Key civil service House member to get challenge in 2002

Ira Shapiro, an international trade lawyer who has held a string of positions on Capitol Hill and in the Clinton administration, said Wednesday he would seek the Democratic nomination in the suburban Washington district currently represented by Rep. Constance Morella, R-Md.

Morella, whose district is heavily populated with federal employees, has been a key advocate for civil servants since she was elected in 1986.

Shapiro said he started his campaign quietly a few weeks ago. "There was no exploratory stage," he told CongressDaily. "Rather than test the waters, I plunged right in and have been very gratified." He declined to discuss the status of his fundraising efforts.

Shapiro has been in private law practice for the past four years after serving as general counsel at the office of the U.S. Trade Representative and later as chief trade negotiator with Japan and Canada.

Earlier in his career, Shapiro was an aide to former Sen. Gaylord Nelson, D-Wis., and to Sen. John (Jay) Rockefeller, D- W.Va., as well as staff director of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and its District of Columbia subcommittee. In that capacity, Shapiro worked on Metrorail funding and civil service issues--important topics for voters in the Montgomery County-based district.

Democratic lobbyist Terry Lierman, who held Morella to a surprisingly low 52 percent in 2000, said this week he would not run again. But Shapiro is likely to face at least one tough primary opponent before he gets the chance to challenge Morella.

In withdrawing, Lierman urged his supporters to back state Del. Mark Shriver, a nephew of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and a cousin of both Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., and Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. Shriver and state Sen. Christopher Van Hollen said they are considering a run against Morella, who has indicated she will seek re-election.