GOP War on Voting Comes to MoCo // MD Board of Elections to Vote OCT 15 on Ending Early Voting Sites: Here's the Process

By Matt Verghese

Here we go again.... Four months after Governor Larry Hogan vetoed a bill to restore voting rights to 40,000 people returning to society from prison, the Maryland GOP is back at it. The Washington Post reported on controversy swirling around a recent decision by the Republican-led Montgomery County Board of Elections (MCBOE) to replace two of nine high-performing early voting sites with less populated polling locations closer to Republicans (excerpt below, emphasis mine):

WASHINGTON POST: The Republican majority on the Montgomery County Board of Elections, led by an appointee of Gov. Larry Hogan (R), voted Monday to shift two heavily used early-voting sites to less populous locations, prompting Democratic charges­ of voter suppression. 

The board voted 3 to 2 to move early voting from the Marilyn Praisner Community Center in Burtonsville, which serves high-poverty East County communities along U.S. 29, to the Longwood Community Recreation Center in Brookeville, 13 miles to the northwest. The panel also shifted early balloting from the Jane Lawton Community Recreation Center in Chevy Chase, about a half-mile from the Bethesda Metro station, to the Potomac Community Recreation Center, on Falls Road, 10 miles to the northwest....

THE PROCESS: WHAT HAPPENED & WHAT COMES NEXT: Notably, the party of the Governor (now a Republican) gets to appoint members to county boards of election. Montgomery County's board is now made up of three Republicans and two Democrats:

• Jim Shalleck, President - Republican
• Nahid Khozeimeh, Vice President - Republican
• Mary Ann Keeffe, Secretary - Democrat
• Alexander Vincent, Board Member - Republican
• David Naimon, Board Member - Democrat

Notably, Jim Shalleck was the 2014 Republican candidate for Montgomery County Executive and formerly chaired the MoCo Republican Party. After listening to public testimony on Montgomery County's early vote locations, the MCBOE took a partly line vote (3-2) to close two early voting centers and replace them with locations closer to Republicans. The Montgomery County Republicans' proposal now heads to the five-member State Board of Elections (SBOE) for a final vote on October 15th. Notably the SBOE also now has a Republican majority, but one more person has to weigh in before this vote occurs: Linda Lamone, the State Administrator of the Board of Elections. Code of Maryland Regulation 33.17.02.02F states (excerpt below):

MARYLAND CODE: Upon receipt of a form for a proposed early voting center, the State Administrator shall review and make a recommendation to the State Board as to whether to accept or reject the proposed early voting center....

Lamone could base a recommendation against the GOP's early voting proposal based on criteria listed in state regulations, including provisions that polling locations be "served by public transportation and roads" and have "parking facilities sufficient for early voting." Notably Lamone has served as Maryland's State Administrator since Governor Paris Glendening and previously foiled an attempt by Republican Governor Bob Ehrlich to remove her from her position.

The provision that sites be "served by public transportation" could be problematic for the Republicans' proposal to close the Burtonsville site and replace it with one at the Longwood Community Recreation Center in Brookeville. Only one bus route serves the Brookeville site (Ride On Route 53, with a stop .3 miles from the polls), and the bus only runs in the morning and evening on weekdays. Meanwhile, early voting is open all day.

If Lamone were to recommend against the early voting changes, it would take a super-majority of the SBOE to approve the Montgomery County Republicans' proposal. And if all else fails in stopping the Republican voter suppression effort, there is one final backstop: A few state legislators representing Montgomery County are contemplating legislation to increase the county's number of early voting sites from nine to eleven, using the two additional sites to restore polling locations in Chevy Chase and Burtonsville. The Washington Post's Bill Turque reported on this backstop legislation (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: State Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery) said Wednesday that when the general Assembly reconvenes in January, he and Del. Eric Luedtke (D-Montgomery) will introduce a measure to expand the number of early voting sites in the county from nine to 11. The bill would restore the Marilyn Praisner Community Recreation Center in Burtonsville and the Jane Lawton Community Recreation Center in Chevy Chase to the list while retaining the two new sites selected by the board, Longwood Community Recreation Center in Brookeville and Potomac Community Recreation Center in Potomac....

[GOP MCBOE Chair] Shalleck said his only goal was to improve the “geographic diversity” of the sites, creating access to early voting for communities that have had none. But County Council staff have raised questions about whether the Longwood site meets all the Maryland criteria for early voting centers, specifically access to public transportation. [County Counicilmember Nancy] Navarro said the measure sponsored by Madaleno and Leudtke was “ a great idea. I’m really hoping this could be a fix,” she said....

STEP 1: SIGN PETITION TO REVERSE 
EARLY VOTING CHANGES

STEP 2: E-MAIL MARYLAND'S
STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS

 

VIDEO OF GOP BOARD OF ELECTIONS MEMBERS DISCUSSING THE CHANGES: In response to the controversy, Montgomery County Councilmembers held a public hearing to question the county Board of Elections (MCBOE) about the motivation for these changes. In the video clip below (posted by Councilmember Tom Hucker) you can see the recently appointed Republican Chair of the MCBOE Jim Shalleck admit that:

1. Replacing the Burtonsville and Chevy Chase early voting sites with ones closer to Republicans would mean fewer voters live close to an early vote polling location
2. Not a single person who testified at a public hearing about polling locations called for closing the Burtonsville or Chevy Chase polling locations
3. Not a single person testified in favor of the proposed new sites in the less densely populated neighborhoods
4. Republican members of the MCBOE held private calls with Republican Party leaders about changing the early voting sites

Let’s break the Republicans' decision down:

IMPACT OF THE GOP'S PROPOSED EARLY VOTING CHANGES: The move by the GOP Board to "expand the geographic reach of early voting" may seem innocuous, but is hard to see as anything but a partisan move -- instead of one based on fair and efficient election administration. Congressman Van Hollen points out that Chevy Chase's Lawton Community Center is the only western down-county early voting site within walking distance of a Metro station. The Republicans are proposing to close this polling location and open a new one in a far-less populated area in Potomac that is not Metro-accessible.

But what is most suspect about the GOP’s proposal is how it moves early voting away from the high concentration of minority voters in East County. You can visualize what the impact of this change by using the Racial Dot Map from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. The black star on the map below is the current Burtonsville early voting center. The shading around the star represents the concentration of minority voters:

Borders reflect approximately 5 mile radius from Praisner Center

The same voter suppression in Burtonsville holds true for lower-income voters. The following map was created using the Synthetic Population Viewer developed by RTI International. Again, the star represents the Burtonsville early voting site, and the shading near the site represents lower income voters:

Unsurprisingly, these voters tend to vote Democratic. By comparison, the precincts around the Republicans proposed new site in Brookeville are among the handful of areas that Governor Hogan won in Montgomery County in 2014. The black star below represents the GOP's proposed new site in Brookeville, and the shading around the star represents the concentration of the Republican vote:

Thousands of low-income minority and Democratic-leaning voters will now be over 10 miles away from the nearest early voting center. But election data in Maryland show that the closer you are to an early voting site, the more likely you are to use it.

