Category Archives: MARYLAND

Montgomery County’s Invisible Candidates Deserve Consideration

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Barack Obama is president, Anthony Brown is running for governor of Maryland, and Ike Leggett has been County Executive in Montgomery County for two terms. However, political power and representation remain somewhat concentrated in America, to say the least. The wealthy and privileged still dominate American politics. It would be naive to think it will ever be much different. But we can try, here and there.

I’ve been following the news coverage and the interest group endorsements for Montgomery County candidates in the June 24 Democratic primary. It appears to me that several well-qualified African-American candidates who would speak for working people and the children of working people, both black and white, are not getting the attention they deserve. It’s probably a matter of lack of campaign contributions. Money rules in American politics, plain and simple. More so now than ever. Some misguided endorsements by The Washington Post also play a role.

Before you vote, you might want to consider a few candidates who have often been overlooked or too quickly dismissed in the run-up to the election.

Laurie-Anne Sayles in District 17

In my district, Gaithersburg and Rockville, District 17, please consider Laurie-Anne Sayles as one of three delegates to the Maryland General Assembly. She’s 32-years-old and has an MPA in health policy. The sky’s the limit for her in Maryland politics. But first she needs the support of a few voters. I think Ms. Sayles has a very real chance to win one of the three seats in District 17. She’s been endorsed by the Gazette and NOW, among others, but not by The Post. She’s young and untested in public office, but so is nearly every first-time candidate.

For reasons unclear to me, the Democratic establishment and many interest groups have lined up behind a District 17 candidate who’s even younger than Ms. Sayles, and not as well-educated. The young man with all the support is both personable and very smart, by all accounts. But he’s barely old enough to rent a car, and he has virtually no real-life work experience. Just my opinion. He’ll be a more worthy candidate four years hence.

You might be interested in the voter guide at http://voterguide.wamu.org/ You can compare Laurie-Anne Sayles side-by-side with Andrew Platt, and the contrast is eye-opening.

To be clear, the two District 17 incumbents, Del. Jim Gilchrist and Del. Kumar Barve, deserve re-election. Ms. Sayles would be an excellent choice for the open third seat formerly held by Luiz Simmons.

Vivian Malloy for County Council

For the four at-large seats on the Montgomery County Council, please consider Olney resident  Vivian Malloy as one of your choices. She has more than 20 years experience in the Army Nurse Corps, many years as a progressive activist in Montgomery County, and two terms on the Democratic Central Committee. That’s the kind of life experience and dedication to community that impresses me. Among all the at-large candidates, she is the strongest advocate for affordable housing and jobs. Ms. Malloy has gained a number of endorsements from significant interest groups, such as the AFL-CIO, CASA, and NARAL. She also has the support of Kweisi Mfume, former Maryland congressman and president of the NAACP.

It’s a mystery to me why Ms. Malloy’s candidacy has gained little traction in Montgomery County. I suppose the obvious answer is that she’s running against four incumbents. However, the only other challenger, a woman with a good resume but no experience in public office, is getting lots of attention and endorsements. Go figure.

Christopher Barclay in Council District 5

For the Montgomery County Council in District 5, please consider voting for Christopher Barclay.

Mr. Barclay, a respected School Board member and former president of the School Board, has been unfairly pilloried for the moral equivalent of jaywalking while chewing gum.

It’s interesting that Mr. Barclay was poised to move up to higher office when a so-called “scandal” came out of left field and mildly tarnished his reputation. Mr. Barclay was a leading candidate for Montgomery County Council when information suddenly became public about minor credit card issues. The issues were rapidly resolved, but not before the Montgomery County Education Association and the SEIU rescinded endorsements of the candidate. These are two of the most highly prized endorsements in the county.

The MCEA also took pains NOT to endorse any of the alternative candidates in District 5. Draw your own conclusions. Here’s what MCEA had to say:

“We also believe that Chris Barclay has been – and we hope will continue to be – an important voice for our county’s neediest students, schools and neighborhoods …We believe Chris can have a good future in public service in the county. But in light of the recent news and financial disclosures, we cannot recommend him in this race at this time.”

