JUICE: Gansler & Simmons Mail, AG Polls, Attack Ads for Gov, Miller Aide for Delegate, Hucker & Barclay for MoCo Council 5

Below Maryland Juice provides a round-up of news of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: DEL. LUIZ SIMMONS DIRECT MAIL INCLUDES DOUG GANSLER // PLUS: TEAMSTERS ENDORSE SIMMONS FOR D17 SENATE - Maryland Juice caught the following mail piece from Del. Luiz Simmons on Twitter, which includes a testimonial from Attorney General Doug Gansler:

UPDATE: A source close to Simmons clarifies that this was a legislative mailing paid for with personal funds, but the piece carries an authority line to stay in compliance with Maryland law:

Lastly, we received the following press release from Simmons today, noting the endorsement of the Teamsters:

PRESS RELEASE

Del. Luiz Simmons Endorsed by Teamsters Joint Council #55 for State Senate

Rockville, MD – Following the endorsement of Teamsters Local 730 the Teamsters Joint Council #55 have endorsed Del. Luiz Simmons for State Senate in District 17.

Ritchie Brooks, President of Teamsters Local 730 released the following statement: "Luiz Simmons is our choice for State Senate in D17. The hard working men and women of the Maryland Teamsters are proud to support his candidacy and we have beeN proud to support him in the House of Delegates. Delegate Simmons shares our values, and understands the important work we do in his community and all across Maryland. We know we can count on Luiz Simmons to be a voice for working families in the Senate.”

JUICE #2: POLLING RESULTS IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE // PLUS: MOCO FIREFIGHTERS UNION ENDORSES BRIAN FROSH - Maryland Juice previously wrote about a Baltimore Sun poll on the Attorney General race, which showed the following status of the race:

• Undecided - 69%
• Jon Cardin - 18%
• Brian Frosh - 6%
• Aisha Braveboy - 4%
• Bill Frick - 3%

But The Washington Post also polled the Attorney General race and came up with a different set of results from voters who lean Democratic:

• No Opinion - 40%
• Jon Cardin - 22%
• Aisha Braveboy - 12%
• Brian Frosh - 5%
• Bill Frick - 4%

2-SECOND ANALYSIS: For a race like this, Maryland Juice urges a healthy dose of skepticism that early poll results are yet meaningful. I call this the Joe Lieberman effect; if you'll recall, Lieberman briefly weighed a Presidential bid after serving as a Vice Presidential candidate to Al Gore, and for a time he was leading in the polls. This is almost certainly owing to higher name id, but as we know, these things start to change once unknown candidates start spending money on media. In the Attorney General race, we have not yet gotten to that point in the campaign. Meanwhile, Maryland Juice received the following press release from the MoCo firefighters union, announcing their endorsement of Brian Frosh (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association (IAFF) Local 1664

Endorse Democratic Attorney General Candidate Brian Frosh 

Union President Jeff Buddle hails Frosh’s experience and leadership

Bethesda, MD- Today, Brian Frosh, Democratic candidate for Maryland Attorney General, received the endorsement of the Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association (IAFF) Local 1664, representing approximately 1200 career fire fighters in Montgomery County.

“Brian Frosh has a record on public safety that stands above the rest. We are confident that he will continue to make the safety and security of Maryland communities a top priority as our next Attorney General,” said Jeffrey Buddle, Union President, IAFF Local 1664. "He is a proven leader and will bring the right combination of experience and leadership to the Attorney General’s office. We wholeheartedly support Brian Frosh in the Democratic primary for Maryland Attorney General...."

JUICE #3: DUELING ATTACK VIDEOS FROM ANTHONY BROWN & DOUG GANSLER - In the last month, gubernatorial candidates Anthony Brown & Doug Gansler released YouTube videos criticizing each other. You can watch the attack videos below:

BROWN ATTACKS GANSLER

  GANSLER ATTACKS BROWN  


JUICE #4: PAT MURRAY, FORMER AIDE TO SENATE PRESIDENT MIKE MILLER, FILES FOR D34A DELEGATE RACE - Center Maryland's Josh Kurtz reported last week that Pat Murray, a former aide to Senate President Mike Miller and Speaker Mike Busch, has filed for District 34A Delegate (excerpt below):

CENTER MARYLAND: Patrick Murray, a former top aide to both Senate President Mike Miller (D) and House Speaker Mike Busch (D) and one of the most respected strategists in Maryland politics, will run for a seat in the House of Delegates this year. Murray, currently the director of State Affairs for Johns Hopkins University, filed papers Friday afternoon to become a candidate in District 34A in Harford County, the community where he grew up....

Already running on the Democratic side are Harford County Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti; retired teacher Marla Posey-Moss, who was a Democratic nominee in 2010 but finished third in the general election; and businessman and civic activist Steve Johnson.

Even though he’s joining the campaign late, Murray doesn’t appear to be at any kind of financial disadvantage in the Democratic primary. According to their January campaign finance reports, Johnson had less than $1,100 in his campaign account, Posey-Moss had $500 on hand, and Lisanti had no money at all. Even Glass, the lone incumbent in the race, reported just $3,100 in the bank...

JUICE #5: DEL. TOM HUCKER & SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT CHRIS BARCLAY TO SEEK VALERIE ERVIN'S COUNCIL SEAT // PLUS: EVAN GLASS RELEASES LIST OF SUPPORTERS - The Democratic Primary race for Montgomery County Council District 5 is now taking shape with announcements for Valerie Ervin's seat from Delegate Tom Hucker and Board of Education President Chris Barclay. Barclay filed for County Council yesterday and has a website up:

This weekend, The Washington Post's Bill Turque reported that Del. Tom Hucker also planned to launch a campaign for County Council (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Del. Tom Hucker (D-Montgomery), confirming a widely expected move, said he will file Monday as a candidate in the Democratic primary for the District 5 Montgomery County Council seat.... His announcement came with an endorsement from House Speaker Michael E. Busch: “I I am confident he will be a strong and effective advocate for the people of his district and all of Montgomery County,” he said in a statement.

