A former Montgomery County executive may be eyeing Metro's top spot.
Apparently Doug Duncan feels up to the foray of a long-standing, seemingly impossible venture. It's a surprising turn of events for Metro, which has been plagued by fatal accidents and a looming budget deficit.
According to the Associated Press, the tip came from two Maryland officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because Duncan is playing his cards close to his chest.
One of the officials said:
"He just called up to say that he was interested in the position and wanted to know what he had to do in terms of getting our support."
Metro is looking for a successor to current General Manager John Catoe, who is leaving the job on April 2. An interim replacement will be named by Metro's board, which is made up of 12 members. The District, Maryland and Virginia are represented on the board.
Shaun Ademec, a spokesman for Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, said:
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"Doug Duncan is a respected and talented public administrator and would be a good candidate for the position."
That is goodwill toward Duncan, who ran against O'Malley in the gubernatorial race in 2006. Things haven't always been lovey dovey between the two. But it looks like bygones are bygones. Duncan pulled out of the race citing problems with depression. His admission was largely hailed as an advancement in the understanding of the mental health issue.
Perhaps surprisingly, Duncan has said he considered running for governor again. He revealed that last month in an event with Prince George's County Executive Wayne Curry. Perhaps if Duncan can turn around the woes of the Metro system, his chances of being governor some day would be greater.
