Kathleen Matthews running for Maryland Democratic Party chair

After losing the 8th District primary, the former Marriott executive says she still wants to try for elected office.

Former news anchor and Marriott executive Kathleen Matthews, who lost to then-state Sen. Jamie Raskin in Maryland’s 8th District Democratic congressional primary, said Wednesday that she is a candidate for state party chair.

Matthews said in an interview that she was approached about the job by senior Maryland Democrats — U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer and Sens. Benjamin L. Cardin and Chris Van Hollen. Chair Bruce Poole said he will step down March 1, when the state party’s executive committee is scheduled to meet.

Registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans in Maryland more than 2-to-1. But the party has been struggling to recover from the upset victory of Republican Larry Hogan over Democrat Anthony Brown in the 2014 governor’s race, and Hogan’s soaring popularity since then.

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