Hucker enters the race with a significant financial edge: nearly $147,000 in cash on-hand from prior fundraising for state House campaigns, according to the most recent finance report.... Barclay can keep his school board seat while running for County Council....

Hucker's website now also announces his Council campaign:

Lastly, Evan Glass, another District 5 Council candidate, sent us a press release announcing support from over 70 community leaders. Some interesting names on his list include:

• Takoma Park Mayor Bruce Williams
• Takoma Park Councilmember Seth Grimes
• Candidate for Clerk of Circuit Court Alan Bowser
• Former D20 Delegate Candidate Aaron Klein
• Former Legislative Director for Heather Mizeur Patrick Metz
• Board of Education At Large Candidate Jill Ortman-Fouse

You can see the full release below:

Evan Glass - Supporters List for County Council District 5

JUICE #6: CONTESTED RACES FOR ALL MOCO BOARD OF EDUCATION RACES // PLUS: ONLY MOCO COUNCILMEMBER RUNNING UNOPPOSED - There are still eight hours left until the candidate filing deadline, but already all of Montgomery County's Board of Education races are contested. Notably, in all of the District races for school board there are only two candidates, and the top two candidates in the Non-Partisan Primary will advance to the General Election ballot.

Board of Education At Large (open seat):

• Edward Amatetti
• Shebra Evans
• Merry Eisner Heidorn
• Jill Ortman-Fouse

Board of Education District 1:

• Judy Docca (incumbent)
• Kristin Trible

Board of Education District 3:

• Laurie Halverson
• Pat O'Neill (incumbent)

Board of Education District 5:

• Mike Durso (incumbent)
• Larry Edmonds

At the County Council level, there are contested races for every position except for one. So far District 4 Councilmember Nancy Navarro is running unopposed.

VIDEO: Compare Maryland's Attorney General Candidates // Aisha Braveboy, Jon Cardin, Bill Frick & Brian Frosh Talk 2014

Center Maryland has been conducting interviews with Maryland's 2014 Attorney General candidates, and after a few weeks, they've now posted commentary from all four contenders: Delegates Aisha Braveboy, Jon Cardin & Bill Frick, along with State Senator Brian Frosh. Below Maryland Juice has posted head-to-head video interviews from Center Maryland for those interested in comparing and contrasting the candidates:

Center Maryland Interview with Delegate Aisha Braveboy

  Center Maryland Interview with Delegate Jon Cardin
    Center Maryland Interview with Delegate Bill Frick  
    Center Maryland Interview with Senator Brian Frosh

JUICE: AFL-CIO Endorses Frosh for Attorney General, B'more AG Debate, Delaney Funds Minimum Wage Hike & Day of Dead

Below Maryland Juice provides a round-up of news items that may be of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: AFL-CIO ENDORSES SEN. BRIAN FROSH FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL // DEL. BILL FRICK BLAMES SENATE PRESIDENT MIKE MIILLER - The Baltimore Sun's Michael Dresser reports that the AFL-CIO is endorsing State Senator Brian Frosh for Maryland Attorney General. Dresser's article also includes commentary from the rival campaign of Delegate Bill Frick accusing Senate President Mike Miller of orchestrating the labor union endorsement (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: The Maryland and District of Columbia AFL-CIO has thrown its support behind Sen. Brian E. Frosh for the Democratic nomination attorney general, giving the Montgomery County lawmaker a potentially important boost in his primary contest....

"This is really Mike Miller's endorsement," [a spokesman for Delegate Bill Frick Andrew] Feldman said of the Calvert County Democrat, who has served as head of the Senate for 26 years.... "Some unions chose not to risk what would have happened to them politically if they made the right choice," Feldman said.

Frick's spokesman said the AFL-CIO made the endorsement over the objections of its Building Trades member unions -- a statement confirmed by Chuck Graham, business agent of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26 in the Washington area....

A spokesman for Miller could not be reached to comment, but [AFL-CIO President Fred] Mason said the Senate president did not exert pressure on labor to back Frosh....

JUICE #2: ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATES DEBATE IN BALTIMORE THU 11/7 - The University of Maryland's School of Law is hosting a candidates forum for the four Democratic candidates for Attorney General: Del. Aisha Braveboy, Del. Jon Cardin, Del. Bill Frick & Sen. Brian Frosh. The event will be next Thursday, November 7th at 5:00 pm - 500 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201 (details and RSVP link below):

November 7, 2013 | 5:00 p.m.

Join us for the first open forum among all four confirmed 

Democratic candidates for Maryland Attorney General.

Click and Register at Eventbrite

Free and open to the public.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. - Forum starts promptly at 5:00 p.m.
Reception (6:15 p.m. - 7 p.m.) with available candidates immediately following.
This student-initiated forum will feature a 45 minute moderated discussion, featuring pre-approved questions submitted by the public, followed by a 15 minute question and answer session, with students from UM Carey Law addressing the candidates.

Registration:
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Find complete information and register online at:
www.law.umaryland.edu/AGForum

Candidates:

Aisha Braveboy
Maryland State Delegate | District 25, Prince George's County

Jon Cardin
Maryland State Delegate | District 11, Baltimore County

Bill Frick
Maryland State Delegate | District 16, Montgomery County

Brian Frosh
Maryland State Senator | District 16, Montgomery County

Submit a Question:
Do you have a question for the candidates? Tweet us!
Send us your question on twitter using #CareyLawAGF -- it is as easy as that! Don't have a twitter account? Or need more than 140 characters? You can also send an e-mail to MarylandLaw.AG.Forum@gmail.com or post to UM Carey Law's Facebook account.

