AFTERMATH - So Larry Hogan's Our Governor: What Happened Down-Ballot, What's Next & What About the Purple Line?

Below Maryland Juice provides a few thoughts on last night's wild (and disappointing) election returns:

JUICE #1: WHAT HAPPENED IN MARYLAND'S DOWN-BALLOT RACES? - I have to admit, I wasn't quite expecting Larry Hogan to have a shot at winning the Governor's race (known unforced errors notwithstanding). However, I fully expected that several races down-ballot would be hotly contested in the General Election. After all, Maryland's rapidly growing Democratic electorate is geographically concentrated with some tentacles into counties like Howard & Frederick that are adjacent to Blue hotspots. When political demographics shift, wave years for political parties (like we saw this year, in 2010, and during the Newt Gingrich years) can often eliminate incumbent lawmakers who sit in districts that have become home to the opposing party. This year in Maryland was (unfortunately) no different.

The short summary is this: In the House of Delegates, Democrats are facing a net loss of 7 seats, and in the Senate, Republicans will gain 2 seats. Democrats will still hold a solid majority in both chambers. Blogger David Lublin over at The Seventh State framed the consequences accurately: "The Democrats who lost in the General Assembly are almost all moderate or conservative Democrats.... The Democrats will be more liberal and the Republicans more conservative." Heading into the 2015 legislative session, Democrats will hold 91 seats in the House of Delegates, while Republicans will hold 50. But of the 91 Democratic lawmakers, 26% will represent Montgomery County, 25% will represent Prince George's County, and roughly 18% will represent Baltimore City. That means nearly 69% of the Democratic House Caucus will come from the "Big 3" jurisdictions.

In the State Senate, Democrats will hold 33 seats, with the Republicans holding 14. 24% of the Democrats will be from Montgomery County, 24% will represent Prince George's, and 15% will represent Baltimore City. In the upper chamber, 63% of Democrats will represent the "Big 3" jurisdictions.

Below I've noted some of the noteworthy down-ballot election results from around the state. Though it was a bad night for Democrats, some of the races below are Democratic pick-ups:

STATE SENATE CHANGES (GOP NETS 2 SEATS):

• D6 (-1 DEM OPEN SEAT): Johnny Ray Salling (GOP) beats Johnny Olszewski Jr (DEM)
• D29 (-1 DEM): Steve Waugh (GOP) beats incumbent Roy Dyson (DEM)
• D34 (GOP HOLD OPEN SEAT): Bob Cassilly (GOP) beats Mary-Dulany James (DEM)

HOUSE OF DELEGATES CHANGES (GOP NETS 7 SEATS):

• D1B (-1 DEM): Jason Buckel (GOP) beats incumbent Kevin Kelly (DEM)
• D2B (-1 DEM): Brett Wilson (GOP) beats incumbent John Donoghue (DEM)
• D3A (+1 DEM IN 2 OPEN SEATS): Carol Krimm & Karen Young (ALL DEM) beat Paul Smith & Victoria Wilkins (ALL GOP)
• D6 (-3 DEM): Bob Long, Robin Grammer & Ric Metzgar (ALL GOP) beat incumbent Mike Weir & 2 Democrats
• D29A (-1 DEM IN OPEN SEAT): Matt Morgan (GOP) beats Daniel Slade (DEM)
• D29B (-1 DEM): Deb Ray (GOP) beats incumbent John Bohanan (DEM)
• D31A (+1 DEM): Ned Carey (DEM) beats Terry Lynn DeGraw (GOP)
• D34B (-1 DEM IN OPEN SEAT): Susan McComas (GOP) beats Cassandra Beverly (DEM)
• D35A (LOSS ACCOUNTED FOR IN D34B): Kevin Bailey Hornberger (GOP) beats incumbent David Rudolph (DEM)
• D38B (-1 DEM): Carl Anderton Jr (GOP) beats incumbent Norm Conway (DEM)
• D34A (NO CHANGE): Incumbent Glen Glass (GOP) & Mary Ann Lisanti (DEM) win

NOTE ON DEFEATED DEMS: Del. Norm Conway is House Appropriations Chair; Del. David Rudolph is House Economic Matters Vice-Chair; Sen. Roy Dyson is Senate Education, Health & Environmental Vice-Chair. We can expect some shifting of positions due to these losses.

