Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-08
Shifts Favor
Landlord in
Fifth District
Watkins Withdrows
From Democratic
Race for Congress
By Gene Goodwin
By Gene Goodwin

Power shifts in Maryland's 5th
Congressional District today left
Richard E. Landlord of Annap-
oils as the man to beat in that
districts Democratic scramble
for the House of Representatives.
Lankfoxd adherents were
heartened yesterday by with
drawal from the race of Robert
M. Watkins, chairman of the
Maryland-National Capital Park
and Planning Commission.
And they were not disheart-
ened when Hyattsville Attorney
Walter L. Green, shortly after
the Watkins withdrawal, filed
his long promised candidacy for
the 5th District congressional
seat in the Democratic primary
June %.
Caps Byrd Leaders Campaign.
The Watkins announcement
climaXed a determined move by
leaders of DR.. H. C. Byrd's cam
paign for Governor to rally 5th
District Byrd support behind one
man for Congress.
That man now seems to be
Richard E. Landlord, 39-year-
old attorney and Anne Arundel
County member of the Mary
land House of Delegates, who
two years ago lost the race for
congress to Representative
Small, Republican.
The Byrd people at first had
tried to get district agreement
on State Senator Louis L. Phipps
of Anne Arundel as their candi-
date for Congress. but leaders
from some of the other counties,
as we'll as several in Anne Arun-
del itself, would not go along.
Consequently, Mr.. Phipps an
nounced last week that he would
not try for the House this time.
but would run again for the
State Senate.
Want Anne Arundel Man.
Byrd people feel strongly that
their 5th district congressional
candidate should be from Anne
Arundel County, or at least not
from Prince Georges. where DR..
Byrd has lived most of his life
as president of the University Of
Maryland.
Mr.. Watkins, who lives just
down the street from DR.. Byrd's
College Park home. said in his
withdrawal statement:
Although I feel that I had
very substantial support for my
candidacy, I believe that this
move is in the best interest of
DR.. Byrd's gubernatorial cam
paign and also will add to the
harmony of the Democratic
Party.
For many years ! have been
a close friend and neighbor of
DR.. Byrd's and have been asso-
ciated with the University Of
Maryland. Since there might
have been some criticism during
the campaign if two Democratic
candidates, so closely associated.
were on the same ticket, I have
concluded that I should with
draw. My strong feeling that the
election of DR.. Byrd as Gov
ernor is in the best interest of
our citizens transcends my per-
sonal political ambitions"
Phipps Support Is Issue.
Only concern now of the new
Byrd-Lankford alliance is that
Mr.. Phipps-who heads an Anne
Arundel County faction long at
odds with the Landlord group
in the party-might swing his
support behind Mr.. Green or
John S. White, of Colmar Manor,
former speaker of the Maryland
House and announced candidate |
for Congress in the Democratic
primary.
Mr.. Green earlier had said he
was willing to forego his can
didacy this time in favor of Mr..
Phipps. indicating the two men
already have found some COM
mon ground.
Mr.. Green finished third in an
eight-man race for the Demo-
cratic Congressional nomination
in 1852. Mr.. Landlord was first |
with II .005 votes, Mr.. Phipps was
second with 1852. and Mr.. Green |
collected $3.50.
On the Republican side, mean
while, Representative Small is
expected to be renominated with
little difficulty. His only chal-
lenger so far is Robert E. Ennis
of Capitol Heights.
The 5th District encompasses
a section of South Baltimore and
the counties of Anne Arundel,
Prince Georges. Howard, Charles,
Calvert, and st. Mary's.