JUICE: MCDCC Truce with Labor, Del. Sheila Hixson Kills Retirement Rumor, Brown Denies Snubbing MoCo Advocate

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

JUICE #1: MOCO DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE & LABOR ACTIVISTS FORMING COMBINED SLATE FOR 2014 MCDCC ELECTIONS - Last May MoCo Democratic politicos ended up in a divisive debate over the MoCo police union's displeasure with "Question B," an effort to end "effects bargaining rights" for county law enforcement workers. Maryland Juice predicted we hadn't heard the last of that story, and this week Bethesda Magazine's Lou Peck provided some follow-up. In the article below, Peck describes a new "unity" effort between members of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) and labor activists. It appears that MoCo Young Dems, MCDCC members, and labor activists are attempting to form a slate of MCDCC candidates for the June 2014 Democratic Primary (excerpt below):

BETHESDA MAGAZINE: The quadrennial election for Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) doesn’t usually attract much attention from Primary Day voters....  But the MCDCC found itself in an unwanted spotlight last May, when labor groups organized a boycott of the committee’s “Spring Ball” that kept a number of state and local Democratic officeholders away....

Now, with the filing deadline for committee slots just 10 weeks away, a peace initiative of sorts is underway involving MCDCC Chairman Gabriel Albornoz and representatives of several of the county’s leading labor groups.

Taking advantage of a larger than average turnover in the central committee next year –  due to retirements and several members seeking public office -- the apparent goal is to produce a unity slate of MCDCC candidates who are palatable to local labor groups, while representing something of a youth movement for the local party....

Albornoz is forming a screening panel—consisting of outgoing MCDCC members, along with a few party veterans—to interview applicants for the central committee, with an eye to producing a slate of candidates by mid-January. Two-thirds of the committee’s 24 seats are divided among the county’s eight state legislative district; the remaining members are chosen at-large.

Playing a major role in the effort is Dave Kunes, president of the Montgomery County Young Democrats, who is himself planning to seek a seat on the MCDCC and has recruited as many as 10 colleagues in the Young Democrats to apply during the slating process....

JUICE #2: DELEGATE SHEILA HIXSON STAMPS DOWN RUMORS OF A RETIREMENT - Though Maryland Juice was unaware of this, apparently there have been recent rumors of a possible retirement from Delegate Sheila Hixson. But Hixson's campaign aide Michael Vaughan reached out to Maryland Juice to stamp out the unfounded rumors with the following statement for publication:

MICHAEL VAUGHAN: I have heard a couple of rumors in the last few days, no doubt created by the usual mischief makers, that Delegate Sheila Hixson is retiring.  Sorry, not true.

I assure you and whoever reads this, that Sheila Hixson is running a vigorous campaign for re election in District 20 in 2014. We are well advanced in our planning for the campaign and have already begun making contact with the new precincts in D 20 who may not be familiar with the impressive record of Delegate Hixson and her powerful position in Annapolis.

As you know, Sheila and Senator Jamie Raskin have created a formidable legislative team, representing Montgomery County and the progressive values of District 20 reinforced by Sheila's position as Chair of House Ways and Means committee. 

Sheila and Jamie announced that they were running together after they led a walk across District 20 concluding with a well attended BBQ  at the Takoma Park VFW on October 26th.  I know the political waters in District 20 are swirling at the moment and you have a personal interest in the race but I know definitely that Jamie and Sheila are running and will continue to represent the progressive values of District 20.

I cannot speak for Delegate Tom Hucker but as far as I know he is running for re election for District 20. Tom is more than capable of handling rumors about his future plans.

We will continue to keep you informed as we ramp up our campaign. If anyone wants to know the status of our campaign please call and ask!  As you can know, I talk to Sheila all the time and I will be happy to inform you of the facts.

JUICE #3: MOCO ADVOCATE DISMAYED BY ANTHONY BROWN EVENT CANCELLATION // BROWN SAYS HE'S ATTENDING - A Maryland Juice source forwarded us the following email from Barbara Henry, the head of Committee for Montgomery, "a coalition of leaders representing a broad cross-section of Montgomery County business, labor, education, civic and community-based organizations. Our mission is to advocate in Annapolis on issues of importance to Montgomery County and the State. Through our membership, CfM represents more than 250,000 Montgomery County residents."