Christopher Barclay was a respected public servant and a leading candidate for County Council before, and nothing of substance has changed. I believe he remains a viable candidate, worthy of even-handed consideration in District 5. If I lived in District 5, I believe I would vote for Mr. Barclay. Just my opinion.

Aisha Braveboy for Attorney General

For attorney general, Sen. Brian Frosh is clearly a candidate of distinction, and probably the most well-qualified candidate. However, Del. Aisha Braveboy is a qualified attorney and experienced member of the General Assembly. Ms. Braveboy would bring a new and different perspective to the important statewide office of Attorney General. She makes a strong case for diverting first-time offenders from the criminal justice system and helping them get on the path to employment. She was a strong supporter of the minimum wage increase. Ms. Braveboy deserves more consideration than she has received.

Disclaimer

My opinions about politics and candidates are no more valid than your own. Don’t consider the above opinions to be endorsements. Please make your own voting decisions.

The time may come when race, color, and ethnicity are no longer a big deal in America. Sadly, that day is somewhere down the road. I hope I haven’t ruffled too many feathers here.

The League of Women Voters Guide is a good source of candidate information.

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

Your comments are welcome. Comments will be moderated before publication.

— John Hayden

Election Decision Time Approaches

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Read “Do We Like Ike?” (Leggett) by David Lublin over at TheSeventhState. Time is running out for voters to make TWO most important  decisions by June 24, primary election day.

For Democrats, those decisions are:

For Governor: Anthony Brown, Heather Mizeur, or Doug Gansler.

For Montgomery County Executive: incumbent Ike Leggett, Phil Andrews, or Doug Duncan.

Which is not to diminish the many decisions also facing voters regarding County Council members, senators and delegates in the General Assembly, School Board, and even Democratic Central Committee. — John

Your comments on any of the Montgomery County election contests are welcome below. (Comments will be moderated.)

Maryland Governor’s Debate, First Impressions

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Promotional photos via Maryland Public Television

Promotional photos via Maryland Public Television

ONE. The debate was way too short. One hour is not enough. The candidates sometimes had to cut their answers short, and concluding statements were cut to less than 60 seconds. When a baseball game or football game is televised, we don’t set an arbitrary time limit. We cover the whole game, even if it goes into extra innings or overtime.

TWO. Was it a coincidence that both Anthony Brown and Douglas Gansler tried to associate themselves with Heather Mizeur’s response in at least one or two cases each? (Note: All three are Democrats. A separate debate was held for Republicans.)

THREE. Mizeur is the only candidate supporting immediate legalization and regulation of marijuana. She said Maryland could raise money by taxing marijuana to pay for early childhood education. The other two aren’t ready yet. They want to wait and see how legalization works in Washington State and Colorado.

FOUR. A clear separation on tax policy. Gansler repeatedly advocates reducing the corporate income tax to make Maryland more competitive with other states in attracting business. Mizeur wants to cut taxes for 90 percent of ordinary people, keep the corporate income tax and close the loopholes, reinstate the millionaire’s tax and retain the estate tax. Brown prefers to hold out for “comprehensive tax reform,” not try to do it piecemeal. He promised to appoint a commission to propose tax reform in time for the 2016 General Assembly. And he indicated that small businesses need tax relief more than major corporations. Mizeur promised no estate tax “giveaway,” Brown promised no corporate “giveaway.”

FIVE. Gansler attacked a culture of special interests and lobbyists in Annapolis. He called Mizeur a former lobbyist, and he charged that the Brown campaign is funded by special interests. Mizeur pointed out that her campaign is the only one that opted for public funding.

SIX. Mizeur is the strongest proponent of universal early childhood education. Brown said he was closer to Mizeur’s position than Gansler’s, and Gansler tried to associate himself with Mizeur’s position on early childhood education, as well.