WHY THIS MATTERS IN 2016: Early voting use has surged (especially among young voters, African Americans and Hispanic voters)  but its impact on turnout is mixed. Should we care then about these changes to early voting, especially when our friends across the aisle portend we don’t even need early voting since we can vote by absentee for any reason at all?

One big reason is a new Maryland law taking effect that allows same day voter registration. Starting in 2016, Maryland residents can register to vote and cast a ballot at any early voting center for 8 days. According to Demos, same-day registration would increase overall turnout especially among young adults, voters of color and low-income families. Research even suggests  that voter turnout is maximized when same day registration is coupled with early voting. Moving early voter centers away from the voters most likely to benefit from same day registration? This is surely not the intention of the GOP....

BUT IT COULD’VE BEEN WORSE (HA): Facing perhaps unexpected pressure from the press and elected officials to fully explain their rationale for the early voting changes  -- Republican MCBOE Chair Jim Shalleck warned Kate Ryan of WTOP that it could’ve been much worse (transcript below, emphasis mine):

JIM SHALLECK: If we wanted to be political we could’ve cut Silver Spring and Wheaton - the two most heavily Democratic voting sites. But we didn’t.

The Republican Chairman's defense boils down to the fact that they could've suppressed even more voters than they did.  Beyond that Mr. Shalleck’s friends in the Montgomery County GOP put out a near incoherent statement of support spreading falsehoods - asserting that the Praisner site is “heavily used by residents of PG County” (unlikely per Maryland Election Law §3–305) or that Republicans are “making the early voting process more convenient” (tell that to the Burtonsville voters who has to take a 2 hour one-way bus ride to register to vote or cast a ballot).

EARLY VOTING WORKS WELL FOR MINORITIES AND LOW-INCOME VOTERS: The Washington Post’s Emily Badger makes a persuasive economic case about why early voting is important to minorities and low-income voters (excerpt below, emphasis mine)

WASHINGTON POST: Early voting is intimately bound up in race, not simply because minorities are more likely to take advantage of it, but because the policy itself addresses systemic barriers they face. When we decide to vote, we're not simply making a calculation about whether we like the candidates, or care about the issues at stake, or value the abstract idea of democracy. We also have to make calculations about how to get to the polls, whether we can spare the time to go there, and who will watch the kids while we're gone. 

These costs associated with voting — in lost pay, in childcare, in transit fares — are higher for minorities and the poor. Which is why they are among the largest beneficiaries of early, flexible voting.

Act now to stop the Maryland Republicans' voter suppression efforts:

STEP 1: SIGN PETITION TO REVERSE 
EARLY VOTING CHANGES

STEP 2: E-MAIL MARYLAND'S
STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS

LAST CALL: MoCo Council Votes on Minimum Wage Today // Leggett Seeks Changes As Numerous Advocacy Groups Arm Up

LAST CALL TO CONTACT MOCO COUNCILMEMBERS: The Montgomery County Council is due to vote today on whether to increase the minimum wage in the county and establish a regional standard with Prince George's and the District of Columbia. Specifically, Councilmembers Marc Elrich, Nancy Navarro and Valerie Ervin are proposing: 1) an $11.50 an hour minimum wage in Montgomery County, 2) that would be phased in by 2016, and 3) would be "indexed" to rise with increases in the cost of living. Last Friday we published a whip count indicating where the County Councilmembers and County Executive candidates stand on this, and we noted that the effort needs one additional vote to pass without weakening amendments.

EMAIL NOW TO SUPPORT AN $11.50/HOUR MINIMUM WAGE: You can email all nine Montgomery County Councilmembers and the office of the County Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com. 

Prince George's County Councilmembers are poised to pass a parallel $11.50 an hour wage rate this week, but not until Montgomery County acts on the effort. Please bear in mind that the $11.50 figure was established by a coalition of Councilmembers from MoCo, D.C. and Prince George's, and a deviation from that arrangement will throw unpredictability into the proposed regional minimum wage and potentially derail the effort. Below Maryland Juice provides numerous updates on the current state of play, including proposed alterations being suggested by County Executive Ike Leggett and action alerts from numerous advocacy groups.

JUICE #1: MOCO EXECUTIVE IKE LEGGETT PROPOSES $10.75 TO $11.10 MINIMUM WAGE, PHASED IN BY 2018 - County Executive Ike Leggett is calling a last-minute audible and trying to lower the proposed $11.50 an hour minimum wage proposal to somewhere between $10.75 and $11.10.  Last night he released a memo outlining an alternate minimum wage plan that deviates in significant ways from the Elrich-Ervin-Navarro $11.50/hour proposal:

$10.75 OR $11.10 MINIMUM WAGE RATE: Leggett's proposal purports to establish a minimum wage of $11.50 an hour or $1 over the state minimum wage -- whichever is lower. Leggett would also establish a floor of $10.75 an hour, which is the lower rate proposed by an amendment from Councilmember Hans Riemer. Given that the state is likely to consider a $10.10 minimum wage, it seems extremely unlikely that the MoCo wage will reach $11.50. The actual likely wage rate under this slightly convoluted plan is going to be between $10.75 and $11.10.  

FIVE YEAR PHASE-IN PERIOD UNTIL 2018: The Elrich-Ervin-Navarro plan would phase-in an $11.50/hour rate by the year 2016, while the Leggett plan would phase in a maximum rate of between $10.75 and $11.10 by 2018.

EXEMPTION FOR PART-TIME EMPLOYEES 18 AND UNDER: The Leggett plan would also exclude the new minimum wage requirement for part-time employees age 18 and under. This position was also adopted by the members of the County Council's Health and Human Services Committee. Interestingly, Councilmember Riemer's Chief of Staff Adam Pagnucco posted the following comment about this exemption on Facebook:

ADAM PAGNUCCO: I am extremely upset that Nancy Navarro and the rest of the HHS Committee voted to exclude all employees age 18 and under from the minimum wage.

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett's Proposed Amendment to Minimum Wage Hike

JUICE #2: CASA DE MARYLAND ACTION ALERT ON MOCO MINIMUM WAGE - CASA de Maryland released the following action alerts and press releases on today's minimum wage vote:

CASA DE MARYLAND: We need your urgent participation. Please call now the office of Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Reimer and ask to vote YES for the minimum wage increase to $11.50 an hour.  To this moment, he has said that he would only increase it to $10.75 an hour. Please tell him that it would be unacceptable to vote for anything less than $11.50. 

His contact information is: 240-777-7964 /  councilmember.riemer@montgomerycountymd.gov PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO CONTACT HIM. We need his vote to pass this bill.

Also, we will be holding a rally with CASA de Maryland and allies tomorrow at 12noon at the Montgomery County Council. We will proceed to the hearing room at 1:30pm to witness the vote. PLEASE COME SUPPORT.  Flyer attached / CASA press statement below.