Committee for Montgomery is holding their annual breakfast this Monday, but today noted that Lt. Governor Anthony Brown has pulled out of attending at the last minute. As a result, the organization's head sent the following email message to Montgomery County's Councilmembers, Senators and Delegates:

BARBARA HENRY: We were informed, yesterday evening, that Lt. Governor Brown would not be participating in Committee for Montgomery’s breakfast on Monday.

As you can imagine, we were quite surprised to hear this at the 11th hour, particularly because we have an email commitment from his staff dated November 19th.

What this says about the Lt. Governor’s relationship with and commitment to Montgomery County I will leave to you to decide.

Since November 19th, we have been promoting his (and the other 4 candidates’) participation in the event.  As a result, will have to explain to the 750 attendees (most of whom, as you know, are at the political heart of Montgomery County) and the reporters from the Washington Post, Center Maryland, WAMU, and WJLA the circumstances surrounding Mr. Brown’s withdrawal.

If any of you have any influence whatsoever with Mr. Brown and his campaign, we would appreciate any influence you might bring to bear regarding a reconsideration of this decision.

The strangest part of this story, is that The Washington Post reported today that Brown does plan on attending the Committee for Montgomery breakfast (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Sparks are already starting to fly in advance of a Maryland gubernatorial forum scheduled for Monday — over who plans to attend....

A widely distributed e-mail on Thursday, however, suggested that Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) had just backed out — and that organizers weren’t happy....

Brown will, in fact, be at the breakfast, his campaign manager Justin Schall said in an interview shortly after Henry’s e-mail was sent. “We are planning to attend,” Schall said. “We’ve always been planning to attend. I’m not sure what she’s talking about.”

JUICE: SEIU for Brown, Sam Arora News, Delaney Letter for Saqib Ali, Susan Lee Lit, Gun Frenzy, Minimum Wage, Drones

Below Maryland Juice writers Dan Furmansky and David Moon highlight recent news of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: SEIU ENDORSES ANTHONY BROWN FOR GOVERNOR, DOUG GANSLER RESPONDS - Today The Baltimore Sun noted that SEIU will endorse Anthony Brown for Maryland Governor (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown is expected to collect the endorsement of one of the most powerful unions in Maryland Monday in his race for the 2014 Democratic nomination for governor.... The SEIU is one of the state's largest unions, representing more than 30,000 public employees, health care workers, security workers and janitors in Maryland.....

Attorney General Doug Gansler's campaign responded with the following press release:

PRESS RELEASE

Campaign Statement Re: SEIU Endorsement
Silver Spring, MD - In response to SEIU endorsement announcement, Gansler campaign manager Matthew "Mudcat" Arnold said,  "SEIU 1199, with far more members in New York than Maryland, carried the state council endorsement. That is disappointing, but the fact remains that the largest, fastest-growing, statewide local with the most Maryland members, SEIU 500, cast their vote for Doug Gansler, proving once again that hard-working families in Maryland want a candidate with ideas and who isn’t afraid to shake up the status quo to get things done. This starts for Doug with creating jobs and a fairer economy where the middle class, and thus all of us, thrives. "

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JUICE #2: IT'S OFFICIAL DISTRICT 19 INCUMBENTS RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION WITHOUT SAM ARORA - The Gazette's Kate Alexander reported last Friday that District 19 incumbents are publicly confirming that they will be forming a slate for re-election without Sam Arora. For what it's worth, Arora has not yet announced if he will seek re-election but will apparently be deciding "soon" what he is doing next year (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: Three District 19 state lawmakers — Dels. Bonnie L. Cullison and Benjamin F. Kramer, and Sen. Roger Manno — have confirmed they will campaign as a group for the upcoming election, excluding Del. Sam Arora.... [A] photo that recently popped up on Manno’s Facebook page taken for collective campaign materials shows him, Cullison and Kramer, without Arora. All four are Democrats.