Organized and Sponsored By:
-  University Student Government Association
-  The Class of 2015
- The University of Maryland Association of Legislative Law
- The Republican Legal Society
- The University of Maryland Law Democrats

JUICE #3: REP. JOHN DELANEY TO BANKROLL ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN FOR MARYLAND MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE - Maryland Juice received the following press release from Raise Maryland (the coalition advocating for a state minimum wage increase), indicating that Congressman John Delaney will be funding an online outreach campaign for the organization:

PRESS RELEASE

SUPPORT GROWS FOR RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE IN MARYLAND

Backing from U.S. Rep. John Delaney for Raise Maryland campaign  will build constituent communications capacity
COLLEGE PARK -- Support to increase Maryland’s minimum wage continues to grow as Raise Maryland, the coalition working to raise the state’s rate, has received funding from U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD6) and his wife April to build on the coalition’s digital constituent communications capacity.

Rep. Delaney’s support will be used to engage low-wage workers and their supporters via email, social media and texting, along with an enhanced campaign website, to ensure that their voices are heard by their elected representatives and the general public. Raise Maryland will also create a rapid response system to mobilize Marylanders to show their support for raising the wage before and during the 2014 Maryland General Assembly. The effort is projected to actively involve more than 60,000 state residents in actions ranging from writing letters, lobbying in districts and Annapolis and speaking out about raising the minimum wage in the media.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that Congress will not act on many issues of critical importance to working Americans, including raising the minimum wage,” said U.S. Rep. John Delaney. “My constituents need and deserve higher pay for their work and Maryland can use the economic boost that comes with raising the wage. Importantly, based on my two decades of experience as a job creator in the private sector, I believe that raising the minimum wage is also good for Maryland businesses, which will benefit from increased demand and greater productivity. Action has to come at the state level and that is why I am supporting the Raise Maryland campaign and their work to bring our state to a higher standard for our workers.”

The proposed legislation would raise Maryland’s minimum wage in three steps to $10.10 per hour by 2016 and index it to the cost of living thereafter so that it doesn’t lose value over time. The legislation also incorporates an increase for tipped workers (from 50 percent to 70 percent of the prevailing minimum wage).

“Raise Maryland is grateful and energized by this support and leadership from Rep. Delaney and his wife April,” said Ricarra Jones, chair of the Raise Maryland coalition. “We know that Marylanders are overwhelmingly in favor of raising the minimum wage. This funding gives everyone a voice and a platform to communicate and express their needs and goals to our elected officials.”

Momentum is building for Maryland to increase the state’s minimum wage. The Baltimore City Council, Montgomery County Council and the Charles County Board of Commissioners have all passed resolutions calling for a minimum wage of at least $10 an hour and indexing and each of the Democratic 2014 gubernatorial candidates have announced their support for a raise.

Research has found that approximately 472,000 Marylanders would benefit from the increase, putting $466 million more in their pockets in the next two years. At the same time, businesses would benefit from nearly half a billion dollars in new consumer spending and would create more than 4,000 new full-time jobs as they expand to meet increased demand.

Raise Maryland is a diverse coalition of business, civil rights, community, faith, immigrant and labor, organizations united to pass a statewide minimum wage increase indexed to inflation.

###

JUICE #4: ACTIVISTS ORGANIZE "DAY OF THE DEAD" PROTEST TO URGE MD U.S. HOUSE MEMBERS TO END TORTURE TRAINING FOR LATIN AMERICAN SOLDIERS - Activists from the organization School of the Americas Watch (SOAW) are gearing up once again to try and shut down the U.S. government's torture and military training facility for Latin American soldiers (aka the School of the Americas). This Friday, several Maryland members of Congress will be visited by advocates urging them to support a bill (HR 2989) to suspend operations at the School of the Americas, and so far Rep. Donna Edwards is the only Maryland U.S. House member signed on as a sponsor. As a result, SOAW will be presenting Edwards with the following letter thanking her for her sponsorship of HR 2989:

Dear Representative Donna Edwards,

We the undersigned 4th District voters want to sincerely thank you for becoming an original co-sponsor of the Latin America Military Training Review Act for the 113th Congress. It means a lot to me, your other constituents, and people throughout this hemisphere to be able to count on leaders like yourself who are truly committed to democratic values, transparency, human rights, and respect towards our Latin American neighbors.

As the ongoing human rights violations by SOA/WHINSEC graduates in Honduras and the recent suicide of Chilean Gen. Odlanier Mena (trained at the SOA in 1970 and convicted for ordering the deaths of three civilians in 1973) demonstrate, we need to stop spending our tax dollars on the School of the Americas SOA/WHINSEC, an institution that does great harm to the people of Latin America - as well as the reputation of the United States.

Thank you for your conscientiousness and leadership in our movement for peace and human rights.

Wikipedia notes the origins and shifting mission of this "educational institution," while highlighting recent efforts to close the school that have come close to succeeding in Congress (excerpt below):

WIKIPEDIA: The US Army School of the Americas was founded in 1946. From 1961 (during the Kennedy administration), the School was assigned the specific Cold War goal of teaching "anti-communist" counterinsurgency training to military personnel of Latin American countries. At the time and in those places, "communists" was, in the words of anthropologist Lesley Gill, "... an enormously elastic category that could accommodate almost any critic of the status quo...."

As the Cold War drew to a close around 1990, United States foreign policy shifted focus from "anti-communism" to the War on Drugs, with narcoguerillas replacing "communists". This term was later replaced by "the more ominous sounding 'terrorist'".

In 2005 a bill to abolish the institute, with 134 cosponsors, was introduced to the House Armed Services Committee. In June 2007, the McGovern/Lewis Amendment to shut off funding for the Institute failed by six votes. This effort to close the Institute was endorsed by the nonpartisan Council on Hemispheric Affairs, which described the Institute as a "black eye" for America....

