Tuesday is Election Day for Many Cities in Maryland // Don't Forget to Vote!

Maryland Juice has written about a few municipal election issues this year, but election day is now here for many cities. Don't forget to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8th - 7 am to 8 pm. You can see if your city is holding an election at the Maryland State Archives website or the Maryland Municipal League website, but note that those two sites do not make it very clear which cities are holding elections this year.

Among the major jurisdictions voting tomorrow are Baltimore City, Rockville, Gaithersburg, College Park, Bowie, Takoma Park, Greenbelt, Bel Air, Aberdeen, and more. I encourage voters to seek out their own information and find local candidates they like, but since these elections are nonpartisan, many residents may find their choices confusing. I'll drop a couple of hints for those who are curious about the political backstory to some of these local races:

GAITHERSBURG: In Gaithersburg, three incumbents are up for re-election: Jud Ashman, Cathy Drzyzgula and Ryan Spiegel. Their two opponents have been endorsed by Gaithersburg Councilmember Henry Marraffa, who is not up for re-election this year. Mr. Marraffa was Montgomery County Councilmember Phil Andrews' Republican opponent in 2006 and is an active Republican who sometimes helps "awesome" politicians like former GOP Governor Bob Ehrlich and former GOP gubernatorial nominee Ellen Sauerbrey. The three incumbents, on the other hand, consistently support Democratic incumbents, including Montgomery Councilmember Hans Riemer, when I worked on his campaign last year.

ROCKVILLE: In Rockville, one City Council candidate is worth mentioning: anti-government activist Les Francis. He is a self-proclaimed member of the NRA, Defend Life, Help Save Maryland, and Americans for Prosperity - Montgomery County. If you are unfamiliar with these groups, Google them. Your search results will not turn up roses.

That's all I got, folks. There isn't much local elections coverage out there, so hopefully you can dig out the information you need!