I can’t pick a winner here. These are professional  politicians who have answered questions and repeated their positions many times before. They’re pretty good at it. And I doubt that any one debate is likely to change the outcome of an election. Unfortunately, I think TV advertising is more likely to turn the outcome of an election.

For what it’s worth, I thought Heather Mizeur had a calmer stage presence and smoother delivery than  the other two. Both Brown and Gansler looked tense and tried to talk too fast to squeeze words into the limited time. Gansler stumbled on his words several times, but no big deal.

Brown continues to appear to be the clear frontrunner.

— John Hayden

 

Maryland Governor’s Debate On TV Monday Night at 7

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Promotional photos via Maryland Public Television

Promotional photos via Maryland Public Television

The three Democratic candidates for governor in Maryland will debate tonight on television. The debate will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. Monday on WBAL-TV Channel 11 in Baltimore, and on Maryland Public Television stations. The debate will be streaming live on the WBAL website, wbaltv.com, and the Maryland Public Television website, www.mpt.org

The Democratic candidates to replace Gov. Martin O’Malley are Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, Attorney Gen. Douglas Gansler, and Del. Heather Mizeur. The debate moderator will be MPT’s David Salkin. The debate is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Maryland Public Television, and WBAL-TV.  It will be held at the MPT studio in Owings Mills.

Tonight’s Democratic debate represents the last, best hope for Mizeur and Ganzler to catch up with and pass Brown before the June 24 primary. Political observers believe Brown is running well ahead of Mizeur and Gansler, but the contest may be tightening.

For voters just tuning in to Maryland’s 2014 elections — which is most voters — this one-hour debate may be the only chance to compare the candidates side-by-side. And it’s probably the last opportunity, other than television advertising, for the candidates to make a favorable impression on voters. In the precious few minutes each candidate will have tonight, expect Mizeur and Ganzler to make their strongest case to distinguish themselves from Brown.

O’Malley cannot run again after serving two terms because of Maryland’s term limit for Governor. The term limit is even stricter in Virginia, which allows only one four-year term for governor.

You’ll be seeing a lot of Brown and Gansler on TV between now and the June 24 primary election. Both Gansler and Brown have ample war chests to fund television advertising. Mizeur also plans to advertise on TV, although her budget is smaller.

Mizeur hopes to score a breakthrough in tonight’s debate by focusing on issues such as the widening income divide between rich and poor.

“Heather will make Annapolis work for middle class families,” said Joanna Belanger, Mizeur’s campaign manager. “It’s prioritized the wealthy and big corporations for far too long.”

Meanwhile, four Republicans vying for the Republican nomination for governor debated today. The Republican debate will be aired on WBAL-TV and Maryland Public Television at 7 p.m. Friday night.

Today’s gubernatorial debates are expected to be the final joint debates between the candidates before the  primary on June 24. Early voting begins June 12. The deadline for registering to vote in the primary is tomorrow, Tuesday, June 3, at 9 p.m.

— John Hayden

Gazette Endorses Phil Andrews For Montgomery County Executive

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The Gazette this week endorsed Phil Andrews for Montgomery County executive in the June 24 Democratic primary, contradicting The Washington Post, which gave incumbent Ike Leggett a somewhat tepid endorsement for re-election on May 3. The Post and The Gazette are linked by ownership, but have independent editorial boards.

Doug Duncan’s failure to win either endorsement can hardly be considered a fatal blow. Both The Post and The Gazette had complimentary things to say about Duncan, and he appears to have wide name recognition.

What we have here, Montgomery County, is a down-to-the-wire three-way race for county executive. The Gazette endorsement certifies it as such, if ever there was any doubt. Who can win a majority in the Democratic primary? Probably none of the above. We’re most likely looking at a county executive chosen by plurality.

Turnout in early voting, June 12-19, and on Election Day, June 24, will be critical. The outcome might depend on which of the three has the most committed voters.

Here’s what the Gazette said about Andrews:

We pondered long on whom to endorse, because each provides a set of skills that could be useful over the next four years. Ultimately, we decided Andrews offers a better prescription as the county emerges from our economic hardships.