Asked about the photo, Manno repeatedly answered “Who?” at the mention of Arora’s name, as if the first-term delegate already was gone and forgotten.... Arora has not announced publicly if he will seek re-election.... On Thursday, he would say only that he will announce “soon....” At least two other Democrats have committed to the District 19 race. Meloyde A. Berry of Silver Spring has filed to run for delegate. Maricé I. Morales of Silver Spring, a special assistant in Manno’s office has, too.

Maryland Juice has also heard of another potential candidate or two, but hopefully there will be more news on those fronts very soon. In the meantime, Delegate Sam Arora is making public appearances, as we noted his recent attendance at a ribbon cutting for Montgomery County's newly expanded bike share program:

JUICE #3: FORMER DELEGATE SAQIB ALI RELEASES LETTER FROM REP. JOHN DELANEY FOR DISTRICT 15 MCDCC APPOINTMENT - The vacancy created by District 15 Delegate Brian Feldman's appointment to the State Senate is creating yet another vacancy appointment by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee. Feldman's seat will be filled at the MCDCC meeting next Tuesday, October 8th, and the District 15 Democratic Caucus is holding a candidates forum tomorrow night. You can see the list of candidates vying for the D15 Delegate appointment below, along with a letter from Congressman John Delaney on behalf of former Delegate Saqib Ali:

The District 15 Candidates Forum
7:00 pm October 1, 2013
Up County Regional Services Center
12900 Middlebrook Road
Germantown, MD  20874

Including:

• Anis Ahmed
• Saqib Ali
• Lori Askinazi
• David Frazer-Hidalgo
• Hamza Khan
• Jinhee Wilde
• Venattia Vann

Rep. John Delaney's Letter re: Saqib Ali for D15 Delegate

JUICE #4: DELEGATE SUSAN LEE CAMPAIGNS FOR D16 STATE SENATE // HERE'S HER FIRST LIT PIECE - Maryland Juice recently bumped into Delegate Susan Lee at a death penalty repeal victory party. Lee is currently campaigning for the District 16 State Senate seat being vacated by Brian Frosh, but so far she appears to be the only candidate in the race. Delegate Lee has produced the following State Senate lit piece highlighting testimony from State Senator Jamie Raskin and MoCo State's Attorney John McCarthy:

JUICE #5: IN ADVANCE OF NEW GUN LAWS, MARYLANDERS BUYING GUNS AT RATE OF 1,000 PER DAY // MEANWHILE, LAWSUIT TO DELAY GUN LAWS COMMENCES - Like squirrels collecting nuts for the winter, gun enthusiasts are flocking to collect assault-style rifles and other fun tinker toys before Maryland’s new gun laws take effect this week, when such weapons are banned and fingerprints and a license will finally be required to buy a handgun. The state police reported to The Baltimore Sun that more than 102,000 gun purchase applications have been submitted so far this year — twice the number for all of 2011. This month, a swarm of requests hit the Maryland State Police background check system at a pace roughly seven times that during the same time last year.

The Sun also reports that at a store in Pasadena (the district of Delegate Don Dwyer, who hosted an auction of assault weapons during a "Gun Rights and Liberty BBQ) has sold out of the AR-15 — the nation's most popular assault-style rifle (pictured below), and the same type of gun used in the December Newton shooting:

The Baltimore Sun report notes that this gun-purchasing onslaught temporarily resulted in residents with criminal backgrounds being able to purchase firearms (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: The spike in sales — and resulting backlog of background checks — has put guns at least temporarily into the hands of people whose criminal records barred them from owning firearms and has complicated efforts to implement the new law.

Demand for guns overwhelmed the state's background check system months ago, leading half of the state's 314 dealers to release weapons to buyers without waiting for them to be checked out. Under state law, gun dealers must wait only seven days to release a firearm, but background checks have taken two months or more. All told, dealers have released 45 guns to 40 people prohibited from having them. State police said they have recovered them all....

While the new law bans the sale of 45 different types of assault weapons, it allows dealers to sell their existing inventory of assault-style rifles after Sept. 30 so long as there is a valid order placed before then.

