Gov. Martin O'Malley set a special election date yesterday to fill a vacancy left by the departure of Rep. Albert R. Wynn, who is leaving Congress to join a lobbying firm after eight terms.

O'Malley signed emergency legislation that would allow the state to hold the special election and said that he will issue a proclamation setting the date on June 17. Late last month, Wynn announced his departure from office in June, and the General Assembly quickly drafted and passed legislation permitting the state to skip a special primary -- giving the central committees of each party the power to choose nominees.

Donna Edwards, who defeated Wynn in the Democratic primary in February, and Peter James, who won the Republican primary, are likely to be nominated. Without the special election, the seat would remain empty until after the two candidates face off in the November general election and one takes office in January. The 4th District, made up of parts of Prince George’s and Montgomery counties in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., is a Democratic stronghold with a black-majority population, and a primary would delay a Democratic Party victory that appears virtually inevitable. John Kerry took 78 percent of the district’s vote in his 2004 challenge to President Bush.

Wynn's resignation drew criticism from fellow Democrats, partly because of the anticipated cost to hold special elections. O'Malley said that by eliminating a special primary, the state would save about $1 million.
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