PRESS RELEASE

CASA de Maryland Urges Montgomery County Council to Increase the Minimum Wage to $11.50, Eliminate 90-Day Temporary Worker Restriction
"As we approach Tuesday’s vote in the Montgomery County Council to increase the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour by 2016, we remind people about the faces of low-wage workers who make our county move forward. Take the case of worker Wilfred Mokoko, he states:

For many years, I worked in a hotel making the minimum wage. At the start, the wages were fair, but as the cost of food, rent, electricity, and water increased I saw my wages were too low. Over the past few years here in Montgomery County, I have seen the Ride On Bus Fare increase from $1.20 to $1.35 to $1.70 and today it is $1.80. To many people these changes do not make a difference, but they matter to me. There are days I put $14 on my bus pass and I am shocked when it is empty before the end of the week. Some weeks, I spend more than $20 on bus transportation. Working people are suffering and we are looking to political leaders to bring relief to our community. If the cost of living rises then so must the wages that people need to survive.

"Increasing Wildfred’s hourly rate to $11.50 makes a significant difference to support his family. CASA de Maryland, the largest Latino and immigrant organization in the state, urges members of the Montgomery County Council to support the minimum wage increase to $11.50 an hour by 2016.

"At the same time, CASA strongly urges members of the County Council to eliminate the 90-Day provision that excludes temporary workers from obtaining the minimum wage increase. Day laborers and temporary/seasonal employees perform some of the most grueling work in the County and should not be paid less because of the short-term nature of their employment. All workers deserve to live in dignity and be able to afford to protect their families. No worker should be left behind."

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JUICE #2: COALITION LETTER SUPPORTING $11.50 AN HOUR  - Several groups released the following letter to the County Council calling for an $11.50/hour wage, including SEIU Local 500, CASA, Jews United for Justice, MoCo Young Democrats, Progressive Maryland, Progressive Neighbors, and UFCW Local 400:

Montgomery County Minimum Wage Sign-On Letter

JUICE #3: PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND ACTION ALERT TARGETS RIEMER - Progressive Maryland released the following action alert on the minimum wage vote:

PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND: Riemer still waffling on $11.50 minimum wage with indexing, email now - Despite all the  calls and emails to Councilmember Hans Riemer's office in support of a $11.50 minimum wage in Montgomery County that is indexed to inflation, Councilmember Riemer has still not assured his constituents that he will vote in favor of Bill 27-13. This is shameful. At-Large Councilmember Hans Riemer needs to hear from you right now. Tell Riemer to raise the minimum wage to $11.50 per hour and to index it with the cost of living. Anything less will put workers in Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Washington, DC in jeopardy of not receiving the vital pay raise they are due.
 
Take 30 seconds to email Councilmember Hans Riemer right now. Let him know that you won't settle for anything less than $11.50 per hour with indexing. Make sure he knows that you won’t forget his vote at election time.

JUICE #4: JEWS UNITED FOR JUSTICE ACTION ALERT - Jews United for Justice released the following action alert on the minimum wage vote yesterday (excerpt below):

JEWS FOR JUSTICE: Call for a Higher Minimum Wage in Montgomery County, One more push to victory! - In the past two weeks more than sixty JUFJers have called Councilmember Hans Riemer asking him to support raising the minimum wage in the county to $11.50 by 2016. The pressure is starting to build - but we need to keep it up.

The bill passed out of committee on Thursday and will be voted on in the full Council on Tuesday, November 26th. Four Councilmembers have committed their support for the bill. We need to keep the pressure on to secure the fifth vote. The county is ready and our workers deserve a raise.

JUFJ and our allies will be keeping the phones ringing off the hooks in the County Council on Monday, November 25th to make sure this message is heard loud and clear.  

Please sign up to call At-Large Councilmember Hans Riemer at (240) 777-7964.

JUICE #5: MONTGOMERY COUNTY YOUNG DEMOCRATS PRESS RELEASE ON MINIMUM WAGE VOTE - The MoCo Young Dems released the following statement regarding the minimum wage vote:

PRESS RELEASE

Montgomery County Young Democrats Support $11.50 Minimum Wage Increase, Urge Council to Remove Youth and Temporary Worker Exemptions
Silver Spring, MD – The Montgomery County Young Democrats are urging the Montgomery County Council to vote favorably to increase the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour by 2016.

For member Gabriel Acevero, “The minimum wage is not just a story about income inequality, but rather it’s about achieving the American dream, and no one can achieve the American dream on $7.25 an hour.” Gabe is one of several members actively working on the state-wide campaign to raise the minimum wage, which the Young Democrats see as equally important to move the state forward economically and progressively as the County measure.

At the same time, MCYD is standing with organizations like CASA de Maryland in calling for the Council to eliminate the 90-Day provision that excludes temporary workers from obtaining the minimum wage increase. In addition, they are asking the County to remove the exemption for workers under 19 working less than 20 hours a week.

Board member Emily Shetty, who shared what raising the wage means personally to her at last Wednesday’s rally to raise the wage, states: “Above all, we want to see Bill 27-13 pass and change the lives of millions in the region when Prince George’s and DC pass similar bills. We do hope the Council will consider removing the temporary and youth workers exemptions. All workers in Montgomery County deserve the dignity of this higher wage.”

###

JUICE #6: BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE CHAMBER ACTION ALERT ON MINIMUM WAGE VOTE - BethesdaNow.com reports that the BCC Chamber sent out the following action alert calling for a MoCo minimum wage of no more than $10.10/hour:

BCC CHAMBER: For the past several weeks, the B-CC Chamber has been working with other chambers and business groups in Montgomery County to persuade Council members to delay consideration of Council member Elrich’s bill that would set the minimum wage in Montgomery County at $11.50 an hour that would be phased in over three years, beginning in July 2014 and indexed to increase with the consumer price index in future years.  Based on a survey of businesses in the county, this increase is too much too fast and the indexing could result in a county minimum wage that is far higher than the state’s, unless the state legislature also passes a minimum wage tied to indexing.  Yesterday, the County Council HHS Committee voted (2-0) in favor of Elrich’s bill, this despite the fact that the proponents’ own economists told them that $11.50 is too high.  They did amend the bill to exempt teens age 18 and under working fewer than 20 hours per week and set the minimum wage for tipped employees at 50% of the County minimum wage. This bill will go to the full Council for a vote this Tuesday.  IT WILL PASS – possibly unanimously — unless the business community is able to persuade some Council members to make some changes that would make it less burdensome for employers.

LAST CALL: EMAIL NOW TO SUPPORT AN $11.50/HOUR MINIMUM WAGE: You can email all nine Montgomery County Councilmembers and the office of the County Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com. 

ACT NOW: One Vote Needed to Pass MoCo Minimum Wage // Fate of Prince George's & DC Hike Rests on $11.50/Hr in MoCo

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS NOW:  In recent weeks, a battle has been brewing among government officials in Montgomery County, Prince George's County and the District of Columbia over efforts to pass minimum wage increases at the local level. Councilmembers in all three jurisdictions are poised to move a "regional minimum wage" of $11.50/hour that is indexed to the consumer price index (aka a minimum wage that increases as the cost of living rises). Note that a person working 40 hours week and who takes no vacations would make $23,920/year under the proposed $11.50/hour rate -- keeping them just above the $20,000 poverty line. Given the record high wealth inequality we've witnessed over the past few decades, this hardly seems like a radical proposal.