In the meantime, gun advocates have launched a lawsuit seeking to delay implementation of the new Maryland gun regulations. The Washington Times reported on the development (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON TIMES: A federal judge is scheduled to consider Tuesday whether to issue a temporary restraining order to halt new firearms restrictions set to take effect that day in Maryland.

The request for the order is part of a lawsuit filed by a collection of Maryland residents, gun store owners and Second Amendment advocates attempting to block implementation of some of the most stringent gun laws in the nation.

In court papers served on Gov. Martin O’Malley, Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and the Maryland State Police, the plaintiffs are seeking to block the laws from going into effect because they “will burden impermissibly the fundamental constitutional rights” and cause “significant economic harm” to business.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Maryland, says the Firearms Safety Act of 2013 passed this year by the General Assembly would “unconstitutionally restrict” the right to keep and bear arms. It argues the new laws violate the Second Amendment by arbitrarily outlawing certain guns and prohibiting features and accessories that promote their effective and efficient use. It also says the prohibition on magazines holding more than 10 rounds is unusual and limits a gun owner’s ability to defend themselves....

JUICE #6: SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER ON MARYLAND'S PROPOSED MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE - Proposals to increase the minimum wage are gaining traction in the state. Here’s a kick-ass argument for the long-overdue increase made by Progressive Maryland Executive Director Kate Planco Waybright from MPT’s latest State Circle. It’s entirely worth watching her rattle off important facts and statistics we all should know and mop the floor with Rob Santoni of Maryland Food Dealers Council, who offers only weak platitudes in response (archived video begins at 12 mins. 30 secs):

Edward Kimmel (photo by Alan Bowser)

JUICE #7: PHOTO GALLERY: DISTRICT 20 CAMPAIGN SHOES - Edward Kimmel is well-known in Montgomery County Democratic circles for taking and posting massive amounts of photos from political events in the region. Today, Kimmel posted an amusing montage of candidates' footwear from a forum featuring nine candidates for the District 20 House of Delegates last Sunday:

EDWARD KIMMEL: On Sunday, the Democrats of Maryland Legislative District 20 -- the most liberal district in the Bluest State of the Union, held a "debate" in which nine candidates presented themselves to the most active of the activists -- Sheila Hixson's D20 Breakfast Club. Each of the feet shown in this forum trod upon the stage. So, for those of you who wanted to know what the movers and shakers of Lefty Land put on their feet, here it is. But who's shoes are these?

JUICE #8: GOV. MARTIN O'MALLEY SIGNS PACT WITH GOP GOVERNORS TO PUSH STATE UNIVERSITIES INTO DEVELOPING DRONES - Maryland Juice received a copy of the following unfortunate press release from Gov. Martin O'Malley noting that he is launching an effort to push Maryland's public colleges into development of drone technology. Much criticized for allowing the Obama administration to conduct executions without transparent due process, the use of drones is now being proposed for use by local law enforcement and for other surveillance activities. Similar to other efforts to develop weapons at academic institutions, O'Malley and GOP Presidential hopefuls NJ Gov. Chris Christie and VA Gov. Bob McDonnell are joining hands on this initiative. Indeed, along with government surveillance (ie: NSA) and arms dealing (ie: Lockheed Martin), Virginia and Maryland seek to make "drones" a jobs issue in the region:

PRESS RELEASE

Governor O'Malley, New Jersey Governor Christie, Virginia Governor McDonnell Sign Letter of Support for Universities' Collaboration on Unmaned Aircraft System Testing

MOU strengthens Mid-Atlantic region’s potential to be selected as FAA test site
Annapolis, MD (September 27, 2013) – Governor Martin O’Malley today joined New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell in submitting a letter supporting a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in which the University System of Maryland, Rutgers University and Virginia Tech University agreed to collaborate and partner on a Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) test site. The letter, sent to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, highlighted the cooperative UAS research conducted by the three universities.

