Younger Glendening will likely stay behind the scenes

Ray GlendeningRay Glendening, the 28-year-old son of former Gov. Parris Glendening, said he “prefers behind the scenes work” and would likely not seek elective office in Maryland.

Glendening had served as deputy national field director on Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign until the New Mexico governor ended his campaign after a disappointing finish in the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 8.

Glendening has served as a member of the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee since being elected in 2006. Despite that fact, Glendening said he does not envision himself seeking higher office.

“I don’t think I want to be an official myself in Maryland or anywhere else,” Glendening said, adding, “I absolutely love working on campaigns.”

The campaign worker said he would not “shut the door” to the possibility of seeking office, saying, “You don’t know how you will feel in five to ten years.” He stressed that the possibility was unlikely.

The younger Glendening said his father had not influenced his decision to work on the Richardson campaign, nor had he encouraged his son to support Richardson.

Glendening said his father, who eventually became a Richardson supporter, “did not have a horse” in the Democratic race last August, when his son started his work with the campaign.

“I was not twisting his arm on that one,” Glendening said about his father’s eventual support for Richardson several months later.

“Governors stick together,” he added.

Glendening said he did ask his father for advice during his time on the campaign, but only on a “personal level,” as a “father/son relationship.”

Like his father, Glendening said he believed the media wanted a “three-person race” in the Democratic field, which he said hurt Richardson’s presidential efforts.

With the New Mexico governor out of race, Glendening said he felt sympathy for former Sen. John Edwards because he feels the media now wants a two-person race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

“What’s happening to Sen. Edwards now—happened to us a while ago.”

He said the Richardson campaign “looked really good” in the summer months because “all the money had not been absorbed” by the top campaigns, adding that “when poll numbers started to suffer—fundraising started to suffer.”

In addition, Glendening said he thought Richardson would “make a good vice president.” He highlighted the governor’s “unbelievable resume” as a major reason for that belief. Richardson has previously served as a congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and as Secretary of Energy in the Clinton administration from 1998-2001.

Glendening also said Richardson’s status as a “southwestern governor” would help provide balance to the Democratic ticket, particularly if the presidential nominee is Obama or Clinton.

Continuing on that theme, Glendening said the Democratic nominee could win the Electoral College even if he or she loses both Florida and Ohio, if they carry all the states John Kerry won in 2004 and win “three out of four” of the following states—New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona.

George W. Bush carried all of those four states in 2004, though narrowly in the case of New Mexico (less than one point), Nevada (less than three points), and Colorado (less than five points). Bush carried Arizona by ten points in 2004.

Glendening said he did not have a favorite among the remaining Democrats, saying he thought the race was between Obama and Clinton and that it “could go all the way to the convention.”

He said he thought the race was “getting nasty,” but said he would consider working for the eventual nominee.

Glendening also predicted that the Maryland primary, scheduled for Feb. 12, “will matter” and have an impact on the race.