“For one, Andrews promises to be tight with our money. As we’re in the middle of a sputtering recovery, Montgomery County needs four years of that. In a March op-ed piece in The Gazette, he showed where he would trim $40 million from the recently passed budget, and where he would redirect the money: tax relief, infrastructure maintenance, expanded library hours and increased school resource officers. These are all tangible services, showing Andrews would be a wise steward of the taxes we pay.”

And here’s what The Post said about Leggett:

Mr. Leggett is a skilled, strategically savvy leader who is widely admired for his civility and political acuity. The caveat is that he is also at least in part the candidate of the status quo. And in Montgomery, the status quo is not quite right.

“In endorsing him in the June 24 primary, we are hoping that Mr. Leggett will intensify the challenge he has posed in recent years to the county’s entrenched interests. Chief among those interests are Montgomery’s public employee unions.”

I doubt that Ike Leggett is particularly worried at this point. He has TV ads scheduled. Duncan might be in trouble, unless he can match Leggett’s advertising budget. And Andrews is coming up strong on the outside.

You can read the Gazette’s endorsement of Andrews here.

The Post’s endorsement of Leggett is here.

I leave you with this reminder: The deadline for registering to vote, or for changing your party affiliation, is June 3. Is there an adult in your household who’s not a registered voter? Young adults who will turn 18 by the November election are eligible to register and vote in the June 24 primary.

— John Hayden

Montgomery County Incumbents Endorsed By Washington Post

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The Washington Post is showing a decided preference on its editorial page for incumbents. The newspaper’s endorsements all make sense, but the challengers deserve more thoughtful consideration.

In the Montgomery County Council and County Executive June 24 primary elections, The Post endorsed every incumbent in sight. The only incumbents not endorsed are two who aren’t running by their own choice.

County Executive

For Montgomery County Executive, The Post endorsed Isiah Leggett, with a caveat regarding government spending. You’ll have to read the May 3, 2014, editorial for the newspaper’s bloated, four-paragraph explanation of the caveat.

The Post was correct to point out that all three candidates for executive — Leggett, Doug Duncan, and Phil Andrews — are competent, committed and honest. To quote The Post, “Any one of them would make an able county executive in Montgomery, where one in six Marylanders live.” The newspaper had complimentary things to say about both Duncan and Andrews. Voters face a tough decision in the Democratic primary for County Executive.

County Council

This week, The Post endorsed all four at-large County Council members, in the following order:

  • Nancy Floreen, seeking a fourth term.
  • George Leventhal, also seeking a fourth term.
  • Marc Elrich, seeking a third term.
  • Hans Riemer, seeking only his second term.

I wonder if the order of the endorsements was based on seniority, or on the editorial board’s preference. It wasn’t alphabetical, and I doubt it was random.

The Post dismissed the two Democratic challengers for at-large council seats in a way that I thought was impolite. Just my opinion. The Post opined that Beth Daly is not only “misguided,” but also “dead wrong.” The editorial board failed to even mention at-large candidate Vivian Malloy by name.

It’s unfortunate that we have only two Democratic challengers running for four at-large seats. In my opinion, both Daly and Malloy appear ready and able to serve on the County Council, and both challengers would bring to the table a perspective that would add to, not diminish, the council.

In contests for the five district seats, The Post endorsed the following incumbents:

  • Roger Berliner in District 1.
  • Craig Rice in District 2.

In District 4, incumbent Nancy Navarro is running unopposed.

For the two districts that do not have an incumbent in the mix, The Post endorsed:

  • Tom Moore in District 3.
  • Evan Glass in District 5.

It would not be easy to rebut any of the above endorsements. All of the incumbents are indeed worthy of re-election, based on their records. But I am disappointed that The Post failed to adequately acknowledge the council challengers. For County Council as well as for Executive, the voters face difficult choices among serious candidates.