“With the potential to create more than 2,500 well-paying jobs in Maryland over the next 12 years, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems sector has the potential to have a significant positive economic impact on our state,” said Governor O’Malley. “This is an exciting agreement between three world-class educational institutions that takes advantage of the unparalleled capabilities in Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia for research, development and testing, and positions the Mid-Atlantic region as the ideal location for an Unmanned Aircraft Systems test site.”

In Maryland, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River is recognized as the world’s leading center of UAS activity. At both the university level and among federal facilities, Maryland has been testing and developing UAS technology for more than two decades. Maryland’s UAS proposal, submitted to the FAA in May, includes the University System of Maryland campuses in College Park, Baltimore County and Eastern Shore, general aviation airports in Crisfield and St. Mary’s County, federal and industry partners and community organizations such as the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance, the Patuxent Partnership, and the Joint Atlantic and Chesapeake Range Collaborative.

“We are thankful to our entire Congressional delegation, especially Congressman Steny Hoyer, who worked diligently to grow this coalition, the universities for their spirit of cooperation, and to partner companies in each state whose support is testament to the potential of this initiative,” said Governor O’Malley.

“This memorandum of understanding between the University System of Maryland, Rutgers University, and Virginia Tech significantly strengthens our bid for one of six UAS test site designations chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration,” stated Congressman Hoyer. “With the presence of three outstanding higher education institutions; federal facilities, such as Pax River Naval Air Station and Webster Field; and strong industry partners, I’m optimistic that we are strongly positioned in the bidding process. I thank Governor O’Malley, Governor Christie, and Governor McDonnell, as well as our three universities, for partnering on this effort, which has the potential to spur private sector development through the commercialization of autonomous systems and boost job creation in our region.”

Under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Congress authorized the FAA to develop a comprehensive plan to integrate UAS into the National Airspace System. In February 2013, the FAA opened the selection process for the six UAS Test Sites that will conduct research and testing of technologies to support the UAS integration.

“The partnership between the University System of Maryland and leading institutions in Virginia and New Jersey will help increase the safety, efficiency, reliability and security of our nation’s airspace,” Senator Barbara Mikulski said. “Because of Maryland’s incredible federal assets, dynamic private sector and academic institutions, Maryland is well-suited to work together with the FAA on the Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Through this Mid-Atlantic collaboration, we will enhance the safety of our nation’s airspace, while supporting Maryland’s economic security through jobs today and jobs tomorrow.”

With the University of Maryland, College Park, taking the lead, Maryland applied to be selected by the FAA as one of six test sites for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. New Jersey and Virginia submitted a joint application as the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, under Virginia Tech. The three universities subsequently determined that the region’s competitive position is significantly enhanced as a multi-state entity which leverages the competitive strengths of each state. The universities have agreed to work as a united Joint Test Team in the event either or both teams are selected by the FAA as a Test Site for UAS.

Fifty applications across 37 states were submitted to the FAA through May 6, 2013, and 25 applicants remain. A decision is due December 31, 2013.

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VIDEO & PHOTO ALBUM: Councilmember Nancy Navarro, Del. Al Carr & Activists Speak Out for David Moon's House Campaign

Maryland Juice blogger David Moon held his first fundraiser for a 2014 House of Delegates race in Silver Spring and Takoma Park's District 20. With Delegate Heather Mizeur vacating her seat to run for Governor, I've been preparing to take the leap from progressive activism to progressive legislative organizing. Maryland Reporter's Len Lazarick dropped by our event and wrote a nice summary of the event last week (excerpt below):

MARYLAND REPORTER: David Moon, the man behind the Maryland Juice political blog in Montgomery County, made it sort of official Saturday on the back patio of his Takoma Park home. He’s running for the House of Delegates, with a formal announcement to come later....

"I really believe he would be amazing," [Montgomery County Councilmember] Navarro said. "We also need to recreate and reorganize our campaign strategies," and Moon can do that. "There’s a real opportunity to add more progressive choices," said Del. Al Carr, D-18.

Among the changes Moon wants to bring on economic justice issues is removing the heavy hand of corporations in politics, promoting women’s pay equity, providing universal child care, and demolishing "mass incarceration and the failed war on drugs.... "We have an opportunity to show that there’s a new way forward," said Moon. Moon has achieved a wide following with Maryland Juice....

