Tag Archives: Democrats

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

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

St. Patrick’s Day Parades Launch 2014 Election Season In Maryland

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Democrats have a good chance to gain seats on the Eastern Shore 

Question: Why do Democrats dominate Maryland elections?

Answer: Democrats have superior candidates.

Democrat Judy Davis (second from right) and supporters at St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ocean City. (John Hayden photo)

Democrat Judy Davis (second from right) and supporters at St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Ocean City. (John Hayden photo)

St. Patrick’s Day parades mark the start of election year in Maryland — more so than ever this year — because primaries have been moved up to June. Three months from St. Pat’s Day to Election Day. Nearly every Maryland city and town had a parade this weekend, and nearly every serious candidate — both Democrats and Republicans — was marching (or sometimes riding in a convertible.) Let the record show that Saturday was a perfect, sunny day for a parade in Ocean City.

Democrats hold a solid majority in Maryland’s General Assembly. Republicans, as always, hope to improve their minority position. They might pick up a seat or two, but that’s about the limit. Democrats have better candidates nearly everywhere in Maryland.

A case in point is District 38, located in the far southeastern corner of the state, the Lower Eastern Shore (Worcester County, Somerset County, and part of Wicomico County). District 38 will likely have some of the closest and most hard-fought elections in Maryland this year. Let me explain.

Many people presume that the Lower Eastern Shore leans Republican, either slightly or severely. History and election results indicate otherwise.

Four years ago, Democrats gained a Senate seat on the Lower Shore when Jim Mathias, former mayor of Ocean City, defeated a Republican businessman. In 2014, Democrats have every reason to expect to hold the Senate seat AND pick up one or even two seats in the House of Delegates. But it’s hardly a foregone conclusion.

Neither party will have competitive legislative primaries in District 38. All the action — and it could be hot– will be in the November General Election. Both sides are already hard at work.

Democrat Judy Davis meeting the crowd at St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ocean City. (John Hayden photo)

Democrat Judy Davis meeting the crowd at St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Ocean City. (John Hayden photo)

Did we mention superior Democratic candidates?

Sen. Jim Mathias has never lost an election. He’s been elected once to the House of Delegates and once to the State Senate. Before that, he was elected councilman and mayor repeatedly in Ocean City. Mathias faces a serious challenge from one-term Republican Del. Mike McDermott. It will be a hard-fought contest, but McDermott simply doesn’t match up well against Mathias in terms of experience, gravitas, or fund-raising ability. Mathias won a squeaker by 640 votes in 2010, and only after a recount. The 2014 results will likely be close, but not that close. I see Mathias winning by 3,000 to 5,000 votes. www.jimmathias.com

Superior candidates for Delegate

After the 2010 Census, District 38 was divided into three single-member districts for House of Delegates. Republicans have two of the three delegates now, but they might be in trouble. In reverse order:

Judy Davis chatting with voters before the parade.

Judy Davis chatting with voters before the parade.

District 38C — Democrat Judy Davis (her brand:  Teacher, Mother, Volunteer) should cruise to victory against Democrat Mike Hindi in the June primary. Davis will probably be outspent in the General Election by her Republican opponent, Mary Beth Carozza, who has not lived on the Eastern Shore since she graduated from high school. District 38C includes northern Worcester County (Ocean City, Ocean Pines, West Ocean City, Bishopville), and the rural northeastern part of Wicomico County. www.judydavisforshore.com

Ms. Carozza returned to the Shore last year specifically to run for the open delegate seat. Republican operatives from Washington, D.C. where Carozza had a career in Republican politics, are funding her campaign big time. But it will be hard to buy an election in this small-town, one-delegate district, where people know each other. Judy Davis has lived and taught school here for decades. Davis is a graduate of the Democratic Emerge Program, which prepares promising community leaders like Judy to run for public office. I think Democrats, seeing the opportunity to pick up a seat, will give her strong support.

District 38B — Del. Norm Conway, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has no primary opposition and is nearly a lock for re-election in November against a Republican named Carl Anderton Jr.  Del. Conway is the only delegate from the entire Eastern Shore with any clout in Annapolis. His support in his Salisbury district is nearly unshakable. (See what we mean by superior Democratic candidates?)

District 38A — May lean by a hair to the Democrats. 38A includes all of Somerset County and the southern half of Worcester County, including Pocomoke City, Snow Hill and Berlin. In 2012, President Barack Obama won Somerset County by a handful of votes. The Democratic candidate, Percy J. Purnell Jr. is a definite threat to unseat one-term Republican Del. Charles James Otto. Otto is quite popular in the Somerset County part of District 38A. I give Otto a slight advantage in a close race in Somerset. But the election will be won or lost in the Worcester County part of the district. The outcome will depend on which party can turn out its voters in this sprawling rural subdistrict.

To recap: District 38 is currently represented by two Democrats and two Republicans. The two Democrats, Sen. Jim Mathias and Del. Norm Conway are likely winners in 2014. The other two delegate seats will be close races. I give the edge to Democrat Judy Davis in 38C and Republican Charles Otto in 38A, with Democrat Percy J. Purnell Jr. making a strong challenge and possibly edging Otto. A Democratic sweep in this district would be a painful loss for the minority Republicans.

— John Hayden

Most Montgomery County Districts Still Need Political Candidates

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Maryland State flag

John Hayden photo

The Feb. 25 deadline for candidates to file to run in Maryland’s 2014 state and county elections is near, and the candidate list in Montgomery County is looking pretty thin.