General Assembly

The Washington Post was nearly as respectful of Montgomery County incumbents running for re-election to State Senate and House of Delegates. Incumbents are not seeking re-election in a number of places, resulting in some spirited contests in several districts. If you live in District 17 (Rockville or Gaithersburg) or District 18 (Silver Spring, Chevy Chase, Wheaton) you might want to consult the voter guides and endorsements of your choice. You can read the Post’s views on all the MoCo General Assembly candidates here.

(Editor’s Note: I take exception to some of The Post’s endorsements in the competitive District 17 race for three seats in the House of Delegates. In my opinion, both Del. Kumar Barve (majority leader of the House) and Del. Jim Gilchrist (a member of the Environmental Matters Committee), are valued representatives for District 17, and should be re-elected. For the third seat, which is open, I voted for Laurie-Anne Sayles, who I believe is the most promising of the other candidates. I will withhold  comment on the nasty District 17 race for State Senate.)

Only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary and registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary. All voters may vote for candidates of any party in the November General Election.

Hardly anybody reads the MSM anymore. Few people would be aware of the newspaper endorsements if we didn’t announce them here in the blogosphere. You can read The Post’s endorsements for County Council here, and the endorsement for County Executive here.

You can find helpful links to several sources of objective information about the candidates, including the League of Women Voters Guide, the Gazette voter guide, and the WAMU.org voter guide right here.

— John Hayden

Montgomery County Council At-Large Candidates Debate

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Your photographer failed repeatedly to squeeze all eight candidates into a photo.

Your photographer failed repeatedly to squeeze all eight candidates into a photo.

The four incumbent Democrats running for re-election to the Montgomery County Council acquitted themselves well in a debate Wednesday night. They all know Montgomery County government and key issues, but they don’t agree on everything.

Meanwhile, both Democratic at-large challengers, Vivian Malloy and Beth Daly, proved they’re able to engage with the incumbents.

The takeaway: Democratic voters face tough choices in the June 24 primary. A few other takeaways:

  • Beth Daly, a graduate of the Democratic Emerge Program, which prepares women to run for office, is a serious candidate. One of the incumbents is likely to be bumped from the Council.
  • Tim Willard, the only Green Party candidate, might be the sleeper candidate of this election. He has no Green Party competition in June. With sufficient funding, he could seriously challenge Democrats in November.
  • Beth Daly and Marc Elrich gave hints of forming a political alliance. Daly agreed with or complimented Elrich four or five times in the debate. I don’t recall her mentioning any of the other candidates by name. When asked after the debate, Elrich acknowledged her remarks without hesitation, and allowed that he and Daly could work well together.
  • Finally, a hunch. Elrich seems like the incumbent most likely to be safe in the Democratic primary.

Development and transportation in Montgomery County were two hot-button issues in the debate. Everyone was concerned about traffic congestion, but no one had surefire solutions.

Vivian Malloy, who lives in Olney, spoke passionately for the poor, advocating more jobs and affordable housing. Beth Daly, who resides in North Montgomery, not far from the Frederick County line, spoke for protection of the Agricultural Preserve and argued that adequate infrastructure needs to be in place ahead or future development.

Incumbents Marc Elrich and George Leventhal seemed most knowledgeable and persuasive of the group. Elrich said every neighborhood is against density, and he advocated preserving existing affordable housing. Leventhal summed up the development conundrum with these words: “We have to prosper while minimizing our footprint.”

Among the participants, incumbent Nancy Floreen appeared to most appreciate the nuances of issues and the complexities of governing. Floreen smiled warmly throughout the debate, took little offense, and was reluctant to promise easy solutions. Leventhal was a bit testy at times, but very well-informed. Hans Reimer, the youngest of the incumbents, is finishing his first term. He spoke well, arguing strongly for improving Ride-On bus service for riders, and  advocating a “more vital, exciting and dynamic Bethesda.”

Most of the eight candidates support building the Purple Line, which will connect Bethesda with Silver Spring and on into Prince George’s County. All six Democratic at-large candidates participated, plus one Green and one Republican.

