elect Angela Alsobrooks (D).

In his letter to DNC members, Houton, who grew up in Massachusetts, said he was inspired by the work and words of the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).

“In my formative years, my parents instilled in me the meaningful impact public service holds for my life of service to others,” he wrote. “I have never deviated from this calling. My faith in Jesus Christ, and Catholic parish worship, guide and sustain me in this work … I  look forward to bringing the ceaseless, bold energy, optimism, and fight for others innate to my character to this rapidly unfolding process and opportunity for our Democratic Party, and our beloved country. So help me God.”

The DNC is expected to host four public forums for the candidates for committee leadership positions in January. One of the voting members from Maryland, attorney Robbie Leonard, announced in a Facebook post Monday that he would only support a candidate for chair who had contacted him directly —  and that so far, only O’Malley and Martin, who is a vice chair of the DNC, had done so.

“O’Malley focused on his history as chair of the Democratic Governor’s Association,” Leonard wrote. “He touted Democratic wins for governor in states like West Virginia and Kentucky during his chairmanship. He says that he knows how to win in red areas. He wants to hold Trump accountable at every step and monitor the price of eggs during his presidency.

“Ken Martin touted his time as Chair of the Minnesota Democratic Party, President of the Association of State Democratic Committees, and Vice Chair of the DNC. He wants Democrats to focus on the nuts and bolts of field operations, campaign infrastructure, and messaging. He wants us to figure out how to get our message to where people are listening, whether it be podcasts, YouTube, or wherever.”