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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MORE ON THE 2014 AG RACE SOON!

Details on Sen. Brian Frosh's 2014 Attorney General Campaign // Analysis of Impact on Judiciary Committee & Senate Presidency

Yesterday we reported that State Senator Brian Frosh was plotting a run for Maryland Attorney General in 2014. Frosh, a Democrat, subsequently confirmed by email that he was indeed "exploring a race for AG" and "still reaching out to folks." That news set the pundit-class abuzz, as numerous politicos began pondering the implications of this move. Below we highlight a few notable analyses and comments about Senator Frosh's news.

GUN RIGHTS ADVOCATES WEIGH IN: Among the first to respond to the news was former Aberdeen Mayoral candidate Patrick McGrady, a Tea Partier. McGrady posted his thoughts about Frosh's AG bid on MDShooters.com, a gun-oriented site that describes itself as "Maryland's premiere shooting community." He raised red flags for gun-owners about Brian Frosh, and many responded with their thoughts:

BREAKING: Senator Brian Frosh Plotting 2014 Run for Attorney General // FORECAST: Senate Vacancy & New Judiciary Chair?

GAMECHANGER: Several very credible sources are reporting that Maryland State Senator Brian Frosh is plotting a bid for Attorney General in 2014. The long-serving Democrat from Montgomery County-based District 16 is actively reaching out to his colleagues for early support in his bid for statewide office. Brian Frosh currently serves as Chair of the Senate's Judicial Proceedings Committee and is recognized as a progressive leader in the Senate. We expect him to receive broad support in a run for Attorney General.

IMPACT: Notably, Maryland Juice is also hearing rumors that Senator Jamie Raskin plans on remaining in the State Senate and is encouraging of Frosh's efforts. Raskin was widely rumored to be weighing a run for Attorney General earlier this year. Frosh's potential entry in the Attorney General field may put the squeeze on other potential MoCo candidates like State's Attorney John McCarthy and Delegate Bill Frick. We previously noted numerous other Democrats who were weighing the 2014 race, but we'll have to see how this development changes the field.

Outside of the impact on the 2014 candidate field, Frosh's entry in the Attorney General race also means there is likely going to be a District 16 State Senate vacancy in the near-future. That obviously also means that the Senate's judiciary committee will need a new Chair. As a result, Frosh's decision will have many ripple impacts that are not yet evident.

Maryland Juice continues to have issues with Frosh's squashing of an effort to expand student representation on the MoCo school board earlier this year. Nevertheless, so far it seems likely that he may be a progressive standard-bearer in the 2014 race. After all, his overall legislative record is pretty responsive to the Democratic primary voting base.

We will let you know more as the stories unfold!