VIDEO COMMENTARY FROM SUPPORTERS OF DAVID MOON: For those who weren't able to attend my event, I quickly pulled together a video of testimonials from some of the officials and activists who dropped by. In the short movie below, you can hear statements from County Councilmember Nancy Navarro, Delegate Al Carr, transit advocate Casey Anderson, and Dream Act student activist Jonathan Jayes-Green. Casey Anderson may have summed up the ethos of the event with his comment: "This race is a referendum on that idea, that we have turned a corner and people want something more from their politics - Democrats especially. And yet we've got legislators who would crawl through broken glass before they would take a tough vote...."


My campaign event last week was attended by a range of officials and progressive activists who were involved in some of the high-profile organizing campaigns of recent memory, including defending marriage equality and the Dream Act, advancing the Purple Line, and stopping corporate welfare. A few elected officials came out for the gathering, including Delegate Al Carr, County Councilmembers Nancy Navarro and Valerie Ervin, and Takoma Park Councilmembers Seth Grimes and Terry Seamens. We even had a drop-in from Clarence Lam, who is running for Delegate in the Howard County region. You can see the photo album from the event on Facebook:

Find out more at: http://www.DavidMoon.us

By Authority: Friends of David Moon. Chair: Marlana Valdez. Treasurer: Usman Ahmed.

MCDCC Picks 2 New Members: Tamika Bennett & Jonathan Prutow // PLUS: Herman Taylor Endorses Saqib Ali for D15

Below Maryland Juice provides two interesting tidbits of information regarding the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC). The first news item is an announcement of two new members of the MCDCC, while the second item is a sign that the race for a District 15 Delegate vacancy is already underway.

JUICE #1: MOCO DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE ELECTS TWO NEW MEMBERS - Tonight Maryland Juice attended a meeting of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee. You may ask what the occasion was because the MCDCC is not due to vote on a replacement State Senator for Rob Garagiola's District 15 vacancy until September 10. In fact, the MCDCC members called a meeting tonight to vote to fill two vacancies on their own body, but these new members will be among those who will choose candidates to replace the outgoing District 15 elected official(s).

MCDCC Chair Gabe Albornoz Thanks Candidates Seeking the Vacant Seats

Here is a bit of background for the uninitiated: When a state legislative vacancy occurs, the party central committee of the outgoing legislator submits a name(s) to the Governor to select a replacement. As the Maryland State Archives note: "In recent times, an important function of state central committees has been to name those who will replace General Assembly members who have died, resigned, refused to act, or been disqualified, expelled, or removed from office.... Although the Governor makes the appointment to fill a vacancy in the General Assembly, the Governor must select the person nominated by the state central committee of the party with which the vacating legislator had been affiliated...."

The MCDCC had two vacancies to fill -- one in District 17 and one in District 20 -- and tonight the incumbent members selected replacements for both positions. Below we provide brief background information on both new Central Committee members:

MEET NEW D17 MCDCC MEMBER JONATHAN PRUTOW - Jonathan Prutow was previously serving as a non-voting member of the MCDCC, and tonight he ran unopposed for the District 17 vacancy. I first met him when he volunteered for Hans Riemer's County Council campaign in 2010, while also working at the Fair Elections Legal Network. I can honestly say that Jonathan Prutow is a true work-horse for the party, because when I later went on to run GOTV in Montgomery County for the Maryland Democrats, the MCDCC Chair at the time (Karen Britto) was in a jam to find someone to help run the Democrats' early vote program in Montgomery County. Based on what I had seen from his work ethic and desire to get involved, I suggested Jonathan Prutow and connected him with Britto. Apparently it all worked out, since Prutow's colleagues on the MCDCC promoted him to a voting position.  Prutow's (now dated) bio on the MCDCC website notes:

MCDCC: Jonathan Prutow was first appointed to the MCDCC in December  2010. Mr. Prutow is a Gender Balance State Member and lives in District 17.  He currently serves on the Early Voting Committee, Issues Committee, and  Board of Elections Committee. He also was also appointed to the Committee to  Study Compensation of the County Executive, County Council, Sheriff, and  State’s Attorney. Mr. Prutow chaired the Early Voting Committee during the  2012 Primary Election. In addition to his work with the Montgomery County  Democratic Central Committee, Mr. Prutow has been involved with Organizing  for America and Obama for America (OFA) in several capacities since 2009. He  was a Community Organizer and Neighborhood Team Leader with OFA in the Rockville area and also worked as a Regional Voter Protection Director with OFA-Florida from  August 2012 to November 2012. He currently serves as the Statewide Press Lead  with Organizing for Action-Maryland. Mr. Prutow received his JD and Master of  Public Administration degrees from American University’s Washington College  of Law and School of Public Affairs in 2008, and he is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

New District 17 MCDCC Member Jonathan Prutow

MEET NEW D20 MCDCC MEMBER TAMIKA BENNETT - The second MCDCC vacancy was in my home turf of District 20, and unlike the District 17 race, there were four candidates for the D20 slot: Tamika Bennett, Alan Bowser, Justin Chappell and Arthur Jackson. The MCDCC members overwhelmingly chose Tamika Bennett, giving her 19 votes votes to Alan Bowser's 4 votes. In recent weeks, I've gotten to meet and learn more about Tamika Bennett and discovered that her family has a bold political backstory. In South Carolina in the 1950's, Tamika's family was involved in the petition to desegregate public school services, which resulted in the famous Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Needless to say, these political activities lead to threats of violence toward those involved, with one person fleeing to New York while hiding in a casket. As Wikipedia notes: "Although Brown resulted in a legal victory for the NAACP, it was a hollow victory for those associated with [the Briggs family]. Reverend Joseph De Laine, the generally acknowledged leader of Summerton [South Carolina's] African-Americans at the time, had his church burned and he moved to New York City in 1955 after surviving an attempted drive-by shooting. Harry and Eliza Briggs, on behalf of whose children the suit was filed, lost their jobs. Harry spent more than a decade working in Florida to support the family. Eliza eventually joined her children in New York."

In any case, like Jonathan Prutow, Tamika Bennett was previously serving as a non-voting member of the MCDCC and is the secretary of the East County Citizens Advisory Board.

New District 20 MCDCC Member Tamika Bennett

JUICE #2: FORMER DELEGATE HERMAN TAYLOR ENDORSES SAQIB ALI FOR A POTENTIAL DISTRICT 15 DELEGATE VACANCY - One of the first tasks facing the two new MCDCC members will be to join their colleagues in electing a new State Senator for District 15. Incumbent Senator Rob Garagiola's surprise resignation has led to a vacancy that is likely to be filled by Delegate Brian Feldman (now that challenger Bilal Ayyub has dropped out of the race). We predicted on Monday that this meant that Feldman's lack of competition would also likely trigger another MCDCC appointment process for the D15 Delegate seat in October. It appears that the race to succeed Del. Brian Feldman is now officially underway. An anonymous source forwarded Maryland Juice an email sent by former Delegate Herman Taylor to members of the MCDCC endorsing former Delegate Saqib Ali for the D15 Delegate slot:

From: Herman Taylor
Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Subject: Re: Letter of Support

Dear Esteemed members of the MCDCC,

It was my privilege to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates for 8 years and represent the area in which I grew up (District 14). I want to recognize your service to the Democratic Party and the great responsibility you have to fill the vacant Senate seat in District 15.

If Delegate Brian Feldman is elevated to the State Senate, Saqib Ali would make an excellent choice to replace him.

I was Ali's legislative colleague for four years in the House of Delegates (I always refer to him by his last name). More importantly during that time we shared a single office suite. I was able to observe Ali's daily interactions with his staff, colleagues, constituents and lobbyists. I can tell you without any doubt that he was a hard-working, conscientious and capable legislator. He treated everybody with fairness and respect. He is a person of character and integrity with an intense devotion to serving others. I am proud to call him my friend.