But efforts are afoot to weaken the bills in a way that threatens to derail the tenuous arrangement between a coalition of Councilmembers in MoCo, Prince George's & DC, who have all agreed to move an $11.50/hour minimum wage. While compromising on the amount of the wage increase would normally seem like fair game, in this instance, Prince George's lawmakers have a ready majority for $11.50 an hour but are waiting for Montgomery to act before pulling the trigger. A failure to pass the same rate increase will throw all sorts of unpredictability in the process and threaten to derail a historic economic justice pact between governments in the ever-expensive DC Metro region.

WHIP COUNT: Here's the current status of the $11.50/hour minimum wage proposals within the three participating jurisdictions:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY: The $11.50/hour minimum wage bill in MoCo is being sponsored by Councilmember Marc Elrich and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Nancy Navarro and Valerie Ervin. Additionally, Councilmember George Leventhal has publicly supported an $11.50/hour minimum wage but tells Maryland Juice he would support a lower amount, "if that's what it takes to get a bill out of the full Council." That means there are currently four votes for an $11.50/hour minimum wage in MoCo, but one more vote is needed to pass the bill without weakening amendments. We also need to shore up Councilmember Leventhal's vote. The full MoCo Council votes on Tuesday and the members need to start hearing from you now - you can email all nine Councilmembers and the office of the County Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com. In the meantime, here's a whip count for the nine Councilmembers:

• Marc Elrich - Sponsor of an $11.50/hour minimum wage - councilmember.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Nancy Navarro - Co-sponsor of an $11.50/hour minimum wage - councilmember.navarro@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Valerie Ervin - Co-sponsor of an $11.50/hour minimum wage - councilmember.ervin@montgomerycountymd.gov

• George Leventhal - Would support $11.50/hour or less if the votes aren't there - councilmember.leventhal@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Hans Riemer - Sponsoring an amendment to lower the rate to $10.75/hour or $1 over the state minimum wage - councilmember.riemer@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Nancy Floreen - Position unknown - councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Roger Berliner - Position unknown - councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Craig Rice - Position unknown, but stated he would prefer to table the bill until the state acts - councilmember.rice@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Phil Andrews - Position unknown, but stated he would prefer to table the bill until the state acts - councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov

Note that a key element to the MoCo wage hike is a plan to index the pay rate to the cost of living, so that we don't have to have this fight every few years. But all Councilmembers need to hear that you support an "indexed $11.50/hour minimum wage."

Meanwhile, County Executive Ike Leggett has indicated he will sign a minimum wage hike into law but prefers a $10.75/hour increase with no increase with rises in the cost of living. He has not yet declared whether he would veto an $11.50/hour minimum wage if approved by the County Council. Former County Executive Doug Duncan has stated he has problems with a county minimum wage increase and wants to wait for the state to act. The County Council votes this TUESDAY, so please email all nine Councilmembers and the office of the County Executive NOW by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY: Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich, the sponsor of MoCo $11.50/hour proposal, indicates that a majority of the Prince George's County Council is prepared to approve the same plan in their county. However, P.G. lawmakers want certainty that Montgomery County to act and are scheduling their vote to occur immediately after MoCo passes an $11.50/hour wage rate. Meanwhile, County Executive Rushern Baker has expressed concerns about the proposal, and it is unclear whether he would sign it into law or veto the plan. Please contact Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker to urge his support for a minimum wage increase at: (301) 952-4131 or countyexecutive@co.pg.md.us. And please do the same for the P.G. Councilmembers - their contact info is available here.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Councilmember Vincent Orange and his colleagues are pushing an $11.50/hour minimum wage proposal, though Mayor Vincent Gray wants an "independent commission" to study the exact rate. If Montgomery and Prince George's pass an indexed $11.50/hour minimum wage, it seems likely that the D.C. Council will follow suit. Please contact Mayor Gray and urge his support at (202) 727-6300 or eom@dc.gov. You can also find contact info for the D.C. Councilmembers here.

BOTTOM LINE?  IT'S NOW OR NEVER FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE - On Tuesday, all eyes in the region will be on the Montgomery County Council. If they pass an $11.50/hour minimum wage, I predict the Prince George's and D.C. Councils will do the same, and their Executives will more likely than not sign the bills into law. This would also help lay the political groundwork for a robust state minimum wage increase in Maryland. But if Montgomery County cannot summon the will to get this done, all bets are off, and the wrong message will be sent to lawmakers in Annapolis. Please contact all nine Montgomery County Councilmembers and the office of the MoCo Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com. You can read some more context on the MoCo fight below:

The MoCo Council staff memo regarding the minimum wage proposal describes two amendments to the minimum wage hike proposal that will be considered by Councilmembers. The bill's lead sponsor Councilmember Marc Elrich proposes reducing his proposed $12/hour minimum wage to $11.50/hour to create a regional standard in tandem with the District of Columbia and Prince George's County:

MOCO COUNCIL STAFF MEMO: Councilmember EIrich intends to introduce an amendment to reduce the minimum wage in 2016 from $12.00 per hour to $11.50 per hour to be consistent with the anticipated regional minimum wage that may be adopted by Prince George's County and the District of Columbia.

Meanwhile, Councilmember Hans Riemer proposed an amendment to reduce the MoCo minimum wage increase even further to $10.75 (or $1 over the Maryland minimum wage). His amendment would stop MoCo's minimum wage from rising with increases in the cost of living. This foreshadows a fight that may begin brewing in Annapolis, if state lawmakers similarly try to stop the Maryland minimum wage from rising with the cost of living. The County Council's staff memo also described Riemer's amendment and its rationale (excerpt below):

MOCO COUNCIL STAFF MEMO: Councilmember Riemer intends to introduce an amendment that would set the County minimum wage in 2016 at the greater of $10.75 or $1 over the State minimum and remove the index to the CPI-U. Councilmember Riemer's amendment would make similar changes to the County minimum wage during the phase-in period....

COUNCILMEMER HANS RIEMER: Of the 45 states that have minimum wage laws, eleven (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington) have inflation escalators. No state or locality in the Washington D.C. area currently has one. As of this moment, there is no assurance that the State of Maryland will adopt one.

Riemer's amendment may help explain why the advocacy group Jews United for Justice hosted a call-in day with its members asking Councilmember Riemer to support an $11.50 minimum wage. You can see the script they are asked members to read (excerpt below):

JEWS UNITED FOR JUSTICE: I'd like to thank the Councilmember for his commitment to raising the minimum wage in Montgomery County and for his leadership on raising the local EITC. Also, I appreciate the Councilmember proposing to amend certain provisions of the current minimum wage bill that would weaken the bill.

I think the Councilmember is a leader on progressive issues, however, I was disappointed to see he does not support a timeline that would raise the minimum wage to $11.50 by 2016. Workers in Montgomery County can't wait any longer.

I'm calling to ask Councilmember Riemer to join his colleagues in supporting an increase in the minimum wage to $11.50 per hour by 2016....

