Maryland speaker’s race a first: won’t be a white man

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland lawmakers are choosing a new House speaker, and for the first time it won’t be a white man.

A one-day special session is scheduled in Annapolis, Maryland, on Wednesday as they choose between two Democrats: Del. Maggie McIntosh, a progressive gay white woman from Baltimore, and Del. Dereck Davis, a more moderate black man from the Washington suburb of Prince George’s County.

Their race has been close and unusually public. Past contests have generally been settled in private talks between legislators.

The winner needs a majority of votes in the chamber, which has 98 Democrats and 42 Republicans.

They’ll be choosing a successor to Michael Busch, the longest-serving House speaker in the state’s history. He died the day before the annual legislative session ended April 8.