SOAW is organizing visits to the Congressional offices of Elijah Cummings, John Delaney, and John Sarbanes to drum up support for HR 2989, and they'll be organizing a protest this Friday, November 1st (aka the Day of the Dead). SOAW explains some of their reasons for trying to shut down the School of the Americas (excerpt below):

SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH: School of the Americas has been historically dubbed the “School of Assassins”.... Since 1946, the SOA has trained over 64,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and psychological warfare, military intelligence and interrogation tactics. These graduates have consistently used their skills to wage a war against their own people. Among those targeted by SOA graduates are educators, union organizers, religious workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the poor. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, “disappeared,” massacred, and forced into refugee by those trained at the School of Assassins....

Below you can see the flyer for the protest march that will occur after the activists have visited with members of Congress from Maryland and Virginia:

VIDEO: Candidates for Attorney General Support Marijuana Decriminalization // PLUS: Majority for Legalizing in Gallup Poll

ALL FOUR DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL SUPPORT MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION - Last night Maryland Juice attended a packed Democratic candidates forum for the state's heated Attorney General race. Though Sen. Brian Frosh could not make the event, Delegates Aisha Braveboy, Jon Cardin & Bill Frick showed up at the Wheaton Library to talk about law enforcement, consumer, civil rights and environmental issues.

Bill Frick, Jon Cardin & Aisha Braveboy (left to right)

Given that efforts to remove jail penalties for non-violent marijuana possession have stalled in the State House, I decided to ask the Democratic candidates whether they supported Sen. Bobby Zirkin's legislation to remove jail-time as a penalty for pot possession. As luck would have it, it appears that every single Democratic candidate for Maryland's top law enforcement office supports marijuana decriminalization (see the video below):



Though Sen. Brian Frosh was not available to answer this question at last night's forum, it is worth noting that he already voted in favor of Sen. Bobby Zirkin's bill to remove jail-time as a penalty for marijuana possession. That means that every single Democrat running for Attorney General supports marijuana decriminalization, and at least one gubernatorial candidate (Heather Mizeur) has also gone on record supporting this common-sense reform.


NEW GALLUP POLL SHOWS SUPER-MAJORITY OF DEMOCRATS SUPPORT POT LEGALIZATION  //  MARIJUANA REFORM GOES MAINSTREAM - It is worth noting that the marijuana reform proposal advancing in Maryland is a "decriminalization" bill that would replace jail penalties for possession with civil fines (like a traffic ticket). This is a step below marijuana "legalization" policies (eg: to tax and regulate pot similarly to alcohol) that have been passed in Washington and Colorado. But once again, it appears that the public is more forward-thinking than lawmakers on issues.

A new Gallup poll released yesterday shows that a strong majority of Americans (58%) support full-on marijuana legalization, and the trend line on these numbers is very clear. Additionally, among Democrats support for marijuana legalization is at a whopping super-majority of 65%. Gallup's write-up of the poll results notes that the surge in marijuana support is following the same trajectory we witnessed with marriage equality, and (not surprisingly) most of the opponents are again Republicans (excerpt below):

GALLUP:  For marijuana advocates, the last 12 months have been a period of unprecedented success as Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational use of marijuana. And now for the first time, a clear majority of Americans (58%) say the drug should be legalized. This is in sharp contrast to the time Gallup first asked the question in 1969, when only 12% favored legalization....

A sizable percentage of Americans (38%) this year admitted to having tried the drug, which may be a contributing factor to greater acceptance....

The movement to legalize marijuana mirrors the relatively recent success of the movement to legalize gay marriage, which voters have also approved now in 14 states. Public support for gay marriage, which Americans also overwhelmingly opposed in the past, has increased dramatically, reaching majority support in the last two years....

Independents' growing support for legalization has mostly driven the jump in Americans' overall support.... Yet there is a marked divide between Republicans, who still oppose legalizing marijuana, and Democrats and independents.

  

So what's the hold-up, folks? Will Maryland drag its feet on this social justice issue and wait for other states to lead (again)?

EVENTS TUESDAY: Braveboy, Cardin, Frosh & Frick Attorney General Debate and NAACP Town Hall on Minimum Wage +

Tomorrow Montgomery County is playing host to two worthwhile political events (details below):

EVENT #1: ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATES FORUM FOR 2014 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY -  Tomorrow, TUE 10/22 from 6:30 to 9:00 pm at Wheaton Library (11701 Georgia Avenue), a number of Democratic clubs is hosting a candidates forum for Attorney General with the four Democratic candidates: Senator Brian Frosh and Delegates Aisha Braveboy, Jon Cardin, and Bill Frick.

EVENT #2: NAACP HOSTS ISSUE TOWN HALL WITH REP. JOHN DELANEY, COUNTY EXECUTIVE IKE LEGGETT & MOCO COUNCIL PRESIDENT NANCY NAVARRO -  Also tomorrow night, the NAACP of Montgomery County is hosting a town hall meeting on a range of topics, including the minimum wage, voting rights, Obamacare and more:

21st Century Town Hall Meeting - NAACP Game Changers
WHEN:  Tuesday, October 22, 2013

TIME: 7PM – 9PM

WHERE: Carver Educational Services Center, Board Room, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850

WHAT: For more than a century the NAACP has worked to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all    persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. Inspired by the force and commitment of The Call of 1909, which denounced the growing oppression of people of color and mobilized thousands to work to bring this discrimination to an end, the NAACP seeks to establish a strategic direction as it embarks on developing the New    Call for the 21st Century for local communities with clear messages.

TOPICS:    What’s on your mind and what do you want to know…! Affordable Care Act (ACA) * Economic Sustainability * Public Safety and Criminal Justice * Education * Voting Rights and Political Representation

Confirmed Speakers: 

• Congressman John Delaney, District 6
• County Executive, Isiah Leggett
• County Council President, Nancy Navarro
• Assistant Chief of MCPD Police, Darryl McSwain
• MSC NAACP, Economic Development Chair, Edsel Brown
• NAACP Health Programs and ACA, Jennifer White and Niiobli Armah

JuiceBlender: Gansler Hints at Runningmate, Frick & Braveboy for Atty General, Mikulski Endorsing Brown, Franchot Kickoff

Below Maryland Juice provides a few news tidbits and an event this Saturday relating to statewide candidates for Governor, Attorney General and Comptroller:

JUICE #1: ATTORNEY GENERAL DOUG GANSLER RELEASES CAMPAIGN KICKOFF VIDEO  //  NOTE: DEL. KIEFFER MITCHELL IS ALL OVER IT - Attorney General Doug Gansler is announcing his campaign for Maryland Governor next week, with multiple campaign stops on Tuesday, September 24th. But Gansler took to Twitter today to release a very interesting kickoff video for his campaign:

IS GANSLER HINTING AT HIS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CHOICE? - Gansler's video (viewable below) highlights a lacrosse league he started in Baltimore, his work combating domestic violence as State's Attorney, a testimonial by Sen. Rich Madaleno noting Gansler's early support for marriage equality, support from former U.S. Senator Joseph Tydings, and .... Delegate Kieffer Mitchell. Notably, Mitchell has been named as one of Doug Gansler's potential running mates, though at least one source is very skeptical that Mitchell has signed on for the Lt. Gov. spot.

Also of note in Gansler's campaign video is a segment where he highlights problems in Maryland. The following issues appear to be previewing criticisms Gansler may level at the O'Malley-Brown administration: 1) Jobs leaving the state, 2) Maryland having the #2 educational achievement gap in the nation, and 3) Maryland having America's worst traffic congestion. You can watch Gansler's kickoff video below:



JUICE #2: U.S. SENATOR BARBARA MIKULSKI TO ENDORSE LT. GOVERNOR ANTHONY BROWN IN MOCO, TWO DAYS AHEAD OF GANSLER KICKOFF - Two days ahead of Doug Gansler's campaign kickoff, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown is hosting a campaign event in Montgomery County, this Sunday, September 22nd. The Washington Post reports that the event in Silver Spring will likely be to announce an endorsement from U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown’s gubernatorial campaign plans to unveil Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski as its latest supporter at an event Sunday, according to several people familiar with the planned endorsement.

The backing of Mikulski (D-Md.), who rarely chooses sides in Democratic primaries, is scheduled to be announced in Silver Spring two days before Douglas F. Gansler, Brown’s chief rival for the 2014 nomination, plans to formally launch his campaign for governor. Brown (D) advertised the event in an e-mail to supporters last week, promising “an exciting campaign announcement” Sunday at noon....

JUICE #3: COMPTROLLER PETER FRANCHOT KICKS OF RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN WITH A NEW VIDEO - Peter Franchot kicked off his re-election bid today with a video highlighting his accomplishments. Among these, Franchot includes: 1) making it easier to file taxes and get refunds quicker, 2) collecting money from tax-dodgers, 3) fighting wasteful spending, and 4) not being a rubber stamp for "Annapolis insiders." Watch Peter Franchot's kickoff video below:



JUICE #4: DELEGATES BILL FRICK AND AISHA BRAVEBOY TO JOIN RACE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL - The Washington Post's John Wagner reported today that Delegates Bill Frick (Montgomery County) and Aisha Braveboy (Prince George's County) will be joining Sen. Brian Frosh and Del. Jon Cardin (Baltimore County) in the race for Attorney General (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Del. C. William Frick (D-Montgomery) filed his paperwork with the State Board of Elections on Wednesday, and Del. Aisha N. Braveboy (D-Prince George’s) said she plans to file as a 2014 candidate by the end of the day Thursday.... Frick, a member of the House of Delegates since 2007, said he would make a formal announcement about his campaign in coming weeks....

JUICE #5: THIS SATURDAY, NARAL PRO-CHOICE MARYLAND GALA TO DRAW ATTENDEES RANGING FROM FRANCHOT & MIZEUR TO ULMAN & GANSLER - Maryland Juice received an invitation to a NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland "Evening of Chocolate Gala" this Saturday night, and it appears that many of our statewide Democratic candidates will be attending this event (tickets still available online). The NARAL Gala will be this Saturday night at 8 pm in Sandy Spring, Maryland (details below):

PRESS RELEASE

Chocolate for Choice

Gubernatorial Candidates, Elected Officials, and Others Celebrate Reproductive Rights and Honor Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, Joshua Sharfstein, and Reproductive Healthcare Provider, Allie Harper.

NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland’s 24th annual Evening of Chocolate Gala this Saturday at 8pm celebrates the 40-year anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the achievements of Secretary Joshua Sharfstein and Allie Harper. Also attending are Comptroller Peter Franchot, gubernatorial candidates Delegate Heather Mizeur and Attorney General Doug Gansler, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, candidate for Lt. Governor, and more than 200 NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland supporters.

“The Supreme Court’s Roe decision 40 years ago is a good foundation to protect reproductive freedom, but the issue of choice and reproductive health continues to be a matter of concern,” says Jodi Finkelstein, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland. “The Evening of Chocolate is a wonderful time to reflect on our successes, but we also need to focus on the work at hand. Nationally, a women’s fundamental right to choose is at stake. We need to continue to ensure a woman’s right to make decisions about her reproductive health remains unfettered by government intervention.”