ONE LAST TIME: CONTACT YOUR COUNCILMEMBERS NOW - Please contact all nine Montgomery County Councilmembers and the office of the MoCo Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com

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

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

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

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

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

TIME: 7PM – 9PM

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

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

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

Confirmed Speakers: 

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

Doug Gansler Disavows Surrogate's Anti-Immigrant Writings // Councilmember Nancy Navarro & Pundit Todd Eberly Weigh In

Yesterday Maryland Juice wrote about an unforced error from Attorney General Doug Gansler's gubernatorial campaign. During his campaign kickoff a few weeks ago, Gansler released a video highlighting testimonials from a few surrogates, including retired police offer Mike Mancuso. But we noted that Mancuso has written pieces in local newspapers scapegoating immigrants for budget problems during our recent recession. Below we provide a few updates to this story including a response from Gansler, as well as commentary from Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro and political pundit Todd Eberly:

JUICE #1: DOUG GANSLER DISAVOWS ANTI-IMMIGRANT VIEWS OF SURROGATE MIKE MANCUSO - Today, The Washington Post's John Wagner published a response from Attorney General Doug Gansler to news of his supporter's anti-immigrant writings (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: The gubernatorial campaign of Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) on Thursday disavowed views on immigration expressed in 2010 by a retired Montgomery County police officer who appeared in a recent Gansler campaign video....

The blog Maryland Juice reported Thursday that in 2010 Mancuso wrote a couple of opinion pieces in local papers, including The Washington Post, in which he accused Montgomery officials of not doing enough to address the county’s No. 1 budget problem: “an ever-increasing population of illegal immigrants that is rapidly depleting our tax dollars and services....”

“Mr. Mancuso’s later views on immigration certainly do not reflect the views of the attorney general and his campaign for governor,” [Gansler spokesman Bob] Wheelock said. “Indeed, Doug has been a national leader on immigration reform and worked tirelessly to ensure passage of the Dream Act here in Maryland....”

JUICE #2: MOCO COUNCILMEMBER NANCY NAVARRO RESPONDS TO MANCUSCO'S WRITINGS - Maryland Juice received the following response to our story on the controversy from Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro:

NANCY NAVARRO: I was deeply disturbed to read your article about gubernatorial candidate Doug Gansler putting an anti-immigrant former Montgomery County police officer front and center in his campaign kick-off video. Even though I support Anthony Brown for governor, I continue To think highly of Doug Gansler. In many conversations I've had with Doug over the years, he has always spoken proudly of the "welcoming community" we have in Montgomery County. Unfortunately, this campaign video sends  a completely different message to our proud immigrant community. 

JUICE #3: POLITICAL PUNDIT TODD EBERLY WEIGHS IN ON GANSLER CONTROVERSY - Todd Eberly, a political pundit in Maryland, pushed back on the relevance of this story in a series of Tweets today (samples below):

JuiceBlender: Controversy Over Gansler's Campaign Manager "Mudcat," MoCo Voting Rights Effort, D15 Delegate Candidates

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

JUICE #1: VIRGINIA POLITICAL OPERATIVE ACCUSES DOUG GANSLER'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER OF STEALING THE NICKNAME "MUDCAT" - Last month, The Washington Post reported that Attorney General Doug Gansler hired a new campaign manager for his gubernatorial campaign (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D), who is gearing up to announce his 2014 bid for governor next month, has hired a new campaign manager. Matthew "Mudcat" Arnold recently took over for Carrie Glenn, who has left the campaign for health-related reasons, Gansler aides said Friday.... In his LinkedIn Profile, Arnold lists his "likes" as red meat, bourbon, logic games and bar trivia. His "dislikes" include paying for parking and life without a dishwasher...

MUDCAT VS. MUDCAT: It turns out Gansler's manager, Matthew Arnold, is not the first campaign operative to use the nickname, "mudcat," and that has the "real" Mudcat (Dave Saunders) fuming. The Roanoke Times reported on the controversy today (excerpt below):

ROANOKE TIMES:  Identity theft is a big deal these days. But rarely are its victims’ nicknames appropriated, too. Which brings us to my friend Dave Saunders, who everybody knows as “Mudcat.” He was 13 when he began demanding his friends call him that. That was 51 years ago....

On Aug. 30, The Washington Post listed “Mudcat” as one of the 10 best nicknames in all of politics. Saunders was the only political operative who made the list..... But now another guy is using it — Matthew "Mudcat" Arnold, a young Democratic whippersnapper from Mississippi. Arnold’s mom was still changing his diapers when the real Mudcat was earning his chops in politics.

In August, Arnold was hired as campaign manager for Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, who’s running for that state’s governor in 2014.... He told reporters to call him "Mudcat."

This has left the real Mudcat more frustrated than an Amish electrician. When I talked to him last week, he sounded madder than a three-legged cat trying to bury turds on a frozen pond.

"What pisses me off is, I've got to deal with it," the real Mudcat told me. "Now I’m getting calls for the Maryland governor’s race.... This guy is nothing like a Mudcat. It's a very redneck nickname. And this guy isn't any kind of redneck...."

Arnold might have been better off picking a moniker he could build into his own legend. Something distinctive — like Dogslobber or Squirrelly. Or perhaps Poseur. At least that shoe may fit.

JUICE #2: MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCILMEMBERS INTRODUCE RESOLUTION CALLING FOR EXPANSION OF VOTING RIGHTS AND DC SUFFRAGE - In response to the war on voting rights by conservative politicians and the U.S. Supreme Court, the Montgomery County Council is embarking on an effort to promote 21st century voting rights in MoCo. Councilmember Nancy Navarro has introduced a resolution, co-sponsored by the entire County Council calling for a series of voting reforms (excerpt below):

1. The Council calls on Congress to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would grant an individual right to vote to every American citizen of voting age. 

2. The Council calls on Congress to restore Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by creating a new coverage formula to determine which states and local jurisdictions should have voting changes reviewed for potential discriminatory impact. 

3. The Council calls on Congress to give residents of Washington, DC full representation and voting rights in the House of Representatives and United States Senate. 

4. The Council supports Maryland’s recent expansion of early voting and the adoption of same-day voter registration. We support placing new early voting sites at locations that are easily accessible by public transportation. 

5. The Council establishes a Right to Vote Task Force to:

a. Review all local laws and practices that may affect the right to vote;  

b. Review and recommend changes at the local level to uphold voting rights and increase voter participation;  

c. Develop plans and take action to promote early voting and same-day registration and make recommendations to the Council on any policies or actions needed to strengthen these efforts;  

d. Develop plans for a voter registration program designed to register eligible high school students and support voter education programs to increase citizenship knowledge and participation in the democratic process;  

e. Review Maryland election laws and regulations and recommend legislation that would strengthen the right to vote in Montgomery County, including whether the General Assembly should adopt automatic voter registration, allowing eligible voters to “opt-out” of the voter registration database instead of “opt-in”; and  

f. Review with the Montgomery County Board of Elections the strengths and weaknesses of our election practices and regulations after the 2014 general election. 