Elrich also defended Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as more economical than other transit options. Leventhal, Daly and Reimer supported BRT as well.

Candidates views on development varied. The future of single-family housing in Montgomery generated the most heated exchange. Marc Elrich and Beth Daly took the cautious approach to development and density. Vivian Malloy and Robert Dyer advocated attracting big businesses for economic growth. Leventhal, Floreen and Reimer all agreed that single-family housing will remain viable in the county. “What’s really extinct is affordable housing,” Malloy said.

Dyer was the only Republican on hand for the debate, and Willard represented the Green Party. Neither Republicans nor Greens face a contested primary in June, so the spotlight was on the six Democrats.

Out of one million residents in Montgomery County, only a little more than 100 attended the debate. Turnout in June is likely to be light.

Those are my first impressions after the debate. If anyone has different views, please comment. Also see David Lublin’s post, “Verdict On The At-Large Debate” at TheSeventhState.com.

— John Hayden

Change And Construction Is A Constant In Montgomery

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A CONSTRUCTION CRANE TOWERS OVER A BUILDING IN PROGRESS IN THE HEART OF ROCKVILLE.

A CONSTRUCTION CRANE TOWERS OVER A BUILDING IN PROGRESS IN THE HEART OF ROCKVILLE.

Back in the day, the symbol of change was the bulldozer. When the suburbs were being created in the 1950s and 1960s, one was never far from the sight or sound of bulldozers grading the land for construction of single-family houses on quarter-acre lots.

Fast-forward to 2014, and the symbol of change is more often the construction crane. Single-family houses — mostly for the high-end market — are still constructed in Montgomery County, but that’s no longer the most common form of construction. More often, you see multifamily housing. The garden-apartment style of multifamily has been replaced by four-story buildings, and the trend is to go higher and denser.

We seem to have general agreement in Montgomery County in favor of tall development, rather than sprawl development. “Smart Growth” is the catchphrase.  The profiles of some communities — Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Rockville — have been redefined by high-rise construction. We’re not talking skyscrapers, but that time may come.

For a more in-depth look at change and economic development issues in Montgomery County, please see my post today in David Lublin’s TheSeventhState political blog under the title, “Contemplating Life Inside An Economic Engine.” 

— John Hayden  (BJohnHayden@icloud.com)

Montgomery County Green Democrats’ Endorsements

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Endorsement Badge 2014

Montgomery County Green Democrats informed candidates of their endorsements on Saturday.

Following are the endorsements released by Green Democrats leader Joan Jacobs. All endorsements are for the Democratic Primary Election to be held June 24.

Govenor:

Heather Mizeur,

Attorney General:

Brian Frosh,

Maryland General Assembly:

Dist 14:

For Senate, Karen Montgomery

For Delegate, Eric Luedtke

Dist 15:

For Delegate, Aruna Miller and Bennett Rushkoff

Dist 16:

For Senate, Hugh Hill

For Delegate, Hrant Jamgochian and Marc Korman

Dist. 17:

For Senate, Cheryl Kagan

For Delegate, Kumar Barve

Dist. 18:

For Delegate, Jeff Waldstreicher

Dist. 19:

For Delegate, Paul Bardack and Charlotte Crutchfield

Dist. 20:

For Delegate, Will Smith

Note: As you can see, the Green Democrats did not endorse for every office up for election in the General Assembly, and did not favor incumbents, as many endorsing organizations do. The Green Democrats did not make any General Assembly endorsement for District 39, where all four incumbents are running unopposed in the primary.

________________________________

Montgomery County Executive:

Phil Andrews

_____________________________

Montgomery County Council:

Dist. 1, Roger Berliner
Dist. 3, Ryan Spiegel
Dist. 5, Tom Hucker

At Large, Marc Elrich
At Large, Beth Daly

Note: Whether it should be considered a rebuke to the present county government, or not, I cannot say.  The Green Democrats did not endorse the incumbent county executive, and endorsed only 2 incumbent council members. The Green Democrats passed up the opportunity to endorse in District 2 and District 4, and endorsed only two at-large candidates for four at-large seats. The two incumbent council members endorsed are Marc Elrich and Roger Berliner.