WHO: Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD., Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, Comptroller Peter Franchot, Candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor, Attorney General Doug Gansler, Delegate Heather Mizeur, and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, Over 200 NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland supporters

WHERE: The Oak Room, 17921 Brooke Rd, Sandy Spring, MD 20860

WHAT: NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland’s Annual Evening of Chocolate Gala

WHEN: September 21, 2013, 8:00-11:00 pm

Current and former elected officials sponsoring the Gala include: Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Congressman John Sarbanes, Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Erwin, Delegate Ariana Kelly, Senator Karen Montgomery, Delegate Anne Kaiser, Delegate Eric Luedtke, Delegate Craig Zucker, Senator Robert Garagiola, Delegate Kathleen Dumais, Delegate Brian Feldman, Delegate Aruna Miller, Senator Nancy King, Delegate Charles Barkley, Delegate Kirill Reznik, Delegate Shane Robinson, Senator Roger Manno, Howard County Councilwoman Courtney Watson, Cheverly Councilwoman Mary Jane Coolen, Delegate Ben Kramer, Delegate Bill Frick, Delegate Guy Guzzone, Delegate Jim Gilchrist, Delegate Luiz R.S. Simmons, Delegate Shelia Hixson, Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich, The Honorable Duchy Trachtenberg, and The Honorable Cheryl C. Kagan.

NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland is the political leader of the pro-choice movement in Maryland and works to develop and sustain a constituency that works to guarantee every woman the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing safe, legal abortion. Money raised at the event supports NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland’s advocacy work.

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VIDEOS: MD Attorney General Candidates on Campaign Trail // WATCH: Aisha Braveboy, Jon Cardin, Bill Frick & Brian Frosh

Maryland Juice decided to provide readers with a quick check-in on the state of the 2014 battle for Attorney General. As far as we know, there are still four candidates in the race: State Senator Brian Frosh and Delegates Aisha Braveboy, Jon Cardin & Bill Frick. Below we provide video footage of all four candidates speaking at various political events over the last month or so. One dynamic to keep an eye on is whether the statewide candidates for Governor, Attorney General and Comptroller begin teaming up and forming tickets. In any case, check out the campaign speeches below:


JUICE #1: SEN. BRIAN FROSH SPEAKS AT FUNDRAISER FOR SEN. JAMIE RASKIN  //  TEA LEAVES ABOUT SENATE JUDICIARY CHAIR? - Maryland Juice videotaped remarks by State Senator Brian Frosh at a recent fundraiser for his colleague Jamie Raskin. Notably, the event also featured former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright and Governor Martin O'Malley. In the clip below, Frosh touches on some of his legislative accomplishments from the past session, and also notes that he has high hopes that Raskin may replace him as Chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee:



JUICE #2: DEL. AISHA BRAVEBOY DISCUSSES MINIMUM WAGE AT PROGRESSIVE NEIGHBORS TOWN HALL - Last month Maryland Juice also caught remarks from Del. Aisha Braveboy on a proposed hike to the minimum wage. Braveboy's comments were made at a Town Hall meeting hosted by the Montgomery County-based group Progressive Neighbors:



JUICE #3: DEL. BILL FRICK TELLS MARYLAND YOUNG DEMOCRATS TO EMBRACE UNDERDOG CANDIDATES - Last February Del. Bill Frick spoke to Maryland Young Democrats and asked them to embrace underdog candidates. He notes that Barack Obama was considered an underdog before winning the presidency, but Frick also zings rival candidate Del. Jon Cardin noting that he lacks Cardin's famous uncle:



JUICE #4: DEL. JON CARDIN HIGHLIGHTS CYBERBULLYING & CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM AT REISTERSTOWN EVENT - Delegate Jon Cardin recently spoke at a Reisterstown Town Hall meeting and previewed some of his legislative efforts in advance of his Attorney General campaign. In the video below Cardin highlights anti-cyberbullying efforts and campaign finance reform:



MUCH MORE ON THE 2014 ATTORNEY GENERAL BATTLE SOON!

UPDATE: Ken Ulman, Heather Mizeur, Aisha Braveboy and Other Candidates Join Labor Protest of MoCo Democratic Ball

Below Maryland Juice provides a round of updates on which Democratic officials and organizations are supporting a planned protest of this Saturday's MoCo Democratic Party fundraising ball. It appears that statewide officials and a handful of MoCo lawmakers are unwilling to cross the picket line. There were apparently attempts by a few Democratic officials to broker some sort of compromise this week, but the unions appear set on holding their protest. Details below:

JUICE #1: KEN ULMAN & HEATHER MIZEUR JOIN ANTHONY BROWN IN SUPPORTING LABOR PROTEST - Three out of the four Democrats seeking the Governor's office in 2014 are now supporting the AFL-CIO's protest of the MCDCC spring ball. Only Attorney General Doug Gansler has not yet weighed in, while Lt. Governor Anthony Brown previously indicated he would be joining the labor protest. Below Maryland Juice provides statements from Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and Delegate Heather Mizeur:

KEN ULMAN: I would like to be able to support my labor friends in Montgomery County, and celebrate the achievements of my Democratic neighbors in Montgomery County. But I can't do both on May 11.  I will honor the picket and the protest, and hope that these tensions are resolved soon.

HEATHER MIZEUR: If there's one thing I learned from my Dad, a UAW member for 32 years, it's solidarity – the importance of standing together. My Dad never once crossed a picket line, and I certainly will not cross one for Saturday's event.

JUICE #2: DEL. AISHA BRAVEBOY JOINS DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL IN SUPPORTING UNION PROTESTERS - Maryland Juice previously printed responses from three out of the four Democratic candidates for Attorney General indicating they would be supporting the union protesters and cancelling previous plans to attend the MCDCC spring ball: State Senator Brian Frosh and Delegates Bill Frick & Jon Cardin. But now all four Democratic candidates are supporting the protest. We recently received the following statement from Del. Aisha Braveboy indicating that she too would not be attending the MCDCC ball:

DEL. AISHA BRAVEBOY: I respect the decision by our brothers and sisters in labor to exercise their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and to assemble; and I believe that the decision by labor to boycott and picket the MCDCC Spring Fling was made after thoughtful consideration and deliberation by its membership.

My hope is that this action by our party's most loyal and giving constituency will lead to meaningful dialogues between all parties and the development of a plan to move forward in unity.

