JUICE: Final List of Names for Ervin's MoCo Council Seat, 2014 Annapolis Priorities, Del. Don Dwyer Removed from Committee

PLUS: FBI IN PRINCE GEORGE'S, 15 MIN TRAIN RIDE TO BALTIMORE, D17 SENATE BATTLE & MORE!

Below Maryland Juice provides a round-up of news items relating to politics and economic development:

JUICE #1: FINAL LIST OF APPLICANTS FOR VALERIE ERVIN'S COUNCIL VACANCY // JAY HUTCHINS & FORMER DEL. HERMAN TAYLOR ROUND OUT LIST OF 18 NAMES - Yesterday was the deadline for Democrats in Montgomery County's Council District 5 to apply for the seat recently vacated by Valerie Ervin. Below Maryland Juice provides the full list of eighteen (!!!) applicants for the interim appointment:

1. Alan Bowser
2. Cherri Branson
3. Esther Stein Chayt
4. Michael Diegel
5. Jeanette Dixon
6. Larry E. Edmonds
7. Ronald Galvin, Jr.
8. Jay Hutchins III
9. Arthur Jackson, Jr.
10. Kim Jones
11. Andrew Kleine
12. Iris Lewis
13. Timothy Male
14. Harold McDougall
15. Herman Taylor *
16. Dale Tibbitts
17. Daniel L. Wilhelm
18. Mark Woodard

* Currently resides in District 5 -- will update voter registration from District 4 prior to appointment

One of the more interesting new names on this list is Jay Hutchins, who was the runner-up to Sam Arora in the 2010 Democratic Primary for District 19 House of Delegates. Also of note is an application by former District 14 Delegate Herman Taylor.


JUICE #2: GOP DELEGATE DON DWYER STRIPPED OF SEAT ON HOUSE WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE - The Capitol Gazette reported today that at the start of Maryland's 2014 legislative session, embattled Delegate Don Dwyer has been removed from his seat on the House Ways & Means Committee (excerpt below):

CAPITAL GAZETTE: For the second time in a year, Del. Don Dwyer will be removed from a House of Delegates committee. House Speaker Michael E. Busch, D-Annapolis, said Thursday he was removing Dwyer, R-Pasadena, from the House Ways and Means Committee “to protect the integrity of the institution of the House of Delegates.” Dwyer is expected to lose his seat Friday. Dwyer was sentenced in October 2013 to 30 consecutive weekends in jail for drunken driving. He will spend most weekends during the 2014 General Assembly in confinement. Stripped of his committee position, Dwyer will only be able to debate and cast votes on the House floor for the remainder of the session....

JUICE #3: DEL. LUIZ SIMMONS CALLS FOR "CLEAN CAMPAIGN PLEDGE" IN D17 STATE SENATE CONTEST - Maryland Juice received the following press release from Delegate Luiz Simmons calling for a "clean campaign pledge" from rival candidate Cheryl Kagan in the District 17 State Senate primary:

PRESS RELEASE

Del. Luiz Simmons Proposes Clean Campaign Pledge in State Senate Race
Says residents deserve honest, fair campaign - free from mudslinging

Rockville, MD – Today, District 17 State Senate candidate and current State Delegate Luiz Simmons proposed the “No Mudslinging in Maryland Pledge.”  This pledge would ensure a clean campaign in the race to represent Rockville and Gaithersburg in the State Senate.

The 2010 State Senate campaign between State Senator Jennie Forhand and Cheryl Kagan was called “the most negative campaign in District 17 history.”

“The voters in District 17 deserve a campaign that is honest, fair and focuses on the issues.  There is no place for the politics of personal destruction in this race,” said Delegate Luiz Simmons.  “I urge my opponent, Cheryl Kagan to sign this pledge today.”

The No Mudslinging in Maryland Pledge says the following:

As primary candidates for the office of State Senator, District 17, we hereby agree that the people of Maryland deserve better than a negative campaign.  They deserve a campaign on the issues most important to them – not one full of cheap, divisive attacks. 

During the primary campaign, we pledge the following:

1. To avoid personal attacks against our opponents. We will not engage in a smear campaign, negative character attacks, defamation, or false accusations against any opponent.
2. To avoid distortions and misrepresentations of our opponents’ records and positions. This includes distortions in the media, campaign literature, advertisements, mailings and speaking engagements.
3. We hereby instruct members of our campaign teams, including staff, advisors and volunteers, to agree to these same terms.

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JUICE #4: TOWN OF CHEVY CHASE SEEKS TO SPEND $360,000 ON LAWYERS TO BATTLE PURPLE LINE - Leaders in the Town of Chevy Chase, who have been battling the proposed light rail "Purple Line"' project, held a public hearing last night to discuss whether to spend $360,000 on attorneys to tackle one of Montgomery County's top transportation priorities. The item was included in the town's recent community newsletter (excerpt below):

TOWN OF CHEVY CHASE: At its Wednesday, January 8 meeting, the Town Council will hold a public hearing on a proposal to engage a law firm to assist the Town in continuing to respond to the proposed Purple Line project and its local impacts.

The Town recently submitted comments regarding the Purple Line’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which assesses the environmental effects of the proposed project. These comments note significant concerns with the project’s skyrocketing costs and funding prospects and call for a new environmental impact study to identify lower cost alternatives, such as bus rapid transit. The comments also raise technical concerns about the proposed alignment, including visual, noise and safety impacts.

As plans for the Purple Line progress, the Town Council wants to ensure that the Town’s concerns are given serious consideration by state and federal decision makers, and the Council has proposed to engage a law firm to assist in that effort. The length of the engagement will be approximately 18 months, with a cost of approximately $360,000....

The unfortunate aspect to this development, is that the Purple Line is a broadly popular project outside of Chevy Chase, and so the town's expenditures on lawyers may well cost taxpayers in other parts of Maryland thousands of dollars to defend the light rail initiative. Notably, Chevy Chase has ample resources for such a strategy, given that under state law they are refunded 1/6 of county income taxes paid by town residents. In a recent count, the Town of Chevy Chase with a population of 2,907 got almost as much money as Takoma Park with 17,905 (much less affluent) people ($2,174,114 vs. $2,330,225).  


JUICE #5: LERNER FAMILY SEEKS TO LURE FBI HEADQUARTERS TO FORMER LANDOVER MALL SITE IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY - The Washington Post reported this week that Lerner Enterprises (the business run by the owner of the Washington Nationals) is attempting to lure the FBI to the former Landover Mall site in Prince George's County (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Sears is shuttering its store near the former Landover Mall, after selling the site to a Rockville-based development firm that is seeking to build a new FBI headquarters.... The store operated for more than a decade in a sea of empty parking lots after Landover Mall closed in 2002 and the shopping center was demolished a few years later. Lerner Enterprises said Tuesday that it plans to offer the 88-acre former mall site to the General Services Administration for consideration as a future headquarters for the FBI....

“With Sears closed the confusion that existed as to the availability of the entire site should be eliminated,” Alan H. Gottlieb, chief operating officer of Lerner Enterprises, wrote in an e-mail after the Sears announcement. “We would hope to attract a major user or users to the site possibly the FBI. In that regard we have submitted the site to the GSA.”

JUICE #6: JAPANESE OFFICIALS OFFER HELP TO BUILD HIGH SPEED RAIL TO CREATE 15 MINUTE TRAIN RIDE BETWEEN BALTIMORE & WASHINGTON - Business Insider reported this week that the Japanese government has offered to lend the United States half the cost of building a high-speed "Mag-Lev" train between Baltimore and Washington, DC. The proposed system would cut the commuting time between the two cities to fifteen minutes (excerpt below):

BUSINESS INSIDER: The Japanese government has promised to lend the United States half of the cost of building the first "Super-Maglev" train, reducing travel time between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. to just 15 minutes. Tokyo is so keen to show off its technology that it will provide loans for half the estimated $8 billion (£5bn) cost of installing the tracks, Japan's Asahi newspaper said on Tuesday.

The American federal government is keen on the project, according to Central Japan Railway Co., and state authorities are especially enthusiastic.... Maglev vehicles have no wheels and are propelled along their track through electromagnetic pull – doing away with friction and, hence, providing a smoother and quieter ride at a faster speed....

JUICE #7: ADVOCATES HIGHLIGHT 2014 MARYLAND LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR LGBT RIGHTS - At the start of the 2014 Annapolis legislative session, The Washington Blade's Michael Lavers highlighted the policy priorities of LGBT activists in Maryland (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON BLADE: Efforts to ban discrimination based on gender identity and expression and so-called “ex-gay” conversion therapy to minors are top priorities for Maryland LGBT rights advocates during the 2014 legislative session that begins on Wednesday.

State Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery County) will introduce the transgender rights bill in the state Senate. State Del. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) plans to bring forth the measure in the House of Delegates, even though the chamber passed a trans rights bill in 2011....

The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee last March by a 6-5 vote struck down a bill Madaleno and state Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery County) introduced that would have banned anti-trans discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation. State Sens. Norman Stone (D-Baltimore County), C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s County) and James Brochin (D-Baltimore County) voted against the measure....

State Del. Jon Cardin (D-Baltimore County) has introduced a bill that would ban “ex-gay” conversion therapy to minors in Maryland. The original version of House Bill 91 only includes sexual orientation, but Cardin’s legislative director Josh Greenfield told the Blade on Tuesday it will be amended to include gender identity and expression. Madaleno is also expected to introduce the measure in the Senate.

JUICE #8: ACLU OF MARYLAND RELEASES LIST OF 2014 MARYLAND LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES - Maryland's ACLU released the following press release discussing their legislative priorities in the 2014 Annapolis session (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

ACLU of Maryland Announces 2014 Legislative Priorities

Issues include taxing and regulating marijuana, stopping local police from enforcing civil immigration detainers, limiting email and cell phone surveillance, and ending the shackling of pregnant women

...The ACLU priorities include legislation to tax and regulate marijuana, stop local police from enforcing civil immigration detainers, limit email and cell phone surveillance, end the shackling of pregnant women, fully fund the Public Education "Thornton" Funding Formula and more....

Highlights from the ACLU’s priorities for 2014 General Assembly session:

PRIVACY

• Email Surveillance: Privacy laws have yet to be updated, which allows the government to intercept and access information about the content of our emails, and other information collected by search engines, social networking sites and other websites. The ACLU supports legislation to ensure that new advances in science and technology enhance, not compromise, civil liberties.

• Location Tracking:  The ACLU supports legislation that would ensure that legitimate investigations can proceed, while protecting innocent Marylanders from unjustified invasions of their privacy.

• Drones: Drones can pose a serious threat to privacy. The ACLU of Maryland is in support of legislation that would prohibit a Maryland law enforcement agency from using a drone to gather evidence without a warrant.

• Automatic License Plate Recorders: The ACLU supports legislation that would keep law enforcement from storing records of plates and locations that are not ‘hits’ against any database.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The War on Drugs has failed.  Maryland spends an inordinate amount of time, energy and money arresting people for marijuana possession, even though 44 percent of violent crimes in Maryland go unsolved. Further, despite equal rates of use, these arrests are racially imbalanced.  Because the War on Drugs has failed, the ACLU supports the full decriminalization, taxation and regulation of marijuana possession.

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM: The ACLU works to protect everyone's right to make informed decisions free from government interference about whether and when to become a parent. In addition, the ACLU will advocate for legislation to end the dangerous practices of shackling pregnant women in custody during transport, labor and delivery. The ACLU supported last year, and will support again, legislation that would prohibit the shackling of pregnant inmates and detainees during their second and third trimesters.

IMMIGRATION REFORM: State and local law enforcement undermine public safety and waste resources by enforcing immigration detainer requests from U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The ACLU supports the Maryland Trust Act, a bill that would restore community relationships with local police by disentangling them from federal immigration enforcement efforts. 

EDUCATION

• Full Funding of the Public Education "Thornton" Funding Formula: The ACLU's Education Reform Project will continue its advocacy to ensure that the state budget contains full funding of the “Thornton” education funding formula in the Bridge to Excellence Act, including a minimum 1 percent inflation factor and the Geographic Cost of Education Index. 

• Funding the Thornton Formula Adequacy Study in the Governor’s Budget: The ACLU has called on the Governor to provide appropriate funding in the Maryland State Board of Education budget to hire a reputable expert to conduct the required “adequacy study” of the “Thornton” education formula. The Bridge to Excellence Act anticipated the need to regularly update the formula in light of changing academic standards and requires that over the next two years a reassessment will take place of the adequacy of funding levels for students to meet state standards. 

• Expansion of Pre-Kindergarten Education for the Most At-risk Children: The ACLU will advocate for adequate state and local funding for the existing Pre-K programs (currently funded based on K-12 students rather than Pre-K enrollment) and for the state to fund school districts that offer full-day programs. 

• Oppose State Funding of Private Schools: The ACLU will continue to fight back against funding private schools with public dollars. The ACLU opposes legislation that would reimburse parents or institutions for private school tuition. Private schools do not have to abide by the same state anti-discrimination laws and rules that public schools do. Such legislation also entangles the state in promoting religious education, as many of the beneficiaries would be religious schools. And every public dollar diverted to private schools is a dollar lost to the taxpayers of Maryland.

The full list of 2014 legislative priorities can be found at the ACLU of Maryland website.

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JUICE #9: COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS ANNOUNCE 2014 MARYLAND LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES - Maryland Juice received the following press release from the "Fund Our Communities" coalition announcing their 2014 efforts in Annapolis (excerpts below):

PRESS RELEASE

MD Legislators Urged: Establish a Commission to Prepare for Military Downsizing

ANNAPOLIS, MD –Members of the Fund our Communities (FOC) coalition are asking Maryland lawmakers to support legislation establishing the Commission on Maryland’s Future, A Jobs Strategy for the State of Maryland. This commission will be tasked with developing plans and policies to ensure a competitive advantage for Maryland as Federal military spending declines.

Jean Athey, steering committee chair, commented: “Maryland has over 200,000 workers in military-related industries and ranks fourth among states in per capita defense spending. As Federal military spending decreases, military-related jobs in Maryland will shrink and tax revenues for local communities will decline.”

Concerned about the economic shock that military drawdowns may have on jobs and employment, several unions have joined the FOC coalition. Gino Renne, President of UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, explains, “With Maryland receiving over $36 billion annually from military spending, we may have put more of our eggs into this one basket than is wise. As an organization that represents middle class employees, this is a genuine concern for us.” Other unions have expressed similar concerns. In October, the Maryland/DC AFL-CIO passed a resolution at its annual conference encouraging its members to become engaged on the topic of conversion of military spending to domestic needs.

David Kunes, President of Montgomery County Young Democrats, notes that the Department of Defense has provided guidance to states and communities on defense transition, guidance that “shows that the Futures Commission is simply an idea whose time has come.” Athey agrees, adding “It is no longer a question of should we prepare for the economic changes that potential military cutbacks will have on our State, but rather, how we can afford not to.”

FOC (www.ourfunds.org) is a coalition comprised of over 60 organizations, including political, veteran, faith groups and unions, that advocates for changes in our nation’s budget to more adequately fund community needs.

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JUICE #10: O'MALLEY TO FOCUS ON RAISING MINIMUM WAGE // PLUS: THE WOULD-BE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NEEDS RE-EDUCATION ON WAR ON DRUGS  - The Associated Press reported this week that Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley will be prioritizing passage of a minimum wage increase in the 2014 legislative session (excerpt below):

ASSOCIATED PRESS (VIA WBAL): Governor Martin O'Malley says he will be focusing his energy on raising the state's minimum wage in his last legislative session as Maryland's governor. O'Malley on Tuesday underscored the minimum wage hike as a top priority a day before the state's 90-day session is scheduled to begin.... Maryland's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. O'Malley says 21 other states have a higher minimum wage than Maryland, which he says has the highest median income in the nation. While the governor pledged his commitment to push for an increase, it remains unclear how much....

Indeed, the devil will be in the details with the coming minimum wage hike, and Maryland Juice hopes that ahead of his 2016 White House run, Governor O'Malley will embrace a $10.10/hr indexed minimum wage hike -- that does not seek to overturn the recently passed $11.50/hr wage hikes in Montgomery & Prince George's counties.

RE-EDUCATING O'MALLEY ON THE FAILED WAR ON DRUGS: On another note, Governor O'Malley needs a hard nudge to see that the broad public is mostly done with the failed "war on drugs" and no longer sees jail time as an appropriate penalty for petty "crimes" like marijuana possession. A good starting point for his re-education campaign might be the eye-opening documentary "The House I Live In," which details the ravaging effects of our ignorant "tough on crime" and "war on drugs" policies. The film took the Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and I highly recommend it to Maryland Juice readers (trailer below):

MoCo Councilmember Valerie Ervin Resigning to Run Center for Working Families // Who'll Run for D5 Council & What Next?

PUTTING AN END TO THE RUMORS: In the last few weeks, Maryland Juice has heard numerous rumors about Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin. In one story she found an Italian lover and was moving out of the United States. In another version, Ervin was planning on taking a job with SEIU. And in yet another round of speculation about Councilmember Ervin, she had decided to run for County Executive in 2014. Indeed, this speculation was fueled in some ways by the Councilmember herself, as a few days ago we started to see things like an email blast from Ervin with the subject line, "The Best Is Yet to Come." Then last week, Councilmember Ervin put out a press release stating "Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin to Announce Future Plans." Indeed, talk of a potential departure of Valerie Ervin from the County Council has been the talk of the town as I attended various political events this past week.

But as it turns out, all of those rumors were false. Below Maryland Juice discusses the actual big news from Valerie Ervin, as well as speculation and commentary from a few potential candidates who may seek her seat. We also talk a bit about how this vacancy will be handled, and what the political world looks like going forward. But first, the big news:

Councilmember Valerie Ervin at an October 2013 press conference in support of a minimum wage increase

JUICE #1: VALERIE ERVIN TO VACATE COUNCIL SEAT TO HEAD CENTER FOR WORKING FAMILIES - Today, Councilmember Ervin announced she would be resigning from her District 5 County Council in January 2014, to serve as Executive Director of the Center for Working Families. Indeed, many months ago, Maryland Juice had been hearing murmurs that organizers related to the New York-based Working Families Party were looking to setup shop in the DC Metro region. The placeholder website for the new Center for Working Families states:

The Center for Working Families is a national 501(c)3 policy and issue campaign organization that engages in issue advocacy and public education for policy campaigns at the state and local level. The Center for Working Families is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates or political parties.

The Center incubates and develops compelling issue campaigns, provides resources and technical assistance to state policy campaigns, and injects our values into the national political discourse.

Additionally, the job description for Ervin's new position notes that the Executive Director will be working out of Washington, DC or New York. In any case, you can find out about Ervin's announcement about the big change in her video and press release below (which also includes a timeline for her departure):

PRESS RELEASE

  Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin to Serve as Advocate for Working Families Throughout the Nation
  She Will Become Executive Director of the Center for Working Families in January
ROCKVILLE, Md., December 10, 2013—Councilmember Valerie Ervin announced today that, after nearly a decade as an elected leader in Montgomery County, she will expand her work on policy issues that impact working people by becoming executive director of the Center for Working Families. At the announcement, Councilmember Ervin was joined by Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin; County Executive Isiah Leggett; Council President Craig Rice, Councilmember Nancy Navarro; Mayor of Somerset Jeffrey Slavin; Metropolitan D.C. Council AFL-CIO President Joslyn Williams; president of SEIU Florida State Council and executive vice president of 1199 SEIU Monica Russo; and community leaders who thanked Ervin for her service to the County and congratulated her on her new position.

Ervin has long been an advocate for those who have no voice in the political process.  She is best known for her work on issues including: raising the minimum wage; increasing child care subsidies for working parents; ensuring that prevailing wages are paid on construction projects; providing contract protections for service workers; expanding summer food and universal breakfast programs for children; and creating the first county-wide food recovery network in the nation.  As chair of the Council’s Education Committee, and as a former member of the County Board of Education, she has focused on major initiatives to close the achievement gap.  Councilmember Ervin has also been a strong advocate for marriage equality.

Rice discussed Ervin’s commitment to public service and said, “Councilmember Ervin has been an ardent champion for working families and children in Montgomery County throughout her tenure on the Council.  She should be commended for her leadership and advocacy for food recovery as sustainability, education equality, and workers rights.  I want to thank her for making a positive impact and enhancing the lives of our residents.”

Navarro, a longtime friend and colleague said, “Councilmember Ervin has a stellar public service record, and Montgomery County residents are better off because of her vision, dedication and tenacity.  Her contributions have made a permanent impact on the fabric of our communities.”

The Center for Working Families is a non-profit organization based in New York that seeks a more just world—one where jobs that pay a living wage are plentiful, health care is affordable, access to educational opportunities are abundant and retirements are secure.

"Becoming executive director of the Center for Working Families is a once in a lifetime opportunity," said Ervin.  "I was both surprised and honored to be asked to pursue these issues at the national level.  After careful reflection and deliberation with my family, friends and supporters, I believe that leading this organization will enable me to have a greater impact on the issues I care about most."

Ervin talked about her years as an elected leader and said, “I started my political career as a concerned mom who cared about the welfare of all of the children in our community, and this will never change. As I transition to a broader platform, my experiences in this community will serve me well.

“I appreciate the relationships that I have developed with many of you through the years and with elected leaders throughout the Washington Metropolitan Region. I also want to thank my colleagues on the County Council.”

Councilmember Ervin was elected to the Board of Education in 2004 and to the Council in 2006 and 2010.  She served as Council president from 2010 to 2011.  Councilmember Ervin will tender her letter of resignation on Jan. 3, 2014.  Later in January, the Council will appoint her successor, who will serve until the Council’s current term ends on Dec. 1, 2014.  Until Jan. 3, Ervin will wrap up projects she is working on for the residents of District 5.  Her staff will remain in place.  

“It has been a tremendous privilege to serve the residents of District 5,” said Councilmember Ervin. “Thank you for allowing me to make a difference and for your ongoing support and friendship.  Together we have accomplished great things, and I know that the best is still to come.”

NOTE: Attached to this release is a summary of Ervin’s accomplishments as a Councilmember.  The same can also be found at the following:
http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council/mem/Ervin_v/ValerieErvinRecord.pdf

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In a column today, Center Maryland's Josh Kurtz zeroed in on the entry of the Working Families Party in local politics:

JOSH KURTZ (VIA CENTER MARYLAND): Montgomery County Councilwoman Valerie Ervin (D) is set to announce today that she will resign in early January to become executive director of the Center for Working Families, a national 501(c)3 issue advocacy and education organization affiliated with the politically ascendant Working Families Party.

It’s big news, of course, for Ervin’s own promising political career – and for Montgomery County politics. Already there is buzz that state Del. Tom Hucker (D) may choose to seek Ervin’s Council seat.

But perhaps more significantly, it’s further evidence that the progressive and tactically effective WFP, which has close ties to important labor unions and was a major player in Bill de Blasio’s insurgent victory in the New York City mayoral election this fall, is about to make major inroads into Maryland. This should have a significant impact on the looming debate in Annapolis over raising the minimum wage, on the 2014 elections, and on the future political discourse in Maryland – particularly in its largest jurisdictions....

She will, roughly speaking, be an equal to Dan Cantor, the veteran labor organizer who founded WFP in the late 1990’s and remains in charge of the organization today. WFP is a 501(c)4 – typically referred to as a social welfare organization, but equipped to engage in partisan political battles.... Raise Maryland, a coalition that was formed to fight for a higher minimum wage in the state, is, not surprisingly, substantially backed by 1199 – and the Working Families Party..... 

Valerie Ervin will have a lot of say over this – and over the direction of an organization that is poised to have a huge influence over a variety of political and policy debates over the next few years. For Ervin, it’s a chance to work several of her pet issues on a bigger stage. But the job is likely to keep her politically viable in Maryland down the line, if that’s what she wants....

Meanwhile, The Washington Post's Bill Turque provided some context on the resignation through commentary from Ervin (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: “Politicians see these jobs as jobs for life. I don’t think that bodes well for democracy at the end of the day,” said Ervin, a former organizer for the United Food and Commercial Workers union who spent two years as an elected member of the Montgomery Board of Education before winning the council seat in 2006.

She left the door wide open for an eventual return to public office, however, including a possible spot in state government if Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown wins the Maryland governorship next year. Ervin has been an early and enthusiastic supporter of Brown and running mate Ken Ulman.

“If the opportunity presented itself? Absolutely,” she said, adding that she would commute to New York and remain a Montgomery County resident....

A WINNING RECORD FOR UNDERDOG & DARK HORSE POLITICAL CANDIDATES: Though Ervin's announcement today is going to be creating ripples through Montgomery County politics over the coming weeks and months, the big move is no surprise to Maryland Juice. One aspect that has gone unmentioned in the coverage of Ervin so far, is that in terms of electoral politics, the District 5 Councilmember has been one of the better prognosticators in Montgomery County politics. Ervin was perhaps the first elected official to endorse Jamie Raskin in his upstart bid for the State Senate in 2006, and she also bucked parochial politics to back Martin O'Malley over Doug Duncan that same year. Ervin also provided early support to Nancy Navarro for Board of Education and then later for County Council. She was also one of the earliest endorsers of her former election opponent Hans Riemer when he won a Council seat in 2010, and two years later backed newcomer Jarrett Smith in a successful bid for a seat on the Takoma Park City Council. (Full disclosure: Valerie Ervin endorsed the author of this article in the District 20 House race; the author was also involved in a number of the races listed above). Most recently, Ervin was perhaps the first elected Montgomery County endorser of Anthony Brown's gubernatorial campaign.


JUICE #2: POSSIBLE CANDIDATES FOR THE JUNE 2014 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR DISTRICT 5 COUNTY COUNCIL - In the days leading up to Ervin's announcement, Maryland Juice began hearing about potential candidates who might seek the District 5 Council seat in the upcoming Democratic Primary. Note that this race is going to get interesting, because I'm friends with or friendly with a few of these possible candidates, and I suspect the same may be true for others. Here are a few notes on how the race might shape up going forward:

CASEY ANDERSON: Sources indicate that Montgomery County Planning Board member Casey Anderson is weighing a run for the District 5 Council seat. He was formerly a board member of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and a staff member at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. Anderson has been involved with recent transit and smart growth issues on the Planning Board and might be able to meet the fundraising thresholds for what is expected to be an expensive Council race.

CHRIS BARCLAY: Over the weekend, MoCo Board of Education President Chris Barclay told Maryland Juice he is strongly weighing a run for the D5 Council seat. Barclay has served on the school board since 2006, and his BOE district overlaps with much of Ervin's Council district. Notably, Council District 5 was altered in the last round of redistricting, and now contains sizeable numbers of African American voters. Meanwhile Barclay might be of one of two African American candidates eyeing the D5 seat.

EVAN GLASS: The first candidate to announce for Ervin's Council seat was Evan Glass, the Chair of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board and a former CNN producer. Glass held a well-attended campaign kickoff for the D5 seat this past weekend (before it was known Ervin was retiring) and has been reaching out to residents through his role as a civic association leader. Glass is also on the Board of Equality Maryland and would be the only openly gay Councilmember to be elected in Montgomery County.

TOM HUCKER: One of the three Delegates from House District 20, Tom Hucker tells Maryland Juice that supporters have reached out to him in recent days and encouraged him to run for the District 5 Council seat. The D20 Delegate formerly served as the head of Progressive Maryland. Hucker's House District overlaps with much of Ervin's Council district, and if he gets in the race, it is expected that he would have strong support from organized labor. Hucker will also be able to spend whatever he's raised for his Delegate seat thus far on the Council race, and may start with a leg up on fundraising.

TERRILL NORTH: Currently an announced candidate for an at-large County Council seat, Terrill North currently works at the defense contracting firm Alion Science and Technology Corporation. North also has an active political life and serves on the Boards of the ACLU of Maryland, Impact Silver Spring, and Progressive Neighbors. It is unclear what his next move may be, as North may decide to stay in the at-large race, or drop into the District 5 seat, now that there will be a vacancy. As the second potential African American candidate that might enter the race, North may have an opportunity to capitalize on the demographics of the newly redrawn D5.

Ronnie Galvin as caretaker?

JUICE #3: A POTENTIAL CARETAKER APPOINTMENT FOR THE LAST YEAR OF VALERIE ERVIN'S COUNCIL TERM? - As rumors of Ervin's departure began to spread this week, Maryland Juice began hearing a lot of talk about a possible "caretaker" appointment for the District 5 Council seat. After all, with the next Primary and General Elections not to be concluded until late 2014, there is a full year left in Ervin's term. When she vacates her seat in January, her remaining eight council colleagues will appoint a replacement, and a few (though not all) of them are suggesting they are inclined to appoint someone who will not run in the June 2014 Democratic Primary.

Obviously the Councilmembers will be free to vote how they want, but I'm beginning to hear from a few people who are interested in applying for a caretaker appointment. The early buzz, however, is that there is support within some circles for Ronnie Galvin, the head of local community group Impact Silver Spring, to serve as a one-year Councilmember.  Impact Silver Spring's website notes the following mission (excerpt below):

IMPACT SILVER SPRING: IMPACT Silver Spring was founded in 1999 during the revitalization of downtown Silver Spring. The concept of IMPACT Silver Spring was born when these founders developed a community-wide leadership program, bringing people together across lines of difference for relationship- and skill-building....

Our Mission: To build and sustain community-based networks that support people who are creating social, economic, and civic momentum that contributes to inclusive local economies and vibrant communities.

Given how quickly the candidate fields are shaping and shifting, Maryland Juice will report back soon on the possible appointees for the District 5 Council seat -- but I'll have to do some poking around first!

In the meantime, the concept of a caretaker appointment was quickly embraced by D5 Council candidate Evan Glass. Moments after Ervin announced her retirement, he sent out the following press release calling for a caretaker appointment:

PRESS RELEASE

Statement on Councilmember Valerie Ervin

Silver Spring, MD – Evan Glass, a candidate for the Montgomery County Council’s 5th District, released the following statement today in response to Councilmember Valerie Ervin’s announcement that she will be resigning from the Montgomery County Council.

“I want to thank Councilmember Valerie Ervin for her service and dedication to the residents of Montgomery County,” Glass said. “For over a decade Councilmember Ervin has been a tireless champion for Montgomery County’s diverse communities, exhibited by her steadfast leadership on issues ranging from raising the minimum wage to creating a county-wide network of food services for those who are hungry to her fierce advocacy in support of marriage equality. If a society is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members, Valerie Ervin has provided Montgomery County with a level of compassion that should make our society proud.”

“For the last seven years I have worked with Councilmember Ervin to make the greater Silver Spring - Takoma Park community a wonderful place to live, work and play. We teamed up to create the King Street Community Garden, the first community garden built as a public-private partnership, and she provided the community and I with unending support to improve pedestrian safety measures, assist struggling small businesses and to establish the South Silver Spring Street Festival. As president of both the South Silver Spring Neighborhood Association and Indian Spring Citizens Association I knew that I could always count on Councilmember Ervin and her staff to provide guidance and assistance to our community.” 

With Councilmember Ervin announcing her intention to resign from the County Council in the coming weeks, her departure will trigger a replacement process, one in which the remaining eight members of the Council have 30 days to select a successor. Selecting an appointee who would then run for the same office in June only negates the peoples’ vote and weakens our democratic system.

Evan Glass said, “Montgomery County residents expect a fair election in the upcoming primary in June 2014. It is imperative that we don’t weaken our democratic system by selecting an individual who would only use the appointment as a platform to run in the June primary. The only way to ensure that the residents of District 5 truly have a voice in the process is by having the Council appoint a caretaker who would serve out the remainder of the term and agree not to run in the June primary. The caretaker should publicly pledge not to run for the seat in the June primary, otherwise it would create a breach of progressive, good governmental values. The integrity of our county, one with high moral standards and a fair election system, should not be compromised.” 

To learn more about Evan Glass and his campaign visit www.EvanGlass.com

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MORE ON THE BATTLE FOR THE DISTRICT 5 MOCO COUNCIL SEAT SOON!

JUICE: Sen. Cardin Endorses Anthony Brown for Governor & Candidates Firm Up Plans for Montgomery County Council

Below Maryland Juice provides two tidbits of news that may be of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: US SENATOR BEN CARDIN ENDORSES ANTHONY BROWN FOR GOVERNOR - Maryland Juice received the following press release today from Anthony Brown's gubernatorial campaign indicating that his steady stream of endorsements is continuing:

PRESS RELEASE

Senator Ben Cardin Endorses Anthony Brown for Governor and Ken Ulman for Lt. Governor

Cardin: “Anthony Brown has been a strong and dynamic leader for Marylanders and is the best choice for our next Governor”

BALTIMORE, MD - Today at MTC Logistics in Baltimore, Senator Ben Cardin formally endorsed Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown for Governor and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman for Lt. Governor. Sen. Cardin cited Brown’s record of helping lead Maryland schools to become #1 in the nation, his work to reduce domestic violence and the job-creating efforts he's spearheaded to strengthen our middle class — including his efforts to ensure that all Maryland veterans can find good jobs — as reasons why he's making this endorsement.

“Anthony Brown has been a strong and dynamic leader for Marylanders and an effective partner to those of us in Congress — he’s the best choice for Maryland’s next governor and has my full support,” said Senator Ben Cardin. “While working closely with Anthony over the last seven years, I’ve witnessed time and again his exemplary character and deep commitment to service — traits that have inspired Anthony’s efforts to help Maryland build the nation’s #1 schools for five years in a row, reduce domestic violence, and bring tens of thousands of jobs to Maryland through the BRAC process and our new Public-Private Partnership law. I know he’ll continue this leadership as Governor and I look forward to continuing to work with him to expand opportunity for working families.”

“Senator Ben Cardin has been working on behalf of Marylanders for decades and I’m honored to have him join the Brown-Ulman team,” said Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown. “Whether representing the Baltimore area in the legislature and Congress or fighting for all Marylanders in the United States Senate, no one has been a more forceful advocate for Maryland’s working families. By working together through this campaign and in government, we'll build a better Maryland for more Marylanders.”

With this endorsement, Senator Ben Cardin joins Governor Martin O’Malley, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Congressman Elijah Cummings, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, Congressman John Sarbanes, State Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller, Jr., State House Speaker Michael E. Busch, former Attorneys General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. and Steve Sachs, and more than half of Maryland’s Democratic elected County Executives, Councilmembers and Commissioners who have endorsed Anthony Brown and Ken Ulman.

To see an updated list of all of Anthony Brown’s endorsements, click here.

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JUICE #2: NEW CANDIDATES FIRM UP PLANS FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL RACES - Below Maryland Juice provides a quick round-up of info regarding a few new candidates for Montgomery County's 2014 Council races. The MoCo Council is composed of five members who serve in districts and four members who serve at large (aka countywide).

DISTRICT 5: Today Silver Spring activist Evan Glass announced a run for the District 5 Council seat currently held by Councilmember Valerie Ervin (excerpt below):

EVAN GLASS: For the last seven weeks I have been on a listening tour throughout our community engaging in conversations with hundreds of residents in their living rooms, on their doorsteps and at community meetings about the challenges and opportunities facing Montgomery County.
What I have heard loud and clear is that we all enjoy living in this corner of Montgomery County because of our diverse and vibrant neighborhoods but more importantly there is a need for responsive leadership that drives progress in our communities.

That is why I am announcing my candidacy to be the next Montgomery County Councilmember from the 5th District....

AT LARGE: Takoma Park activist Terrill North is up with a website indicating he is running for an at large seat on the County Council. All four at large incumbents (Marc Elrich, Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal and Hans Riemer) have indicated the are seeking re-election. North's site includes the following video:



AT LARGE: Dickerson activist Beth Daly has also indicated she's running for an at large seat on the County Council. Daly's site includes the following video:

The Gazette Endorses Rep. Donna Edwards & Rep. Steny Hoyer

Yesterday we reported that The Gazette endorsed all three Democrats running for the Congressional seats representing Montgomery County. Today, the local paper has followed-up with endorsements of the two Democrats representing Prince George's County: Donna Edwards and Steny Hoyer. See a quick excerpt from The Gazette endorsements below:

GAZETTE: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Dist. 4) has matured in Congress and remains in touch with the needs of the majority of her constituents... Edwards is being challenged by Republican Faith Loudon of Pasadena, who has been active in the Republican Central Committee in Anne Arundel County, and Libertarian Scott Soffen of Ellicott City.

Neither Edwards nor Loudon support local gambling efforts, but they clash on abortion and same-sex marriage. Loudon opposes abortion, regardless of the situation, and believes marriage should be between a man and a woman. Loudon, however, doesn’t have a solid grasp of key issues — and, in some cases, her stance on the issues is similarly uncertain — and is vague on solutions....

The 5th District race for the U.S. House of Representatives features two longtime politicians and elected legislators — House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D), the incumbent, and Maryland House of Delegates Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell (R). They are joined on the ballot by a Libertarian candidate, Arvin Vohra, and Green Party candidate Bob Auerbach....

Hoyer is the best person to protect the interests of his district, whose economy is as closely tied to federal spending as any in the country....

But Hoyer’s reputation in Congress prior to this current divisive term ... is of someone who not only is willing but eager to work with members of the opposition party to craft legislation that can move forward.

Read the full length Gazette editorials online.

Tea Party Legislator to Delegate Tony O'Donnell: Resign as Minority Leader // Democrats Call O'Donnell "Out of Touch"

UPDATE: The Washington Times reports that the Tea Party leader in Maryland's House, Delegate Michael Smigiel, is calling on Delegate Tony O'Donnell to step down as Minority Leader:

Maryland House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell said Wednesday he plans to keep his state leadership role while running for Congress next year despite questions about whether his candidacy could be a distraction....

The House Republican Caucus would have to re-elect Mr. O'Donnell next year as minority leader, but he could receive a challenge from Delegate Michael D. Smigiel Sr., a Cecil Republican who has criticized him for taking “inconsistent positions” on such issues as the use of bond bills for local projects.

Mr. Smigiel, chairman of the House tea party caucus, said he is still mulling a run for minority leader and suggested Mr. O'Donnell step down - following the example of former Senate Minority Leader Nancy Jacobs, who quit her leadership role in October after deciding it “wouldn’t be fair” to continue as leader while mounting a campaign for higher office....

Meanwhile, Maryland Juice received the following press release from the Maryland Democrats responding to Del. O'Donnell's decision to challenge Rep. Steny Hoyer in 2012:

MARYLAND DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRESS RELEASE

Maryland Republicans Promote Failed Leadership with Out of Touch O'Donnell

Annapolis, MD (December 14, 2011) - Maryland’s floundering Republican Party chose another out of touch, obstructionist tea party candidate to run for higher office today. With House of Delegates Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell announcing his candidacy for Congress, the GOP signaled they believe in promoting failed leadership.

CD5: MD GOP House Minority Leader Tony O'Donnell Challenges Rep. Steny Hoyer // MD Legislators Weigh In (anonymously)

Numerous news outlets are reporting that Maryland's House GOP Leader Anthony "Tony" O'Donnell is challenging Rep. Steny Hoyer for Congress in the newly redrawn 5th Congressional District. This race would pit Maryland's Statehouse Republican Leader against Congress' Democratic House Minority Whip. Del. O'Donnell kicked off his campaign with a video announcement:




The Washington Post reported on this CD5 development:

Maryland House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell (R-Calvert) plans to launch an uphill bid Wednesday for the 5th Congressional District in which he will argue that long-time incumbent Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) is part of what’s wrong with Washington....

O’Donnell, who is kicking off his campaign with the release of a video, argued that the environment has become better-suited to change and that he starts off better-known than recent Hoyer opponents. O’Donnell promised “a spirited, spirited campaign.”

In a preview of what’s to come, O’Donnell said Hoyer’s voting record is “nearly identical” to that of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), but added: “Maryland’s 5th Congressional District is on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, not the western shore of the San Francisco Bay.”

Maryland Juice, in turn, would like to remind Mr. O'Donnell that CD5 is not Tea Party territory and it is nothing like Sarah Palin's Alaska. In fact, the WaPo article continued:

The new 5th remains comfortably Democratic. Roughly 65 percent voted for President Obama in 2008 and 63 percent for O’Malley last year.

Anonymous Sources Weigh In: I asked a few Democratic legislators to tell Maryland Juice readers what they know about Mr. O'Donnell. Here's what they had to say (note: we'll post new responses as we receive them):