JUICE #3: UPDATE ON POTENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR A FUTURE DISTRICT 15 DELEGATE VACANCY - Maryland Juice previously published a list of potential candidates for a District 15 Delegate vacancy, in the event that Delegate Brian Feldman is selected to replace Rob Garagiola in the State Senate. We have a few updates to our running list (details below):

• Saqib Ali, former House of Delegates member
• Lori Askinazi, founder/President of L.A. Interiors (business)
• David Fraser-Hidalgo, area director for Regus (business)
• Tim Hwang, founder/CEO of FiscalNote, Inc (business)
• Hamza Khan, communications coordinator at Cont3nt.com (business)
• Kevin Mack, aide to Congressman John Delaney
• Tony Puca, senior loan officer at Meadowbrook Financial Mortgage Bankers (business)
• Venattia Vann, MCDCC Vice-Chair
• Jinhee Wilde, principal and managing partner of Wilde & Associates (business)

The changes to the list above are as follows: 1) Sources previously indicated that Kevin Mack would likely skip the MCDCC appointment process and run straight for the June 2014 Primary, but we are now hearing that Mack may seek an appointment after all, 2) Based on a source's information, we've added Tony Puca of Potomac, Maryland to the list of potential candidates, and 3) We've dropped Tim Whitehouse from the list above, as he's now indicated he has decided to run for a voting position on the MCDCC instead of Delegate (see email below):

From: Timothy Whitehouse <xxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.com>
Subject: Voting member of MCDCC
Date: September 10, 2013

Hi everyone:

I wanted to follow up with all of you about my plans for the coming election season.  After considering my various options, I have decided that I would like to seek a voting position on the MCDCC.  I think I would be a great assets to the MCDCC in their effort to build and maintain a strong party in Montgomery County.

I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks,

Tim

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.

JUICE: Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown's Shortlist of Running-Mates // PLUS: Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger Weighs Run for MD Governor

The 2014 Maryland Governor's race is just about to enter into high gear. Maryland Juice recently reported that Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown has scheduled a May 10th kickoff for his 2014 gubernatorial campaign. We also mentioned that rumors indicate Brown will appear at his Prince George's campaign rally with a running-mate beside him. Below we leak a few names on Anthony Brown's shortlist for Lt. Governor. But first another development is threatening to seriously alter the playing field in 2014. Indeed, there may be a new entrant on the battle field! We knew that a dark horse candidate for statewide office might emerge eventually....

CONGRESSMAN DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER IS CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR - In a surprise move, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger is apparently thinking about leaving Congress to run for Governor in 2014. The Baltimore Sun's Dan Rodricks reported on the wild development this evening (excerpt below):

DAN RODRICKS (VIA BALTIMORE SUN) - Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the six-term congressman and former Baltimore County executive, "is considering it," says his spokeswoman, Jaime Lennon.

Ruppersberger is the ranking Democratic member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, a great assignment but one that has a term limit and ends when the current Congress does, in two years....

INCOMPLETE SHORTLIST OF ANTHONY BROWN'S POSSIBLE RUNNING-MATES - Below Maryland Juice provides a shortlist of several possible 2014 running-mates for Anthony Brown's gubernatorial campaign. NOTE: This is not a complete list of all of the possible candidates on Brown's shortlist. However, each of the names below have been mentioned to me by knowledgeable sources, and at least some of them appear to be going through some level of vetting.

Rival gubernatorial candidate Ken Ulman's name is included below for obvious reasons, but it is unclear if he's even considering teaming up with Brown for the #2 spot. Similarly, Howard County Councilmember Courtney Watson is listed below, but she is also a candidate for Howard County Executive in 2014. It is therefore also unclear whether she would be willing to abandon her campaign for an unplanned run for LG. Okay, enough blabbering on my part. Without further ado here are some of the possible running-mates for Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown:

• OPTION #1:  Vicki Almond - Baltimore County Councilmember
• OPTION #2:  Bill Cole - Baltimore City Councilmember

• OPTION #3:  Kathleen Dumais - District 15 Delegate (Montgomery County)

• OPTION #4:  Nancy King - District 39 State Senator (Montgomery County)

• OPTION #5:  Roger Manno - District 19 State Senator (Montgomery County)

• OPTION #6:  Nancy Navarro - Montgomery County Council President

• OPTION #7:  Ken Ulman - Howard County Executive

• OPTION #8:  Courtney Watson - Howard County Council

QUICK NOTES: Of the eight names listed above, it is worth noting that five are women. It is also worth noting that only one option would be history-making for any racial or ethnic group. On the geographic front, 50% of the names on my shortlist are from Montgomery County, and the next runner-up is Howard County with two possible running-mates (if you count Ken Ulman). Baltimore City and County each have one name on my list, but remember that there could be more candidates on the shortlist than I have been able to discover. In any case, the names above still provide an interesting window into the considerations Brown's team might be making. None of their choices so far are shocking though, given that the DC suburbs alone could make up almost 40% of the Democratic Primary electorate, and women outnumber men in the Democratic Party.


OPTION #1:  VICKI ALMOND, BALTIMORE COUNTY COUNCILMEMBER - Baltimore County Councilmember Vicki Almond provides the following biography on her website:

Councilwoman Vicki Almond took the oath of office on December 6, 2010, to represent the Second District on the Baltimore County Council. She became the first woman to hold this seat and only the third woman to serve on the Baltimore County Council. She made history, along with Councilwoman Cathy Bevins, by being the first women to serve together on the Baltimore County Council. In January 2012, she became the first woman to Chair the Baltimore County Council in more than 20 years.

Vicki Almond, Baltimore County Council

Vicki Almond's 30 years of leadership in public schools, working with our police and fire departments, leading community groups, in state government and in Baltimore County Democratic politics, prepared her to provide our community with thoughtful, responsible, and ethical leadership.

Prior to her campaign, Councilwoman Almond served as Chief of Staff to Senator Bobby Zirkin. She also managed Delegate Dana Stein's successful campaign for his first term in 2006. County Executive Dutch Ruppersberger appointed her to the Baltimore County Women's Commission and she served on the Rosewood Advisory Board. She also was instrumental in the creation of Baltimore County's School Resource Officer (SRO) Program which places a police officer in our public middle and high schools.

Councilwoman Almond has an extensive community resume. She served as PTA President at both Franklin Middle School and Franklin High School. She was the President of the Reisterstown-Owings Mills-Glyndon Coordinating Council on two occasions. She has been a leader in the Garrision and Franklin Police Community Relations Councils and an organizer of the Reister's Towne Festival.

Through serving the community all of these years Councilwoman Almond has had the opportunity to not only get to know the people of the community, but to fully understand their needs. She is committed to Baltimore County's future and believes that the key to a prosperous community is one in which people want to live and raise a family, where companies both large and small want to locate, where our seniors are treated with the respect and dignity, and where we are strengthened by our religious, cultural and ethnic diversity.

She believes in a balanced approach to development that encourages growth in our commercial corridors while both protecting the integrity of our existing residential communities and preserving our district's sensitive environmental areas.

Councilwoman Almond currently lives in Reisterstown with her husband Joe. She has two daughters, both of whom attended Cedarmere Elementary, Franklin Middle and Franklin High Schools, and now has six beautiful grandchildren.

OPTION #2:  BILL COLE, BALTIMORE CITY COUNCILMEMBER - Councilmember Bill Cole provides the following biography on his website:

Councilman Bill Cole began his career in government as an intern in the Maryland State Senate in 1994, then served two sessions as  a legislative aide to former State Senator Walter Baker. In 1996, he was hired by newly elected Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) as Staff Assistant and later Special Assistant.  Cole managed one of three district offices, remaining on the Congressman’s staff until 2003. 

Bill Cole, Baltimore City Council

In 1998, Bill was elected to the Democratic State Central Committee and a few months later selected to fill the District 47 Maryland House of Delegates seat vacated by Judge Timothy D. Murphy.  The 2002 legislative redistricting process eliminated Baltimore’s 47th Legislative District and Bill lost to three incumbents in the newly formed 46th Legislative District. 

Bill was first elected to the Baltimore City Council in 2007, and re-elected in 2011 wining 75% of the vote. 

After receiving a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland College Park in 1994, and a M.A. in Legal and Ethical Studies from the University of Baltimore in 1996, Bill was admitted to Alpha Epsilon Lambda, the national honor society for graduate and professional students. 

Born  in Cecil County, Bill has lived in downtown Baltimore for more than 25 years. He and his wife Michelle, an assistant Maryland Attorney General, live in the Otterbein neighborhood where he has served as president of the community association. Their three children attend Baltimore City Public Schools.

OPTION #3:  KATHLEEN DUMAIS, DISTRICT 15 DELEGATE - District 15 Delegate Kathleen Dumais provides the following biography on her website:

Kathleen M. Dumais is a member of the Litigation Practice Group of Ethridge, Quinn, Kemp, McAuliffe, Rowan & Hartinger in Rockville, Maryland and concentrates in family law. Her practice includes complex divorce and custody matters. Kathleen often serves as a court-appointed Best Interest Attorney for children in custody disputes. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Additionally, Kathleen is an elected member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 15 in Montgomery County. Speaker Michael Busch appointed Kathleen as the Parliamentarian for the House of Delegates in 2006. She also serves as a member of the House Judiciary Committee and is the Chair of the Family Law subcommittee.

Kathleen Dumais, District 15 Delegate

Recently, Kathleen received the prestigious 2010 Beverly A. Groner Family Law Award from the Maryland State Bar Association Family & Juvenile Law Section. She will also receive the 2010 Rita C. Davidson Award from the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland and the 2010 Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award from the Women’s Law Center of Maryland, Inc.

Kathleen was included in the May/June 2010 “Top Divorce Lawyers” article in Bethesda Magazine. She was named one of the top 50 divorce lawyers in the Washington Metropolitan area by the Washingtonian magazine in February 2000 and February 2004, and was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 2005, 2007 and 2009 by the Daily Record. Kathleen is now a member of the Daily Record’s “Circle of Excellence.” She was named the “2005 Woman of the Year” by the Montgomery County Business and Professional Women (BPW). In 2006, she received the Professionalism Award from the Montgomery County Bar Association.

Additionally, Ms. Dumais received the 2005 Legislative Award from the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV); the 2007 Public Policy Award from the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA); the 2008 Legislator of the Year Award from the Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women (MLAW); and the 2009 Public Policy Award from the Maryland Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

She also served on the Board of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation and was formerly the Treasurer of the Foundation and the Montgomery County Bar Association. She was Co-Chair of the Family Law Section of the Montgomery County Bar Association during 1997-98. Further, she is a past president of the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland, Montgomery County Chapter, and was an elected member of that Executive Committee from 1995 to 2006. She formerly chaired the New Practitioner’s Section of the Montgomery County Bar Association, and has been a member of numerous Bar Association special committees and task forces.

As a former high school teacher, she continues to work with young adults through the High School Mock Trial program, a joint effort of the Montgomery County Public Schools and Bar Association. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors of St. Vincent Pallotti High School in Laurel, Maryland, her alma mater.

Ms. Dumais received her undergraduate degree (cum laude) from Mount Vernon College in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and her J.D. from the University of Maryland, School of Law in 1983. She is a member of the Maryland Bar, 1987; the bar of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, 1990; and the District of Columbia Bar, 1993.

OPTION #4:  NANCY KING, DISTRICT 39 STATE SENATOR - District 39 State Senator Nancy King provides the following biography on her website:

Senator Nancy King was born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York. She graduated from the Niagara Falls public school system and attended Niagara County Community College.

Nancy King, District 39 State Senate

Upon moving to Maryland in 1981, King became involved in a number of civic organizations. In 1987 she became Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of Trecor, Inc., a family-owned consulting and forensic engineering company. Senator King continues in that position today.

King's children attended Montgomery County public schools, and it was during that time that she began volunteering in the school system. In 1993, she became President of the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs).

In 1994, King was elected to the Montgomery County Board of Education representing District 1 and quickly rose through the leadership ranks, and served for two years as President. Mrs. King continued to serve on the School Board until 2002, until she was elected to Maryland's House of Delegates representing District 39.

As a member of the House of Delegates, King served on the Ways and Means Committee where, in 2006, she became the Chair of the Education sub-committee. In August of 2007, King was elected by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee to fill the seat left vacant by the retirement of Senator P.J. Hogan. Subsequently, Governor Martin O'Malley approved the appointment and she was sworn in as Senator for District 39 on September 6, 2007. In November of 2010 Senator King won the election to continue representing District 39 in the Senate.

King has become an active leader in the Senate and was recognized as the State Legislator of the Year by the National Biotechnology Industry Organization and the Technology Advocate of the Year by the Tech Council of Maryland in 2011. Senator King was chosen to serve on the Budget and Taxation Committee including the Capital Budget and Education, Business, & Administration sub-committees. King is also the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth & Families.

OPTION #5:  ROGER MANNO, DISTRICT 19 STATE SENATOR - District 19 State Senator Roger Manno provides the following biography on his website (excerpt below):

Senator Roger Manno was sworn-in to the Maryland State Senate on January 12th, 2011, after previously serving four years in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Roger Manno, District 19 Senate

Roger is a member of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, serves as one of four Senators on the Health and Human Services Subcommittee, and is a member of the Pension Subcommittee. He is the only freshman Senator on the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the only attorney, and the first Senator from the 19th District to ever serve on the important committee.

Roger also serves on the Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing, the Joint Committee on Federal Relations, the Joint Committee on Pensions, the State Advisory Council on Hereditary and Congenital Disorders, the Maryland Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Commission, and is the Senate Chairman of both the Maryland Task Force to Study Financial Matters Relation to Long-Term Care Facilities, and the Maryland Youth Advisory Council.

In 2009, Roger was appointed to serve on the Working Group of State Legislators for Health Reform. Convened by President Obama's White House, the Working Group played an active role in advising the White House during the development and implementation of the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" -- the largest expansion of health care since the implementation of Medicare -- and the group continues to serve as an advisory panel to facilitate implementation of the pending health care Exchanges. Outside of the legislature, Roger serves on the national steering committee of the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care, and the board of B'nai B'rith International (Chesapeake Bay Region)....

Prior to his election to the legislature, Roger served as a Legislative Director and Legislative Counsel/Senior Counsel in the United States Congress.   In that capacity Roger drafted numerous legislative initiatives, including:  legislation ensuring thorough health care screenings for all U.S. troops; several post-9/11 Homeland Security bills and amendments strengthening security and civil rights; alternative U.S. Budgets sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus; and was an organizer of issue forums for the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference.  Additionally, as a staff member handling International Relations issues and Foreign Operations Appropriations, in 2005 Roger traveled to Israel with a congressional staff delegation during Israel’s "Disengagement" from Israel's West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Immediately following the attacks on September 11, 2001, Roger served as a key staff member on the House of Representatives Homeland Security Task Force (Democratic Caucus), drafting Homeland Security amendments and alternatives to The Patriot Act. While his work dealt with a broad range of Homeland Security issues, his specific contributions were in the area of Domestic Law Enforcement.

Prior to law school Roger worked in public schools with academically, emotionally, and socially challenged special-needs students....

Roger earned his law degree from Franklin Pierce Law Center (University of New Hampshire) and was the Chair of the Democratic Law Caucus. In addition, Roger earned a Masters in Intellectual Property Law, an area of the law dealing with prescription drug patents and obtaining affordable prescription drugs....

Roger is married to his childhood sweetheart, Marjorie.  Roger's parents, Bea and John reside in New York City, and Roger's sister, Shana, lives in Israel. Roger, Marjorie, and their two cats, Chester and Ms. LuLu, live in the Silver Spring area bordering Olney and Sandy Spring. They are members of Temple Emanuel in Kensington, Maryland.

OPTION #6:  NANCY NAVARRO, MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT - Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro provides the following biography on her website:

Nancy Navarro currently serves as President of the Montgomery County Council. She was elected to represent District 4 on the Council in a special election on May 19, 2009 and re-elected in the general election on November 4, 2010. Since December 2010, she has chaired the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee and serves on the Health and Human Services Committee. She served as Council Vice President for the 2011-2012 session, and has been elected Council President for the 2012-2013 session of the Council.

Nancy Navarro, Montgomery County Council

In October 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Nancy as a member of the President’s Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, where she serves on the Early Childhood Education Committee.

Prior to joining the Council, Nancy was a member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, where she served two consecutive terms as Board President. She was first appointed to the Board of Education in October 2004 to fill a vacant seat. On Nov. 7, 2006, she was elected to a full four-year term. Nancy was a member of the Board’s Strategic Planning Committee and chaired the Communications and Public Engagement Committee.

Before entering public office, Nancy co-founded a non-profit, community-based organization with a mission to assist the economic and educational development of Latino and other immigrant communities. School readiness, healthy family development, and academic achievement was the primary focus of the organization. During the summers of 2007 and 2008, she participated in the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) at Harvard University, where the Montgomery County Public Schools team focused on race, poverty and the academic achievement gap.

Nancy has served in a number of volunteer leadership roles, including PTSA co-president; chair of the Youth, Schools, and Childcare Work Group of the Long Branch Revitalization Task Force; co-founder of the Montgomery County Non-Profit Village; member of the Montgomery County Gang Prevention Task Force; member of the National Child Care Action Campaign; Member of the Advisory Committee for the Washington Area Foundation Portrait Project. She also served as a bilingual classroom parent volunteer.

Nancy has received numerous awards and recognitions, including: the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Montgomery County’s Leadership Award; the Maryland State Department of Education’s Women Who Dare Leadership Award; the Hispanic Democratic Club of Montgomery County’s Poder con Ganas Award; the U.S. Hispanic Youth Entrepreneur Education’s Hispanic Hero Award; the Montgomery County Business and Professional Women Association’s Women of Achievement 2007 Award; the Community Teachers Institute’s Heart of the Community Award; the 2009 and 2013 Maryland’s Top 100 Women Award; and the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Elected Local Government Official of the Year Award.

Nancy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Missouri (Columbia). She was born in Caracas, Venezuela and has lived in Montgomery County for more than two decades with her husband, Reginald, and two daughters.

OPTION #7:  KEN ULMAN, HOWARD COUNTY EXECUTIVE - Howard County Executive Ken Ulman provides the following biography on his website (excerpt below):

On Dec. 6, 2010, Ulman was sworn in as County Executive for a second term, reaffirming his commitment to the citizens of Howard County with energy, passion, and innovation.

Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive

Ulman’s practical approach to governing and fiscal responsibility saves taxpayers dollars without sacrificing core public services, while also allowing his administration to focus on initiatives in strategic areas like environmental sustainability, healthcare, technology, and economic development efforts.

In one of his first actions as County Executive, Ulman created the Howard County Office of Environmental Sustainability with a mission to protect and enhance natural resources and the quality of life in our community through the conservation, preservation and restoration of our land, air and water. Through this office, Ulman has enacted many measures that have reduced the County’s environmental footprint, such as the transformation of the County’s fleet of vehicles to hybrids wherever possible, enactment of green building standards and a single-stream recycling program that serves as a model for neighboring jurisdictions.

In addition to environmental issues, Ulman has a strong commitment to public health. At a young age, he witnessed his younger brother battle and beat cancer.  Driven by this personal experience and the belief that everyone should have access to affordable and preventive healthcare, Ulman and Health Officer Dr. Peter Beilenson launched Healthy Howard.

In 2008, Howard County became one of the first in the nation to offer affordable access to health care for uninsured residents. The Healthy Howard Access Plan has earned numerous awards, including the “Government Innovation Award” from the Maryland Society of Public Administration and was the winner of the “Bright Ideas” award from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  In 2008 The Daily Record recognized Ulman and Health Officer Dr. Peter Beilenson with the “Innovator of the Year Award"....

Ulman currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo), an organization that makes sure Maryland’s 23 counties and the City of Baltimore are heard when decisions are made in the state’s capital....

Ulman is a graduate of The University of Maryland, College Park and earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.  He and his wife, Jacqueline, reside in Columbia with their two daughters, Maddie and Lily.

Ulman is also the Vice-Chair of Health Policy for the National Association of Counties, Treasurer for the National Democratic County Officials, and a member of the Democratic National Committee.

OPTION #8:  COURTNEY WATSON, HOWARD COUNTY COUNCIL - Howard County Councilmember Courtney Watson provides the following biography on her website (excerpt below):

Courtney Watson was first elected to the County Council in November, 2006 to represent the First Council District which includes portions of Ellicott City, Elkridge and Hanover. She has also served as Council Chairperson.

Courtney Watson, Howard County Council

Mrs. Watson is a lifelong Howard County resident raised in Clarksville. She was educated in the Howard County Public School System and graduated from Atholton High School.

After several years as a community activist, Mrs. Watson was elected in 2002 to the Board of Education, completing a four year term and serving two years as Chairman. During this time a new superintendent, Dr. Sydney L. Cousin, was hired, the cultural proficiency program was begun, and six new schools were constructed.

Mrs. Watson served on the county’s Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Committee, the Ellicott City Master Plan Steering Committee, and the Economic Development Authority Strategic Plan Committee. She has served on the Spending and Bond Affordability Committee.  Ms. Watson serves as the President of the Women of MACo (Maryland Association of Counties).  She served on the 2007 MACo Education Subcommittee.

Mrs. Watson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University, and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from The Sellinger School of Business at Loyola.

Mrs. Watson and her husband, Richard, have lived in Ellicott City for over 20 years. They have three children.

 More on the 2014 Battle for Governor soon!