I hope to be able to attend the Spring Fling in 2014, but will be standing in solidarity with my labor partners this year.

Respectully,
Aisha N. Braveboy, Esq. Delegate (D-25)

JUICE #3: COALITION OF ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT LABOR PROTEST OF MCDCC BALL - Today Maryland Juice received the latest AFL-CIO Metro Council email newsletter, and it includes a round-up of additional officials and groups endorsing their planned picket of the MoCo Democratic Spring Ball this weekend (excerpt below):

AFL-CIO: Here’s who’s joined the boycott thus far: Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO; FOP Lodge 35; UFCW Local 1994, MCGEO; IAFF Local 1664; Montgomery County Young Democrats; Prince Georges County Young Democrats; Progressive Maryland; Fund Our Communities; Senator Ben Cardin (D, MD); Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown; Del. Charles Barkley; Del. Bill Frick; Del Brian Frosh; Sen. Rob Garagiola; Del. Tom Hucker; Sen. Roger Manno; Del. Heather R. Mizeur; Sen. Karen Montgomery.

MORE ON THE LABOR PROTEST OF THE MCDCC BALL SOON!

Maryland House Approves Transportation Funding Plan 76-63 // ROLL CALL: Analysis of How Lawmakers Voted on the Gas Tax

Maryland Juice recently highlighted the state's efforts to raise critical transportation funds to help maintain highways & bridges and build new transit lines (eg: the MoCo/PG Purple Line and Baltimore Red Line). Our sources were indicating that the vote on Maryland's $3.4 billion infrastructure funding bill was going to be very close, since the primary vehicle for raising funds was a proposed gas tax increase. But on Friday afternoon, the House of Delegates did indeed approve the historic transportation funding package in a fairly close 76-63 vote.

22 DEMOCRATIC HOUSE MEMBERS JOINED MARYLAND GOP IN OPPOSING O'MALLEY'S TRANSPORTATION FUNDING PLAN - The Washington Post's  John Wagner printed the full roll call for the vote, but below we analyze the details a bit and highlight the unusual votes. First, it should be noted that every single Republican Delegate voted against Governor O'Malley's revenue plan. Meanwhile, 22 Democrats joined 41 Republicans in opposing transportation funding.

Democratic opposition to Gov. Martin O'Malley's transportation funding plan came mostly from ideologically conservative Dems in the House of Delegates (details below). While some of the members surely have alternate explanations for their votes against the gas tax hike, it is worth noting that of the 22 Democratic House "no" votes, all but four members also cast votes against either the Dream Act, marriage equality or death penalty repeal:

HOUSE DEMOCRATS WHO VOTED AGAINST MD TRANSPORTATION FUNDING PLAN:

1. Pamela Beidle (Anne Arundel) - also voted against Dream Act & death penalty repeal
2. Aisha Braveboy (Prince George’s) - also voted against marriage equality
3. Eric Bromwell (Baltimore County) - also voted against Dream Act & death penalty repeal
4. Emmett Burns (Baltimore County) - also voted against Dream Act & marriage equality
5. Rudolph Cane (Wicomico) - also voted against marriage equality
6. Frank Conaway (Baltimore)
7. Norman Conway (Wicomico) - also voted against Dream Act, marriage equality & death penalty repeal
8. Steven DeBoy (Baltimore County) - also voted against Dream Act, marriage equality & death penalty repeal
9. Barbara Frush (Prince George’s)
10. Mary-Dulany James (Harford) - also voted against Dream Act, marriage equality & death penalty repeal
11. Kevin Kelly (Allegany) - also voted against Dream Act, marriage equality & death penalty repeal
12. Stephen Lafferty (Baltimore County) - also voted against Dream Act
13. James Malone (Baltimore) - also voted against Dream Act & death penalty repeal
14. Joseph Minnick (Baltimore County) - also voted against Dream Act, marriage equality & death penalty repeal
15. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam (Baltimore County)
16. John Olszewski (Baltimore County) - also voted against Dream Act & death penalty repeal
17. David Rudolph (Cecil) - also voted against Dream Act & death penalty repeal
18. Luiz Simmons (Montgomery)
19. Theodore Sophocleus (Anne Arundel) - also voted against Dream Act, marriage equality & death penalty repeal
20. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (Prince George’s) - also voted against marriage equality
21. Michael Weir (Baltimore County) - also voted against Dream Act, marriage equality & death penalty repeal
22. John Wood (St. Mary’s) - also voted against Dream Act, marriage equality & death penalty repeal

DEL. LUIZ SIMMONS CAST THE LONE "NO" VOTE FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY - Meanwhile, in liberal Montgomery County, 23 out of 24 Delegates cast votes in favor of the transportation plan. Only Democratic Delegate Luiz Simmons cast a vote against the gas tax (Note: he previously served in the legislature as a Republican). Simmons represents House District 17, alongside Sen. Jennie Forehand and Delegates Kumar Barve & Jim Gilchrest. But while Simmons voted against the transportation funding plan, his colleagues Barve & Gilchrest voted for the bill. Maryland-based political consultant David Goodman responded to Luiz Simmons' gas tax "no" vote with the following remark on Twitter:

Indeed, Maryland Juice has been hearing buzz about a potential 2014 run for State Senate by District 17 Delegate Luiz Simmons. The seat is currently held by fellow Democrat, State Senator Jennie Forehand.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC "NO" VOTES IN THE MARYLAND HOUSE - Three Prince George's Democrats voted against the revenue package: Delegates Aisha Braveboy, Barbara Frush, and Geraldine Valentino-Smith. Del. Braveboy represents District 25 in a 3-member House District with Dereck Davis and Melony Griffith. But Braveboy parted ways with her D25 colleagues in voting "no" on the transportation plan. It is worth noting that she's also a potential candidate for Attorney General in 2014.