In my opinion, when an organization endorses selectively, and does not automatically endorse incumbents, it may give the endorsements more weight.

— John Hayden

Retail Politics In Montgomery County Before 2014 Democratic Primary

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DOUG DUNCAN MEETING WITH GREEN DEMOCRATS. (Photo Tweeted by Duncan after the meeting.)

DOUG DUNCAN MEETING WITH GREEN DEMOCRATS, photo tweeted by Duncan after the meeting.

Only 11 weeks until the June primary election, and here’s a leading candidate for county executive, in a county of one million people, meeting with fewer than two dozen voters.

Fifteen Montgomery County voters, to be exact, were on hand Thursday night to talk issues with Doug Duncan, former and possibly future county executive. It gives you some sense of the involvement of the voters — or the disengagement of  voters — in a local election in a nonpresidential election year. The venue, in this case. was a meeting of Montgomery County Green Democrats at a restaurant on Rockville Pike. Also on hand was one other candidate, Hrant Jamgochian, running for House of Delegates in District 16. All involved last night — both candidates and voters — are Democrats, far as I know.

We’re in the retail phase of this primary election season of 2014. Come one, come all, come anyone who’s interested. No need to worry about being trampled by the masses. You — yes, you — can take the measure of the candidates, if you wish, up close and personal. Got questions? Ask away. The politicians will answer, as best they can. Gatherings like this will be taking place all over Montgomery County, seven nights a week, right up until election day. Plus innumerable breakfast and lunch meetings as well. The point is, no voter can claim to lack for an  opportunity to see and talk with candidates before making a decision and casting a ballot.

DOUG DUNCAN

DOUG DUNCAN

It would be unfair, obviously, to evaluate any one candidate without also considering all the candidates running for the same office. Suffice it to say that Duncan seemed in fine fiddle Thursday night. The former Rockville mayor and former county executive obviously knows Montgomery County like the back of his hand. He handles all questions smoothly. The only question that ruffled his feathers even a little was a query about a proposal to allow suburban residents to keep chickens in their backyards. The issue has already been decided in the negative, and I doubt it will be revisited in the near future. For the record, Duncan indicated he has nothing against poultry, but he doesn’t think chickens — and especially not roosters — are a good idea in residential neighborhoods.

The other candidates running for county executive are Democrats Ike Leggett, the current executive, and Councilman Phil Andrews; and Republican Jim Shalleck.

Organizations of all kinds will sponsor forums to which they’ll invite all four executive candidates, so you can compare them side-by-side. Two forums I know of coming up before the end of the month are:

  • St. Jude Catholic Church, 12701 Veirs Mill Road, Rockville, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23.
  • Temple Beth Ami, 14330 Travilah Rd, Rockville, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30.
HRANT JAMGOCHIAN

HRANT JAMGOCHIAN  —  Campaign slogan: “Hard to pronounce. Easy to support!”

The lone delegate candidate was invited to attend by Montgomery Green Democrats leader Joan Jacobs. He is Hrant Jamgochian, who also ran in the District 16 primary in 2010. In a Democratic field of 13 that year, Jamgochian finished fifth, with 2,964 votes. This year, only 11 Democrats are contending for the three delegate seats. One of the delegate seats is open, since Del. Susan Lee is running for the District 16 State Senate seat.

Again, it’s unfair to judge one candidate without considering all 11. But I think it’s fair to say that Jamgochian is a candidate with an unusual depth of experience and knowledge. He appears to have a very good shot at winning the open delegate seat in District 16 this year.

Doug Duncan’s website is DougDuncan.com

Hrant Jamgochian’s website is www.gojamgo.org

(Jacobs indicated that the Green Democrats hope to endorse candidates within a few weeks.)

— John Hayden