Harford Executive David Craig Wins MD Young Republicans Straw Poll for 2014 Governor // Lt. Gov. Michael Steele is #2

Maryland Juice will be very curious to see how Free State Republicans behave in their 2014 gubernatorial primary. After all, it seems like without a shake-up of some sort, the Maryland GOP is destined to remain a regional party for the forseeable future. I truly believe that the tone of the Republicans right now is waaaaay too screechy, racist and homophobic to compete in Maryland's suburbs (example: exactly one GOP legislator Senator supported marriage equality this year-- ONE -- and we're in the year 2012). I think these politicians are being half too cute by thinking they can get away with this or turning a blind eye to it. My hunch is that they are turning off a lot of independent, moderate, and suburban voters. It remains to be seen how long the taint will last, but it could be a long time.

FINALLY: Anne Arundel Council Elects Marine Corps Reservist Peter Smith to Fill District 1 Vacancy // Dick Ladd Changes Vote

Maryland Juice is pleased to announce that Anne Arundel's District 1 County Council seat is no longer vacant. Four Councilmembers tonight voted to fill the vacant Democratic seat with Marine Corps Reservist Peter Smith. The weeks-long spectacle to replace former Councilmember Daryl Jones brought out embarrassing and racially offensive comments from members of the Council. While they spent weeks trying to prevent Pete Smith, a qualified African American, from serving with them -- they made comments about "gooks," called Glen Burnie a "ghetto," and otherwise insulted the diverse communities in Anne Arundel and Maryland.

Tonight that all ended, because the "gook" expert, GOP Councilmember Dick Ladd finally relented and switched his vote. Breaking the 3-3 stalemate, the vote was 4-2 tonight, to appoint Pete Smith. A reader sent in the following congratulatory Facebook & Twitter screencaps from Councilmember Smith's wife and the Anne Arundel County Dems:

The Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch provides details:

Severn resident Peter Smith was selected Monday night to replace imprisoned Daryl Jones on the Anne Arundel County Council.

Councilman Dick Ladd was the decisive vote after more than 100 deadlocked rounds of voting across four different council sessions....

Ladd, a Republican, said he was making the change "with much trepidation."

Congratulations!  Mr. Smith goes to Annapolis.

Anne Arundel County Council Again Delays Filling Vacancy // English-Only Law Proposed, Withdrawn At Meeting

UPDATE: A Maryland Juice source indicates that there is more than meets the eye with the Anne Arundel vacancy story. Apparently, the race to succeed indicted County Executive John Leopold is fueling some of the madness. Our source notes: 

ANONYMOUS SOURCE: Supposedly there is a battle between two Republican members of the General Assembly, who are intertwined in the Anne Arundel Council vacancy issue. Delegate Steve Schuh and State Senator Ed Reily had been preparing to run for the term-limited Leopold seat in 2014. Leopold's indictment has sped things up. Schuh supports the African American and Reily supports the other guy.

DOUBLE-UPDATE: A Maryland Juice reader dropped an anonymous note in our e-suggestion box to clarify details about the 2014 battle for Anne Arundel County Executive:

ANONYMOUS READER: Your story about the behind the scenes lobbying for county exec is close but off. Del Steve Schuh is lobbying for [former State Senator] Mike Wagner, and his business partner Councilman Derek Fink is leading the internal effort to get Wagner on in an effort to solidify the seat for Schuh if Leopold steps down or is removed. [State Senator] Reily has only lobbied one Councilman, and that is Jerry Walker -- and he called on behalf of Schuh to recommend Wagner. When he realized that Schuh was trying to stack the deck, he stopped lobbying and to my knowledge had not lobbied any other Council Member.

Grasso is a puppet for Leopold even sticking up for him after the indictment. Ladd is a bumbling fool who the County Executive has bought with a promise to shift forward the funding for his beloved Severna Park High School if he sticks with Wagner. The other three are sticking with Pete Smith because they think he is the best candidate, and because they don't want the Indicted County Exec to get another vote on the council. Can't say that I blame them.

SOURCE: PHOTO FROM THE SUN'S LATEST ANNE ARUNDEL VACANCY COVERAGE.

BACKGROUND: Last night, the Anne Arundel County Council again failed to fill the District 1 vacancy on their body. As we've noted several times, three Republicans on the body are hell-bent on preventing a qualified Marine Corps reservist, Peter Smith, from serving alongside them. He happens to be African American. The currently indicted Republican County Executive John Leopold's former aide pushed a 70-year-old white, former State Senator into the race.

The pathetic spectacle of this vacancy process has witnessed all manner of racial and ethnic slime coming from some of the GOP members of the body. Councilmember Dick Ladd called Asians "gooks," while Councilmember John Grasso referred to Glen Burnie, Maryland as a "ghetto."

LATEST STATUS: The Baltimore Sun reports that last night, the County Council again failed to fill the vacancy:

After voting four times and remaining split 3-3 along partisan lines between candidates Peter I. Smith and Michael J. Wagner, the council voted unanimously to postpone another vote.

 Moreover, the body continues to focus on strange and symbolic priorities. Republican Councilmember Jerry Walker -- who is actually allied with the Democrats in trying to appoint Peter Smith to fill the vacancy -- last night proposed and then withdrew a bill that would make English the official language of Anne Arundel County. The Sun noted:

Indicted Anne Arundel Exec. John Leopold's Aide Pushed Former Senator for Council Vacancy // Police Seek Resignations

BACKGROUND: Maryland Juice has written a great deal about Anne Arundel County politics lately. This is owing mainly to the pathetic controversy over how to fill a vacancy on the County Council. The Democrats and one Republican are pushing to appoint a young, qualified African American Marine Corps reservist, while the remaining Republicans are pushing Michael Wagner, a 70-year-old, white, former State Senator.

Recent news coverage makes it appear as though former Senator Wagner was pushed into the race by allies of Anne Arundel County's Republican Executive John Leopold. Strangely, Wagner also seems to describe himself as out-of-touch with the District's voters. Notably, Wagner's political benefactor -- County Exec. Leopold -- is currently under indictment for shocking misuse of his public office (see below). Yesterday, The Baltimore Sun provided additional context on the race:

The council has been deadlocked in a 3-3 tie between two candidates: Peter I. Smith, a Defense Department budget manager and a Marine reservist from Severn who is African-American, and Michael J. Wagner, a former state senator from Ferndale, who is white....

Smith said he became interested in politics when he worked as a volunteer for former county Sheriff George F. Johnson, who ran unsuccessfully against County Executive John R. Leopold in 2006....

In his pitch for the seat, Wagner has said he was encouraged to apply by a former top aide to Leopold....

"I probably wouldn't have thought of it, to tell you the truth," said Wagner.... "I'm a conservative Democrat. I know a lot of the regular Democrats wouldn't be jumping for joy with me in there. They'd rather have a person who's stepping to their tune."

Smith, meanwhile, said he's anxious to get the matter settled. "I wish they would just give me an opportunity."

Meanwhile, The Tri-City Herald recently reported on the ridiculous details of County Executive Leopold's misuse of taxpayer resources:

A Maryland official was indicted Friday for misusing his police protection squad, including making them wait while he had sex with a county employee in parking lots, using the officers to conceal his affair and having them do errands such as emptying his urinary catheter bag, prosecutors said.

Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold was charged with four counts of misconduct in office and a count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary, state prosecutor Emmet Davitt announced Friday.

WJLA also notes that Leopold had police planting political lawnsigns for his campaign (really???):

Leopold, a Republican, allegedly used sworn, on-duty Anne Arundel County officers as political campaign workers who would regularly place and distribute campaign signs during the 2010 election, according to the state's attorney.

Today, the union representing Anne Arundel's police force is calling on John Leopold to resign. The Examiner's Jennifer Teates reports:

International Brotherhood of Police Officers, the union representing the sergeants and lieutenants of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, has followed up their recent “no confidence” vote with a call on Monday for County Executive John Leopold and Police Chief James Teare, Sr. to resign....

If county leaders do not take immediate action, officers fear a rise in crime and, according to the IBPO, “the waste of millions of dollars of taxpayer money to fix problems that could have been avoided with more prudent management....” 

"Our members thought the county executive made unsafe decisions about public safety before the indictment," said Paul J. Birks, IBPO national vice president, referring to the vote of no confidence the sergeants and lieutenants took in Leopold’s performance a week before the release of the indictment. "We're even more concerned now that Mr. Leopold will have the distraction of such serious legal troubles."

"If officers cannot trust their chief to protect them from the alleged abuse by a public official, then how can citizens trust the chief to protect them?" asked Birks.

Can the Anne Arundel County Council really appoint the hand-picked choice of an indicted politician to fill a vacancy?