Therefore, I am honored to support Saqib Ali and respectfully ask for your consideration of his candidacy for District 15 Delegate.

Best regards,

Herman L.Taylor, Jr.

MORE ON THE POTENTIAL DISTRICT 15 DELEGATE VACANCY SOON!

CAT IS OUTTA THE BAG: Maryland Juice Blogger David Moon is Hosting a Brunch Fundraiser for a State House Campaign

The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.  Maryland Juice blogger David Moon is simply weighing a run for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 20.  Indeed, I had confirmed my exploration of this possibility to inquisitive journalists in recent months, but I'm now moving one step closer to making a decision. Next Saturday, I am hosting a brunch fundraiser at my home in Takoma Park, and I thought some readers might want to drop by and chat about my future plans. An all-star host committee of progressive activists in Maryland and Montgomery County has signed up to support my efforts, including a number of folks involved in recent organizing efforts around supporting marriage equality, fighting corporate welfare, promoting voting rights and transparency, fighting for civil liberties, standing up for immigrants' rights, advancing smart growth and transit, and much more. State Senator Jamie Raskin's 2006 campaign chair, Marlana Valdez, has also signed on to chair "Friends of David Moon" (details below):

Please Join Us for a Brunch Fundraiser at David Moon's House

Saturday, August 24   |   12:00 to 2:00 pm
30 Ritchie Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20910
RSVP at www.davidmoon.us

HOST COMMITTEE (IN FORMATION): County Councilmember Nancy Navarro, Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez, Marlana Valdez, Tamika Bennett, Dan Furmansky, Casey Anderson, Abigail Burman, Jean Athey, Sue Udry, Thomas Nephew, Martine Zundmanis, Usman Ahmed, Jonah Gold, Josh Gruenspecht, Rob Richie & Cindy Terrell, Tina & Don Slater, Lisa Polyak & Gita Deane.

In the meantime, I also produced a self-made video discussing why I'm thinking of running for the state legislature and telling viewers a little bit more about myself:




P.S. Don't worry, I'm not planning on junking up Maryland Juice with a bunch of news about my campaign. The dissemination of political news and mission of advancing social and economic justice will remain front and center for this blog.


By Authority: Friends of David Moon. Chair: Marlana Valdez. Treasurer: Usman Ahmed.

District 20 Melee: 15 New Candidates for Delegate in 2014 // Plus, Raskin for AG & Mizeur for [INSERT GUESS HERE]

CANDIDATE CORRECTIONS: Reuben Snipper called the idea of his candidacy "very funny" and thanked Maryland Juice "for the laughs." Tim Male also wrote in a denial: "I'm focused on the TP City Council, my day job and two kids."

UPDATE:  A person who claims to have been involved in the verification of the candidates in the list below, has offered up the following updates: "Terrell North for Council, not Delegate. I crossed off Josh Wright when he retired, and I would remove Tim Male who I'm positive is not thinking about running for state office." Yet another reader commented that Del. Hixson might retire and also questioned the source's redistricting notes below. Amazingly, they concluded by noting that I was still missing more candidates!

I sometimes have to remind myself that we are still over 2+ years away from the 2014 primaries. That's because Maryland Juice has already been covering an unusual amount of 2014 races (ie: Governor, Comptroller, Montgomery Executive, MoCo Council 5, etc). But today's politico rumor really outdoes the rest.

An anonymous source has leaked a list of fifteen new candidates for District 20 Delegate. All are Democrats who are eyeing the June 2014 Primary, and our source is claiming that each candidate's interest has been verified directly. District 20 currently includes parts of downtown Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and territories north to Springbrook High School. Not all of these folks will end up running, but for now, here is the crazy long D20 candidate list:

Leaked MD Congressional District Plan Generating Pushback from MoCo Donna Edwards Supporters

A leaked map of Maryland's 2012 Congressional Districts made big news this month, as it appeared to show a Democratic preference for priming the 6th District for a takeover. The map revealed that one way to do that involved pushing Rep. Donna Edwards' 4th District almost completely out of Montgomery County. District 20-based PAC Progressive Neighbors issued this email alert today: