JUICE: Frick Exits AG Race To Run for Re-Election, Challengers for Susan Lee & Joe Vallario, Trachtenberg vs. Berliner & More!

Below Maryland Juice has a quick round of updates of interest to politicos:

UPDATE: The Baltimore Sun's Michael Dresser reported tonight that former Delegate Tiffany Alston is running to regain her District 24 seat (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Tiffany Alston, the former Prince George's County delegate who was ousted from her House seat in 2013 after a theft conviction, is running to get her old job back.... The 36-year-old former lawmaker pleaded guilty in June 2012 to misconduct in office and the theft of $800 from her delegate office account to pay expenses of her law firm.... O'Malley appointed former Del. Darren M. Swain to the vacated seat. He is seeking re-election in a crowded Democratic field.

JUICE #1: DELEGATE BILL FRICK EXITS ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION IN D16 - Maryland Juice just received the following statement from District 16 Delegate Bill Frick announcing he's exiting the race for Attorney General to run for re-election to the House of Delegates:

BILL FRICK: Today I will withdraw my candidacy for the Democratic Nomination for State Attorney General and file for re-election to the Maryland House of Delegates.

My two terms in the House have been exceptional.  I’ve been a part of a team that has enacted marriage equality for all Maryland couples, repealed the death penalty, protected consumers from abuses, and begun the task of reforming our tax code. 

While I know that I could have been a valuable asset to the State as Attorney General, there is still much to be done as a member of the House representing District 16.

JUICE #2: FORMER MOCO COUNCILMEMBER DUCHY TRACHTENBERG CHALLENGING COUNCILMEMBER ROGER BERLINER - Bethesda Now's Aaron Kraut reported today that former MoCo Councilmember At Large Duchy Trachtenberg is challenging District 1 Councilmember Roger Berliner (excerpt below):

BETHESDA NOW: Trachtenberg, a Democrat who was an at-large council member from 2006-2010, will take on incumbent Roger Berliner, who until Tuesday looked to have a clear path to his third term representing District 1. The last minute filing for District 1 comes as something as a surprise....

Communications consultant and former Trachtenberg advisor Eric Hensal tweeted a photo of Trachtenberg making her run official at 2 p.m. Tuesday.... According to state campaign finance records, Trachtenberg has $122,574 in campaign funds on hand, all left over from previous campaigns.... The press release on Tuesday boasted that Trachtenberg will have the help of high profile Democratic political advisors Celinda Lake and presidential campaign veteran Joe Trippi....

JUICE #3: D16 DEL. SUSAN LEE TO FACE TWO DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGERS FOR STATE SENATE - Today was the last day for candidates to file for office, and Del. Susan Lee now has two Democratic challengers for the D16 Senate seat: J'aime Drayton & Hugh Hill.


JUICE #4: HOUSE JUDICIARY CHAIR JOE VALLARIO TO FACE TWO DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGERS FOR DELEGATE - House of Delegates Judiciary Chair Joe Vallario is in a newly redrawn District 23B, and he's now facing two challengers in his re-election bid: former school board member Ron Watson and Thea Wilson, a minister at First Baptist Church of Glenarden. 


JUICE #5: FORMER CONGRESSMAN ROSCOE BARTLETT'S WIFE RUNNING FOR FREDERICK COUNTY COUNCIL - The Frederick News Post's Bethany Rodgers reported today that former GOP Congressman Roscoe Bartlett's wife Ellen Bartlett is running for Frederick County Council District 1.


JUICE #6: ANNAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF TESTIFIES AGAINST MARIJUANA REFORM CITING HOAX ARTICLE CLAIMING 37 POT-RELATED DEATHS IN COLORADO - The Carroll County Times' Alex Jackson today reported that law enforcement officials are continuing the "Reefer Madness" style justifications for continuing the failed War on Drugs in Maryland. Annapolis police chief Michael Pristoop cited a hoax article claiming that 37 people died in Colorado on the first day of legalization, and Sen. Raskin put the smack down on the false claims (excerpt below):

CARROLL COUNTY TIMES: Testifying against bills proposed in Maryland to legalize and decriminalize marijuana, Annapolis Police Chief Michael Pristoop cited a hoax story that claimed 37 people died the first day marijuana was legalized in Colorado.

"The first day of legalization, that's when Colorado experienced 37 deaths that day from overdose on marijuana," Pristoop said in testimony at Tuesday's Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee hearing. "I remember the first day it was decriminalized there were 37 deaths."

But Sen. Jamie Raskin, D-Montgomery, who has proposed a bill that would legalize, regulate and tax the drug, immediately fact-checked Pristoop. "Unless you have some other source for this, I'm afraid I've got to spoil the party here," Raskin said. "Your assertion that 37 people died of a marijuana overdose in Colorado was a hoax on the DailyCurrant and the Comedy Central website...."

JUICE: Gansler & Brown Spar Over Vets, O'Malley in NH, No Corporate Tax Cut Support, Mizeur LG Video, D16 Senate, More

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few items that may be of interest to Free State politicos:

JUICE #1: RSVP FOR MARYLAND JUICE'S "1 MILLION VIEWS" PARTY // REP. JOHN DELANEY, FORMER MOCO EXEC DOUG DUNCAN & OTHERS WILL TAKE Q&A FROM READERS ON MONDAY - Don't forget to RSVP for Maryland Juice's "1 Million Views" party. The event is taking place this Monday 11/18 from 6-8 pm at the Paladar Latin Kitchen in Rockville (White Flint Metro Station). Congressman John Delaney, MoCo Exec candidate Doug Duncan and other elected officials will be on hand to take live Q&A from Maryland Juice readers, and we'll be announcing other surprise participants soon! Food at the event is being sponsored by Progressive Maryland and Congressman John Delaney (cash bar):

Maryland Juice Unplugged : One Million Views Party

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH - 6 TO 8 pm

Paladar Latin Kitchen

11333 Woodglen Drive

North Bethesda, MD

[ RSVP ON FACEBOOK ] 

JUICE #2: NEW POLL SHOWS MARYLANDERS NOT INTERESTED IN CUTTING CORPORATE TAXES & EVERYONE SUPPORTS MINIMUM WAGE HIKE  - This week Maryland Reporter highlighted a new poll by the Maryland-based survey firm Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies on behalf of Progressive Maryland (excerpt below):

MARYLAND REPORTER: The survey ... found overwhelming support for increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, with more than 82% favoring the move. Support was strong from all groups — Democrats, Independents and even Republicans, as well as whites, blacks, men and women.... The poll also found 56% opposed reducing the corporate income tax rate....

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few of the party crosstabs from the poll indicating how Democratic and Republican voters feel about the minimum wage and corporate tax cut proposals that may be considered in Annapolis next year. Notably, a super-majority of Democrats oppose a corporate tax cut, and even Republicans are more likely to oppose than support cutting corporate taxes. Meanwhile, Democrats, Republicans and Independents are united in supporting a minimum wage increase and "combined reporting" to close tax loopholes for corporations. Is this another example of voters being ahead of politicians on obvious policy matters?

Minimum Wage Increase

• Democrats: 92% Support, 8% Oppose
• Republicans: 64% Support, 34% Oppose
• Independents: 88% Support, 11% Oppose

Corporate Tax Cuts

• Democrats: 33% Support, 62% Oppose
• Republicans: 48% Support, 49% Oppose
• Independents: 38% Support, 55% Oppose

"Combined Reporting" to Close Corporate Tax Loophole

• Democrats: 75% Support, 17% Oppose
• Republicans: 60% Support, 28% Oppose
• Independents: 66% Support, 26% Oppose

You can read the full polling memos [HERE].


JUICE #3: UPDATE ON POSSIBLE CANDIDATES FOR BRIAN FROSH'S DISTRICT 16 SENATE SEAT - Bethesda Magazine's Lou Peck recently provided an updated on potential candidates for Maryland's District 16 Senate race. Delegate Susan Lee is running for the State Senate seat being vacated by Brian Frosh, but a couple others may enter the race (excerpt below):

BETHESDA MAGAZINE: Reggie Oldak, a familiar figure in District 16 Democratic politics... said Tuesday she had decided against running – leaving Delegate Susan Lee as the only announced candidate for the Senate nomination in next June’s Democratic primary....

“I’m still evaluating a few different races, and that is, of course, one of them,” former County Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg.... And sources said that Kyle Lierman, who came close to winning a nomination for delegate in District 16 in 2010, is continuing to strongly consider the Senate contest....

JUICE #4: GOVERNOR O'MALLEY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TOMORROW NIGHT // 2016 WHITE HOUSE SETUP? - Today Maryland Juice received the following email blast from Governor Martin O'Malley indicating he'll be speaking in New Hampshire tomorrow night at the Democrats' annual Jefferson Jackson dinner. The event (which you can watch online tomorrow) is often a preview stage for candidates weighing presidential runs:

Juice -

Tomorrow night, I'll help New Hampshire Democrats kick-off the 2014 campaign season at their annual Jefferson Jackson dinner.

The event is an opportunity to gather with like-minded Democrats and build the Party, but it's also a chance to talk about the better choices we've made in Maryland to educate, innovate, and rebuild a strong and growing middle class.

The program will be broadcast on CSPAN and streamed live on the internet, and I'd love for you to watch it. If you'd like me to send you an email or text message alert shortly before it begins, just let me know here:

http://action.martinomalley.com/watch-live

We have a lot to be proud of in Maryland, and I appreciate the opportunity to share our story while working to re-elect New Hampshire's Governor Maggie Hassan, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and Democrats up-and-down the ticket.

I hope you'll consider tuning in tomorrow night.

All the best,

Martin O'Malley

JUICE #5:  WATCH VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM HEATHER MIZEUR'S EVENT ANNOUNCING PASTOR DELMAN COATES AS HER RUNNING MATE - Montgomery County Media posted video footage from Delegate Heather Mizeur's event this week announcing the selection of Pastor Delman Coates as her running mate. You can watch the video below:



JUICE #6: JANUARY 2014 GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE // WATCH ANTHONY BROWN, DOUG GANSLER & HEATHER MIZEUR LIVE - Save the date! Maryland Juice received the following announcement of a gubernatorial debate between the three Democratic candidates for Governor. Details from the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee below:

MCDCC: The Democratic Club of Leisure World and the District 19 Democratic Club have arranged to co-sponsor a candidates forum for the three major Democratic candidates for Governor of Maryland in the 2014 primary election. All the candidates have confirmed that they will participate.

The date is Thursday, January 30, 2014. The time is 7pm. The place is Leisure World, probably in the Ballroom in Clubhouse 1 (possibly in the Auditorium in Clubhouse 2).

JUICE #7: DOUG GANSLER AND ANTHONY BROWN SPAR ON VETERANS' ISSUES // VOTE VETS PAC WEIGHS IN - Below Maryland Juice highlights a tit-for-tat between the Brown and Gansler campaigns that emerged as both campaigns celebrated Veterans Day this week. There are three pieces to this story below:

First, Anthony Brown's campaign released the following announcement of a compact with veterans (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Anthony Brown and Ken Ulman Release Compact with Maryland Veterans

Five-Point Plan will Build on Existing Progress and make Maryland a Better Place for all Veterans

Baltimore, MD - Today on Veterans Day, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman released their Compact with Maryland Veterans, a five-point plan to make Maryland better for all of our Veterans.

“Our Veterans have made tremendous sacrifices to protect our freedom and we owe them our gratitude,” said Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. “We’ve made a lot of progress to support Veterans in Maryland, but we can do more. That’s why I’m announcing my plan to build a better Maryland for all of our Veterans.”

The Brown-Ulman Compact with Maryland Veterans will:

Exempt Military Retirement Income from Taxation for the Majority of Veterans
Establish a VetConnect Hiring Challenge Program
Extend Bridge Loans for Disability Claims
Create a Maryland Veterans Treatment Court
Expand Rental Housing Works for Our Veterans

You can read the details of the five point Compact with Maryland Veterans by clicking here.

In comments that appeared in The Baltimore Sun, Doug Gansler's campaign then argued that the Attorney General could aid veterans better than Anthony Brown (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: A Maryland state senator who heads the General Assembly's veteran's caucus rebuked Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler Tuesday night over the Democratic gubernatorial candidate's claim he could fix problems with federal processing of veterans' claims better than his campaign rival.

Sen. Douglas J. J. Peters of Prince George's County criticized Gansler for claiming he would reduce the delays in processing by the Veterans Administration where Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, his rival for the Democratic nomination, has not.

The Baltimore office of the VA has some of the worst claims-processing times in the nation, and Gansler blamed Brown for that Monday after the lieutenant governor released a five-point plan for veterans.

Peters said that as a veteran and a state senator he felt compelled to respond.

"The Federal government is, of course, solely responsible for processing Veteran's Administration claim. The delay is a federal problem, and, therefore, requires a federal solution," Peters said....

The testy exchange pulled the Vote Vets PAC into the fray with the following press release. Note that the PAC endorsed Anthony Brown earlier this year:

PRESS RELEASE

After Gansler Campaign Implies that the Governor Controls the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Group Questions Gansler's Ability to Lead Maryland

Baltimore, MD – The largest progressive group of veterans, VoteVets.org, with over 360,000 supporters, is questioning Attorney General Doug Gansler’s ability to lead the state, after his spokesperson claimed that the Lt. Governor has the ability to control the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs.

On Monday, Veterans Day, Gansler spokesperson Bob Wheelock launched an attack on Lt. Gov Anthony Brown, an Iraq War Veteran, saying of the backlog of claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs, “The Lt. Governor has not fixed that problem.”

Responding to Wheelock, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org Jon Soltz said, “It’s somewhat disturbing that someone running to be the Governor of the state seems to have no idea what a Governor actually does.  While the backlog of claims at the VA is a huge problem, to claim that the Lt. Governor of Maryland has the ability to make changes to a Federal department shows a severe lack of understanding of how Government actually works.”

“Anthony Brown, having served in war, deeply understands what our veterans are going through, and has dedicated his life to help them, and all Marylanders.  To claim otherwise is a real cheap shot, and a terribly ignorant cheap shot, at that,” Soltz added.

Founded in 2006, the mission of VoteVets.org Political Action Committee is to elect Veterans to public office, with a focus on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and hold public officials accountable for their words and actions that impact America's 21st century troops and veterans. Though VoteVets.org PAC is non-partisan, candidates it backs must support VoteVets.org's core mission and beliefs.  The group has endorsed Anthony Brown’s campaign for Governor.

###

JUICE #8: ANTHONY BROWN HIRES FORMER GOP CAMPAIGN AIDE? - Maryland Juice previously reported on news that Doug Gansler may have hired a GOP campaign aide for his gubernatorial campaign. The Gansler campaign said that the news report that first mentioned this hire was flawed, but now The Quinton Report (a GOP blog) is accusing Anthony Brown of the same (excerpt below):

QUINTON REPORT: I’ve confirmed an initial tip that William Pierce, who is working for the campaign of Anthony Brown and Ken Ulman, previously worked for the 2012 GOP presidential campaign of Buddy Roemer....

JUICE #9: NEW WEBSITE ACCUSES MARYLAND THINK TANKS OF TIES TO RIGHT WING FUNDERS  - A Maryland Juice reader forwarded us a link to a new website drawing attention to ties between right wing funders and Maryland think tanks. The site called StinkTanks.org notes the following (excerpt below):

STINK TANKS: Maryland is home to two State Policy Network (SPN) “think tanks”: the
Calvert Institute for Policy Research and the Maryland Public Policy Institute (MPPI). SPN is an umbrella group of right-wing think tanks across the country. While the two think tanks claim to be focused on issues important to the people of Maryland, they actually push an agenda dictated by their national right-wing funders and partners.

CD6 LEAK: Polling Results from Maryland's 6th Congressional District Democratic Primary // A Wide Open Race?

Maryland Juice received the following leaked polling memo regarding the 6th Congressional District Democratic Primary. The poll was conducted by GarinHartYang for John Delaney. The results generally indicate a wide-open race with most voters undecided. There are no real surprises in the summary results, especially since media spending has not yet begun. See the summary results below:

Maryland 6th Congressional District Democratic Primary: Meet the Candidates (Statements & Websites)

Maryland Juice thought it would be helpful for Democratic Primary voters in the 6th Congressional District to see a quick roundup of candidate statements and websites.  Below, I've included "Why I'm Running" statements and links to each of the four candidates' websites and Twitter accounts. Thus far, the Democratic field includes Rob Garagiola, Milad Pooran, John Delaney and Duchy Trachtenberg.

Rob Garagiola | RobGaragiola.com | @RGaragiola

With a pledge to be a voice for the middle class, Rob Garagiola kicked off his campaign for Congress today in a speech at the BlackRock Center for the Arts to over a hundred supporters. Garagiola talked about rejuvenating the economy with investments in small businesses and alternative energy, while ending the partisan shouting matches that have hindered Congress from finding practical solutions to America’s challenges.

CD6 Juice Blender: GOP Sen. Chris Shank Learns Facebook, Rep. Bartlett's Deviant Moustache, Trachtenberg Denies Push Poll

Here's a random blend of both political and apolitical tidbits from recent news, starting with a Capital News Service article foreshadowing looming cuts in federal government expenditures in Maryland. The writer notes that the biggest cuts to defense jobs are likely to be from defense-related contractors:

Juice #1: States such as Maryland, with its high concentrations of federal employees and contractors, could feel an even deeper sting when $600 billion in defense spending and $600 billion from other federal agencies is lopped from budgets over the next 10 years....

According to the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, military bases accounted for 3.4 percent of the jobs in Maryland and employed about 118,000 workers - before the Base Realignment and Closing process, which increased these numbers.... 

The sequestration process protects war spending, but military contracts and civilian personnel could be on the chopping block.

Mike Hayes, a retired brigadier general and director of military and federal affairs for the state economic development department, said Maryland's military installations tend to have specialized missions. This makes them less likely to face cuts, Hayes said.

But cuts to contractors focused on weapons systems, already set in motion, may be deeper, he said.

Juice #2: Meanwhile, former Montgomery County Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg responded to Maryland Juice's article about an alleged push poll in the 6th Congressional District race. The Germantown Patch had this article:

SOURCE: Alleged "Push Poll" Promotes Duchy Trachtenberg, Dings Sen. Rob Garagiola in 6th Congressional District Race

UPDATE: A neutral observer questions the framing of this as a "push poll." They write, "it sounds like a standard messaging poll to gauge what attacks to use, etc. No one would have a live 20min interview to push negative info 12 months before an election. Just sayin." A second reader, who happens to be an elected endorser of Mr Garagiola, also begs to differ: "The content of the post suggests this poll is testing basic positive and negative messaging in preparation for paid media (i.e. direct mail, radio, TV, phones in a congressional race).  There’s nothing I see from your post that suggests a 'push' operation going on." To be clear, the "push poll" characterization is not Maryland Juice's -- it is the poll respondent's characterization. Either way, this type of polling indicates this may not be a positive primary race.

An anonymous source has provided Maryland Juice with details of what they call a "push poll" that appears to promote former Montgomery Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg while criticizing State Senator Rob Garagiola. Our source reported receiving a call this Saturday, from a live poller, who asked fifteen to twenty minutes worth of questions regarding the Democratic Primary for the 6th Congressional District. The entity making the calls is unknown, and no telephone number was provided.

The poll began with questions about the participants' views on the favorability and unfavorability of three likely Democratic candidates: Sen. Rob Garagiola, former Montgomery Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg, and businessman John Delaney. Notably, the poll also included questions about former State Delegate and Congressional candidate Mark Shriver.

State Senator Rob Garagiola Starts CD6 Race with Frontrunner Status // Duchy Bags Carpet?

Okay, Maryland Juice is going to point out the obvious: State Senator Rob Garagiola is currently the front-runner to become the next member of Congress from Maryland. This was in many ways by design -- given that Senate President Mike Miller and Mr. Garagiola's allies had been preparing for this moment for a long time.

Even still, Maryland Juice had speculated that a new Congressional district within the Beltway would generate at least one candidacy from someone that didn't appear to live within the District's new boundaries. It turns out I was right: former Montgomery Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg has filled that role. An observant reader pointed out that Marie "Duchy" Trachtenberg appears to live in Rep. Chris Van Hollen's CD8:

Notably, Ms. Trachtenberg lost her re-election to the Council in 2010 (full disclosure: I worked on an opponent's campaign). So with his primary opponent not living in the District and having just come off a losing race, Mr. Garagiola -- for the moment -- appears to be the front-runner. This is not an endorsement or anything -- I'm just sayin'..... But there are many more reasons why Mr. Garagiola is currently the frontrunner for the 6th Congressional District:

CD6 Candidates Float Trial Balloons: Doug Duncan, Mark Shriver, Chris Shank, A Tea Party Activist & More!

UPDATE:  OOPS! Maryland Juice completely misread Maryland Reporter's follow-up to our article below. They correctly noted that Sen. Nancy Jacobs is running against Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger in CD2, not against Bartlett in CD6. In the excitement of the morning roundup, I incorrectly dragged her into Rep. Bartlett's nightmare. Also, Steve Silverman says he is definitely not running for CD6 -- especially as he has just been re-drawn into CD3.

Earlier, another reader noted that, "Doug Duncan attended the Montgomery County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League meeting with the Montgomery County Council last night, and he stayed the whole time of a very long meeting." Interesting. More on a possible Duncan candidacy soon.

Lastly, Maryland Reporter also noted that Sen. Brinkley lives in CD8 and therefore may not go through with a challenge to Rep. Bartlett. Be that as it may, its not stopping some politicians from starting rumors. But let me clarify the post below -- these are potential candidates who are being discussed in MD politico circles right now. I expect many will not ultimately run, but I do believe that it is not unlikely that we will get at least one non-CD6 candidate in the race (note: you don't really have to live in the District before you run for Congress). I also believe there is a 0% chance that Rep. Bartlett gets an easy GOP Primary Election.

Yesterday, Maryland Juice began crafting a list of candidates for Maryland's new 6th Congressional District. We mentioned a few obvious names like Sen. Rob Garagiola and GOP Chair Alex Mooney, but within hours former Montgomery Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg surprised observers with an announced CD6 bid. Now, the floodgates are open and numerous politicos are floating trial balloons.

Former County Executive Doug Duncan's name is now being whispered by insiders, along with former Delegate Mark Shriver. On the GOP side, things are about to get crazy, as it looks like multiple officials are "supporting" Bartlett while weighing whether to try and take him down. We summarize the chaos below and end with a simple list of the potential candidates.

BREAKING: Former Montgomery Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg Running for MD Congressional District 6

OMG: See the announcement below, and note that former Howard Dean manager Joe Trippi appears to be consulting for the campaign.

 

Duchy Trachtenberg, who served as Montgomery County Councilmember At-Large from 2006-2010, announced today her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Congress in Maryland's 6th Congressional District.

"The New 6th District Needs a New Kind of Representative"