Meanwhile, the Delegates representing District 12 continued to demonstrate ideological differences. House District 12 is currently represented by three Maryland Democrats: retiring Delegate Liz Bobo in subdistrict 12B and Delegates Steve Deboy and Jim Malone in subdistricct 12A. But even those these three Delegates are all Democrats, Deboy and Malone persistently join the Republicans on close votes -- even though their new 2014 district will include liberal Columbia, Maryland and scores of new progressive voters. Naturally, Bobo voted for the transportation funds, while Deboy and Malone voted against the infrastructure money. Some of their 2014 Democratic Primary competitors have taken notice of these political dynamics.

Here are a few more instances of Democrats in the House disagreeing with their legislative district colleagues:

MARYLAND GOP HEADS TO SOUTH CAROLINA DURING GAS TAX DEBATE - Amusingly, while the House of Delegates held a close vote on a Maryland gas tax hike, the Maryland Republican Party was holding press events in South Carolina. The Baltimore Sun's Erin Cox noted that the Maryland GOP's Executive Director David Ferguson drove his truck to Charleston, South Carolina for the weekend (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Gov. Martin O'Malley took the stage Saturday at a high school in this early presidential primary state, telling an auditorium of South Carolina Democrats that his principles worked in Maryland — and they'd work elsewhere....

The Maryland Republican Party's executive director took issue with the achievements O'Malley cited. David Ferguson drove his truck down to Charleston to stage an event outside the West Ashley High School where O'Malley spoke....

MORE ON THE MD TRANSPORTATION DEBATE SOON!

Del. Aisha Braveboy Announces Run for Maryland Attorney General // Four Candidates In 2014 Democratic Primary Race

I'm not sure how this slipped under my radar, but a Maryland Juice source pointed out that Delegate Aisha Braveboy announced a run for Attorney General almost two weeks ago! Our source attended a fundraiser for Braveboy and confirmed that she announced a 2014 Democratic Primary run at the January 3rd event. Delegate Jolene Ivey also Tweeted about the news from her Prince George's colleague:

Aisha Braveboy represents District 25 in Maryland's House of Delegates. Below you can read some bio information that appears on her campaign website:

UPDATE: Del. Jon Cardin Confirms Interest in 2014 MD Attorney General Race // PLUS: Other Candidates Emerge

Two weeks ago, Maryland Juice reported that Delegate Jon Cardin was ramping up his fundraising in anticipation of a 2014 Attorney General campaign. Below we provide confirmation of his interest in the race, as well as speculation about other potential candidates.

JUICE #1: CARDIN CONFIRMS INTEREST IN 2014 ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE - The Towson Patch's Bryan Sears yesterday confirmed Del. Cardin's interest in the 2014 race (excerpt below):

TOWSON PATCH: "I'm exploring the attorney general position," said Cardin, who represents Owings Mills, Pikesville and part of Timonium. "I'm not exploring the comptroller position."

JUICE #2: COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE LYNNE BATTAGLIA PONDERING 2014 RACE - Meanwhile, Center Maryland columnist Josh Kurtz wrote last week that Court of Appeals Judge Lynne Battaglia is pondering the 2014 Attorney General race. Kurtz also notes other candidates whose names have been floated for the position, but he also provides a lengthy analysis of the potential 2014 field (excerpt below):

CENTER MARYLAND: Lynne Battaglia, the Clinton-era U.S. attorney for Maryland who has been a Court of Appeals judge for the past 11 years, is considering running for attorney general in 2014, according to knowledgeable sources....

Del. Aisha Braveboy (D) is also talking about running, and there continues to be a fanciful rumor that Katie Curran O’Malley wants the job....

State Senate Judicial Proceedings Chairman Brian Frosh (D) is now taking steps to run.... Del. Bill Frick (D) continues to travel the state, exploring the possibility of an AG run. Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy (D) is also making the political rounds.... And as we reported two weeks ago, former Ehrlich administration official Chrys Kefalas is contemplating running on the Republican side.

MORE ON THE 2014 AG RACE SOON!

JuiceBlender: 2014 Attorney General Candidates, Martin O'Malley On Tour, Marriage Equality Brings Big Bucks & More

Below Maryland Juice presents a random blend of tidbits from recent political news. We begin with an early peek at Maryland's 2014 Attorney General's race:

JUICE #1: EARLY PEEK AT 2014 ATTORNEY GENERAL PRIMARY - Last week, Maryland Juice previewed lists of potential 2014 candidate fields. We did not, however, discuss the 2014 Attorney General's race -- and now Center Maryland's Josh Kurtz has beaten us to the punch! Today, he published a worthwhile analysis of the early dynamics. We print an excerpt from Josh Kurtz's column below, followed by a current list of the potential candidates:

CENTER MARYLAND: ... it’s been widely assumed that state Sen. Jamie Raskin ... will try to replace [Doug Gansler] in the AG’s office when the time comes.

Raskin told me last week that he’s still thinking seriously about it and hopes to make up his mind sometime in the fall (his most immediate electoral priority, he said, is preserving the same-sex marriage law and the DREAM Act on the ballot in November)....

BREAKING: Prince George's Officials to Back Derrick Leon Davis for County Council

UPDATE: Today's canvass-rally has been re-scheduled from SAT 8/26 to SAT 9/10. Irene!

Tomorrow, numerous Prince George's elected officials are expected to back Derrick Leon Davis for County Council. Davis is running for the District 6 seat which is currently up for a special election (voting info here).

The dates for the Special Primary Election and the Special General Election are September 20, 2011 and October 18, 2011, respectively. The polls for each election open at 7:00 A.M. and close at 8:00 P.M.

Mr. Davis hails from Mitchellville, Maryland and is a former O'Malley appointee and Chair of the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund. According to an invitation leaked to Maryland Juice, tomorrow Davis is hosting a morning rally-canvass featuring the following special guests: