You may know of Terry Lierman. I first heard of him when he ran for Congress for Maryland's 8th District in 2000 against moderate Republican Connie Morella and garnered 46% of the vote, paving the way for the next candidate, Chris Van Hollen, who defeated Morella in 2002.
Howard Dean, in his fantastic run for the presidency, tapped Terry to be Finance Chair in 2003. We all know what an amazing campaign that was, with support from big donors and many many small donors alike - and how much of a difference Dean's approach, ideas and character made and are still making for us all. Terry was part of that team.
After the 2004 election, the chair of the Maryland Democratic party stepped down, in the middle of his four-year term, to prepare his own run for local office. Terry Lierman sought to replace him and, luckily for all of us, was chosen. Then things began to rock.
A man of seemingly unlimited energy and ideas, Terry pulled together a top notch team in Annapolis and ran around the entire state - pretty much literally - energizing long-time political activists and the new grassroots alike. He started committees for business people in the state, drew in citizens from a host of diverse groups, met with young people, women's groups, Asian Americans, Latinos and more - the list is long. And he served as a critical bridge between the established Democratic party operatives and the grassroots groups springing up all over the state - both those inspired by Howard Dean and others - to constitute a massive effort to retake the state from our Republican governor, Bob Ehrlich.
It worked. "Leaving no county behind," under Terry's enlightened leadership, we retook the Governor's mansion and shored up the State House with smart, progressive, imaginative and energized legislators. He got people on board all over the state, and he and we had fun doing it.
Now that the state party - and the state itself - are moving forward as they should, Terry has been looking for new challenges. This weekend came the news that he has been tapped by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to become his Chief of Staff. He will oversee a whole list of areas under the Leader's umbrella and will guide staff and contribute to policy direction as well.
Why is this of interest to those outside Maryland? Terry is a proud, energetic and bold liberal. He is both a party veteran and a grassroots guy at heart. Keep an eye on the Majority Leader's office as we see what his presence brings. He and Hoyer have known each other for years, have worked together successfully for years, and often share the same views. Where they diverge, they hold thoughtful discussions to flesh out the issues and the policy outcome. This is a superb team and a brilliant move for both Terry Lierman and Steny Hoyer. Maryland will certainly be the better for it. Even more, so will the country. HEAR HEAR!