As of Feb. 17, only two of Montgomery County’s eight State Senate seats will be contested. The other six Senate candidates in MoCo will get a free ride.

The two districts with contested Democratic primaries for Senate, as of Feb. 17 are:

  • District 17 (Gaithersburg and Rockville) Del. Luiz Simmons vs. former Del. Cheryl Kagan.
  • District 18 (Silver Spring, Kensington, Wheaton, Chevy Chase, Garrett Park) Sen. Richard Madaleno vs. Dana Beyer.

Six of MoCo’s Senate candidates will run unopposed in the Democratic Primary. Even worse, it looks like all eight Democratic candidates after the primary will be able to take the summer and fall off. Not a single Republican has filed to run for Senate in MoCo. It’s not as if we have no Republicans living in MoCo, but the Republican Party has few candidates who wish to sign up to be sacrificial lambs. The Republican Central Committee may yet twist some arms to field a few more candidates.

Few Candidates Means No Choice For Voters

The lack of opponents in both primary and general elections for State Senate is not unusual anywhere in Maryland, but it’s not good for the candidates, voters, or democracy. Competition would make all the candidates sharper and more forthcoming on the issues. Given a selection of candidates, rather than just one, voters might over time improve the overall quality of the General Assembly.

The two main reasons for the dearth of Senate candidates: gerrymandering and money. Most of Maryland’s legislative districts are drawn so that one or the other party has a clear edge. It takes a brave candidate to run against heavy odds. Did we say money? It can take $250,000 to $1 million to fund a quality campaign in a contested Senate race in Maryland, whether it’s a primary or a general. Raising that amount of money is daunting for anybody, and nearly impossible for any new or unknown candidate. Of course for incumbents who run unopposed, campaign expenses are not much of a problem.

You don’t need quite so much money to run for House of Delegates, so we sometimes have the luxury of choosing from as many as eight or 10 primary candidates for three delegate seats in a district. In the few districts where both Democrats and Republicans can expect some reasonable prospect of winning, the general election often has three Democrats and three Republicans facing off.

Delegate Races Generate More Interest

As it stands now, there’s plenty of room in Montgomery County for additional delegate candidates in some districts.

The two districts with contested Democratic primaries for Senate also have good competition for the delegate seats. District 17 has six Democrats and one Republican candidates for delegate. District 18 has seven Democrats but no Republicans.

Districts 14 and 15 have a minimum level of competition, four Democrats and one Republican in each district. District 16 has five Democrats and one Republican running. District 20 has the largest field, nine Democrats and one Green candidate. No Republicans.

Districts 19 and District 39 are candidate poor. YOU, reading this at home right now, could provide a public service by running for delegate. District 19,  overwhelmingly Democratic, has only four Democrats running in the delegate primary so far, and none of them are incumbents. Think of it. Three wide open seats and no incumbents! It’s a rare opportunity for newcomers. But I can understand why no Republicans want to run in 19. (Two incumbent delegates have not filed.)

District 39 is the district most in need of candidates. Only three incumbent Democrats running unopposed for delegate, and one Republican. District 39 is north and east of Gaithersburg, that is, Germantown and Montgomery Village.

District 39 doesn’t have the long history of Democratic activism that you find in the southern part of MoCo, Districts 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. Unlike Gaithersburg, Rockville, Chevy Chase and Takoma Park, Germantown has no municipal government and is the most recently developed part of the county. With no local officials and few candidates for legislature, there’s not much reason for the newer residents in Germantown to become active in community or politics.

MoCo County Council

I’ve saved the worst news for last. Put your fingers on the wrist of the County Council race, and you can hardly feel a pulse. As of Feb. 17, we have only one Democratic candidate filed to run in each of the county’s five council districts. Not an indication of a healthy democracy. We’re still waiting for at least one more shoe to drop in Council District 3. No Republicans in any of the five districts.

For the four at-large County Council seats, we have exactly three Democratic candidates. They are incumbents Nancy Floreen and George Levanthal, and newcomer Vivian Malloy. Also, there’s one Republican and one Green bidding for the at-large seats. We can certainly expect at least two or three more Democrats for the at-large seats. Several incumbents have yet to file.

Also Doug Duncan has still not filed officially to run for MoCo County Executive.

For information about how to become a candidate (it’s cheap and easy to sign up, costly and difficult to win) look at the Maryland Election Board web site. You can also find information on voter registration and results of previous elections.

To see a map of Montgomery County legislative districts click here: Montgomery_County dist map

— John Hayden

U.S. Government Shutdown Might Continue Indefinitely

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Both sides now have reason to dig in and refuse to budge. Both sides think they’re on the verge of achieving a cherished goal, if only they hang tough.

For President Obama, the Affordable Care Act is taking effect even as we speak, despite the so-called “partial” government shutdown. Health care for all has been a Democratic goal for 60 years or more. Obama has a passed bill, a signed law with his name on it. The president and Democrats believe that once Obamacare is implemented, people will decide they love it — just like Social Security and Medicare — and will refuse to give it up.

The Republicans are dead set against Obamacare, just as they were against Social Security and Medicare. Continue reading →

“America Is Splitting Apart”

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“Many blue states are moving further left, while red states are heading rightward. In effect, America is splitting apart without going through all the trouble of a civil war.”

— Robert Reich, June 8, 2013 (Read Mr. Reich’s three-page essay here.)

If you want more scary reading about the divide between red states and blue states, here’s an essay I wrote earlier this year: “America Divided.” Also see the related articles below. — John Hayden

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