Pelles Gets Family Backing for Lawton's Seat

With the Democratic Central Committee poised to meet tonight to vote for a successor to the late Montgomery Del. Jane Lawton, her family has thrown its support behind Rosalyn "Roz" Woodward Pelles. Lawton's husband Stephan and two daughters are urging the committee to give "careful consideration" to Pelles of Silver Spring.

Pelles, a civil rights and labor activist, was a friend and political ally of Lawton, who died of an apparent heart attack late last month. The letter from Lawton's family says Pelles would be "an effective leader and consensus builder in Annapolis."

Pelles has also received the endorsement of County Council member Valerie Ervin, who wrote in a letter she is sending to the central committee that Pelles is "a woman of great moral conviction who has spent her entire life working to ensure that the promise of democracy is actualized through hard work in the community and by mentoring a new generation of young people to carry on the legacy of democracy and civil rights."

Both the Lawton family and Ervin noted that Pelles' appointment would be historic. She would be the first African American woman from Montgomery County to serve in the House of Delegates.

On a personal note, Pelles is also the mother of Hugh Bailey, who ran unsuccessfully for County Council in 2006 and was a canddiate for the vacancy in the District 39 House of Delegates seat.

By Ann Marimow |  December 11, 2007; 10:34 AM ET  | Category:  Ann Marimow
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