CONGRESS (ALL INCUMBENTS WIN RE-ELECTION): Though every member of Congress in Maryland is headed to re-election, the CD6 race between Rep. John Delaney and Dan Bongino was an interesting one. Here are the final numbers (not including absentee and provisional ballots):

• John Delaney 89,318
• Dan Bongino 87,152

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY EXECUTIVE (GOP HOLD OPEN SEAT)

• Del. Steve Schuh (GOP) beats George Johnson (DEM)
• County Council will be 4 GOP to 3 DEM (one of the GOP being a seccessionist)

BALTIMORE COUNTY EXECUTIVE (DEM HOLDS SEAT)

• Incumbent Kevin Kamenetz (DEM) beats George Harman (GOP)
• County Council will be 3 GOP to 4 DEM

FREDERICK COUNTY EXECUTIVE (DEM WINS FIRST EVER ELECTION)

• Jan Gardner (DEM) beats Blaine Young (GOP)
• County Council will be 5 GOP to 2 DEM

HOWARD COUNTY EXECUTIVE (GOP WINS OPEN SEAT)

• Sen. Allan Kittleman (GOP) beats Courtney Watson (DEM)
• County Council will be 1 GOP to 4 DEM

BALLOT QUESTIONS

• MD Question 1 - "Transportation Fund Lock Box" was Approved
• MD Question 2 - Authorization for County Executive Special Elections was Approved
• MoCo Question A - Residency Requirement for District Councilmembers was Approved
• PG Question J - Longer Term Limits for County Officials was Rejected

JUICE #2: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: 2018 ELECTION TEA LEAVES - Last night Maryland Juice was watching election coverage on News Channel 8. Doug Gansler's running-mate, Jolene Ivey, was on-air talking about the election returns, and it sure sounds like Gansler might run again in 2018. Gansler has also since appeared in post-election coverage criticizing the Brown campaign (see eg: WBAL). The other candidate in the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, Heather Mizeur closed out the General Election with a Baltimore Sun op-ed stating, "our time will come at some future election." Let's also not forget that Congressman John Delaney was polling the Governor's race (with his name included) during the primary. The Baltimore Sun included Ken Ulman in a list of election winners & losers (listed as a winner), with the following statement: "You may have dodged a bullet by avoiding the trap of being Maryland's lieutenant governor, historically a one-way ticket to nowhere.... See you in four years." Lastly, The Sun's list also mentioned Comptroller Peter Franchot, who also flirted with a gubernatorial bid this cycle: "In an awful year for Democrats, Comptroller Peter Franchot actually increased his margin of victory from 2010. He ran strong where Democrats did well, and he ran strong where they didn't." Last night's election results were utterly disappointing, but I guess we'll at least have something to talk about for four years.


JUICE #3: MOVING FORWARD & THE FUTURE OF THE PURPLE LINE - I don't want to spend too much time talking about the Governor's race, but I posted my very brief thoughts on Facebook earlier this evening:

As noted above, I am indeed thinking about how to adjust to the reality of a Hogan administration. Of primary concern are two issues that should not be seen as partisan: 1) funding for severely overcrowded schools in Montgomery County, and 2) funding for transit projects that are near-ready to break ground, like the Purple Line. The transit-focused blog Greater Greater Washington today discussed the impact of a Hogan administration on the Purple Line and included some of my thoughts (excerpt below):

GREATER GREATER WASHINGTON: Business groups supported Hogan because of his message of tax cuts. They also have strongly favored the Purple Line. Will they tell Hogan that it's important to them? David Moon, an organizer who once ran the Purple Line Now campaign and was just elected to the House of Delegates from the Silver Spring/Takoma Park area, said, "You're not going to be able to [win Hogan over] from a regional DC-suburban perspective, or a liberal transit versus roads perspective," or the environment (he ran against a stormwater fee calling it a "rain tax"). But if businesses are willing to stand up for infrastructure that will generate economic growth, he said, that is more compelling....

The interesting piece has generated a decent amount of commentary and debate (see here).


That's all I got for now....

Early Vote Turnout Analysis, Hillary Clinton in MD, Brown vs. Hogan Polls, Raskin vs. Zirkin for JPR Committee Chair & More!

Below Maryland Juice provides a roundup of news and analyses of key races of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: DUELING POLLS IN THE RACE BETWEEN ANTHONY BROWN VS. LARRY HOGAN - Maryland's top race this cycle is undoubtedly the gubernatorial match-up between Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and former Ehrlich-administration official Larry Hogan. Here is a quick round-up of recent polls in the race. Note: the Gonzalez poll below was commissioned by supporters of Larry Hogan:

NEW YORK TIMES-CBS-YOUGOV (10/23/14) - BROWN +13

• Anthony Brown (D) - 51%
• Larry Hogan (R) - 38%

BALTIMORE SUN (10/11/14) - BROWN +7%

• Anthony Brown (D) - 49%
• Larry Hogan (R) - 42%

WASHINGTON POST (10/6/14) - BROWN +9%

• Anthony Brown (D) - 47%
• Larry Hogan (R) - 38%
• Shawn Quinn (L) - 4%

GONZALEZ RESEARCH (10/1/14) - BROWN +4%

• Anthony Brown (D) - 47%
• Larry Hogan (R) - 43%
• Shawn Quinn (L) - 1%

JUICE #2: MARYLAND JUICE EARLY VOTE TURNOUT ANALYSIS // WHO'S BEEN VOTING? - Below Maryland Juice takes a deep dive into early vote turnout data by party, gender, and county -- and we also give breakdowns in all Montgomery County state races, a few swing districts and in key Maryland counties. Early voting is currently underway in Maryland, as voters can cast early ballots until Thursday, October 30, 2014. Polls are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm at early vote centers across the state. Who has been voting early in the Free State? Below you can see some of our findings from turnout data for the first three days of early voting (Thursday, Friday & Saturday).

EARLY VOTE TURNOUT BY COUNTY & PARTY: Below we take a look at early vote turnout by raw party advantage and by county turnout. Not surprisingly, Democrats are turning out at an almost 2-1 rate over Republicans, reflecting their statewide registration advantage. As a result, the top raw turnout counties are not surprising (Baltimore, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, etc). But in terms of the % of eligible voters casting ballots, Montgomery County is near the bottom of the state, along with Baltimore City. Though you cannot assume all Democrats will vote for Brown and all Republicans will vote for Hogan, the data reflect mixed news for Democrats. The party can try and coast on its registration advantage, but the low turnout %'s in heavy Democratic counties should be seen as a call to arms. Montgomery County is seriously lagging in % turnout (again, probably owing to the fact that the large numbers of new MoCo voters who registered over the last few years are not turning out at the polls):

2014 Early Vote Turnout by Party (First 3 Days):

1. Democrats = 62,765
2. Republicans = 29,533
3. Independents = 8,275

2010 Early Vote Turnout by Party (First 3 Days):

1. Democrats = 60,547
2. Republicans = 26,146
3. Independents = 7,508

2014 Early Vote Turnout - Top 8 Counties by Raw Turnout (First 3 Days):

1. Baltimore County = 16,893 (3.25%)
2. Prince George's = 14,004 (2.58%)
3. Anne Arundel = 12,930 (3.7%)
4. Montgomery = 11,271 (1.78%)
5. Baltimore City = 8,413 (2.25%)
6. Howard = 7,064 (3.62%)
7. Harford = 6,301 (3.83%)
8. Frederick = 3,712 (2.46%)

2014 Early Vote Turnout - All Counties Ranked by % Eligible Turnout (First 3 Days):

1. Talbot = 1,651 (6.43%)
2. Queen Anne's = 1,885 (5.68%)
3. Kent = 719 (5.65%)
4. Worcester = 1,415 (3.96%)
5. Harford = 6,301 (3.83%)
6. Somerset = 486 (3.74%)
7. Anne Arundel = 12,930 (3.7%)
8. Howard = 7,064 (3.62%)
9. Wicomico = 1,859 (3.28%)
10. Baltimore County = 16,893 (3.25%)
11. Caroline = 577 (3.14%)
12. Dorchester = 582 (2.84%)
13. Calvert = 1,672 (2.79%)
14. Prince George's = 14,004 (2.58%)
15. Frederick = 3,712 (2.46%)
16. Carroll = 2,751 (2.44%)
17. Cecil = 1,491 (2.41%)
18. Garrett = 460 (2.38%)
19. Saint Mary's = 1,466 (2.27%)
20. Baltimore City = 8,413 (2.25%)
21. Charles = 2,069 (2.06%)
22. Montgomery = 11,271 (1.78%)
23. Washington = 1,279 (1.42%)
24. Allegany = 587 (1.38%)

EARLY VOTE BY GENDER & PARTY: Below we take a look at the first three days of early vote turnout by gender and party. Statewide, women are turning out in larger numbers than men, a trend which clearly benefits Democrats. Women make up almost 60% of the Democrats early voting electorate, while men are a majority of Republican and Independent early vote turnout:

2014 Early Vote Turnout by Gender (First 3 Days):

1. Women = 54,759
2. Men = 46,778

2014 Early Vote Turnout - Democrats by Gender = 62,765:

1. Democrats Female = 36,787 (58.6%)
2. Democrats Male = 25,967 (41.1%)

2014 Early Vote Turnout - Republicans by Gender = 29,533 

1. Republicans Female = 14,078 (47.7%)
2. Republicans Male = 15,447 (52.3%)

2014 Early Vote Turnout - Independents by Gender = 8,275 

1. Independents Female = 3,522 (42.6%)
2. Independents Male = 4,747 (57.4%)

EARLY VOTE TURNOUT BY AGE AND PARTY: Below we take a look at the first three days of early vote turnout, sorted by age and party. The largest block of early voters is age 65+, with almost equal numbers of early voters from the large 45-64 demographic. In every age category, Democrats are turning out in larger numbers than Republicans. But again, you cannot assume that voters are going to vote party-line:

2014 Early Vote Turnout - Ages 18-24 = 2,363

1. Democrats 18-24 = 1,249
2. Republicans 18-24 = 736
3. Independents 18-24 = 349
4. Libertarians 18-24 = 15
5. Greens 18-24 = 4

2014 Early Vote Turnout - Ages 25-44 = 10,775 

1. Democrats 25-44 = 6,170
2. Republicans 25-44 = 2,992
3. Independents 25-44 = 1,459
4. Libertarians 25-44 = 64
5. Greens 25-44 = 23

2014 Early Vote Turnout - Ages 45-64 = 43,605

1. Democrats 45-64 = 26,465
2. Republicans 45-64 = 13,057
3. Independents 45-64 = 3,668
4. Libertarians 45-64 = 75
5. Greens 25-44 = 55

2014 Early Vote Turnout - Ages 65+ = 44,794 

1. Democrats 65+ = 28,881
2. Republicans 65+ = 12,748
3. Independents 65+ = 2,799
4. Libertarians 65+ = 36
5. Greens 65+ = 14

EARLY VOTE BY PARTY IN THE TOP 8 TURNOUT COUNTIES: Below we take a look at early vote turnout in the top 8 highest turnout counties. In 7 of 8 of these counties, Democrats are turning out in much higher numbers than Republicans. In Harford County, Republicans have a slight edge of roughly 300 votes over the Democrats. Though you can't quite assume that all Democrats will vote for their County Executive candidates, the county-level turnout may be reassuring news for Democrats in some of the competitive County Exec races. Some of the turnout numbers are tight enough to warrant extra energy from Dems:

Anne Arundel Early Vote Turnout by Party (First 3 Days):

1. Democrats = 6,169
2. Republicans = 5,282
3. Independents = 1,433

Baltimore City Early Vote Turnout by Party (First 3 Days):

1. Democrats = 7,636
2. Republicans = 417
3. Independents = 326

Baltimore County Early Vote Turnout by Party (First 3 Days):

1. Democrats = 11,259
2. Republicans = 4,334
3. Independents = 1,090

Frederick County Early Vote Turnout by Party (First 3 Days):

1. Democrats = 1,698
2. Republicans = 1,538
3. Independents = 460

Harford County Early Vote Turnout by Party (First 3 Days):

1. Republicans = 2,967
2. Democrats = 2,657
3. Independents = 602

Howard County Early Vote Turnout by Party (First 3 Days):

1. Democrats = 4,167
2. Republicans = 2,035
3. Independents = 775

Montgomery County Early Vote Turnout by Party (First 3 Days):

1. Democrats = 7,909
2. Republicans = 1,962
3. Independents = 1,295

Prince George's County Early Vote Turnout by Party (First 3 Days):

1. Democrats = 12,443
2. Republicans = 878
3. Independents = 507

EARLY VOTE TURNOUT IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY DELEGATE RACES: In all 8 of Montgomery County's House of Delegate Districts, Democrats are turning out in far greater numbers than Republicans. My home District 20 has the highest Democratic turnout in MoCo, and here Independents are tied with Republicans for turnout. Meanwhile District 14 has the highest overall turnout (counting all parties):

Maryland House District 14 Early Vote Turnout by Party = 1,953 Total Votes

1. Democrats = 1,258
2. Republicans = 472
3. Independents = 317
4. Libertarians = 3
5. Greens = 0

Maryland House District 15 Early Vote Turnout by Party = 1,161 Total Votes 

1. Democrats = 709
2. Republicans = 275
3. Independents = 163
4. Libertarians = 5
5. Greens = 1

Maryland House District 16 Early Vote Turnout by Party = 1,092 Total Votes 

1. Democrats = 796
2. Republicans = 171
3. Independents = 119
4. Libertarians = 2
5. Greens = 0

Maryland House District 17 Early Vote Turnout by Party = 1,242 Total Votes 

1. Democrats = 835
2. Republicans = 234
3. Independents = 161
4. Libertarians = 2
5. Greens = 2

Maryland House District 18 Early Vote Turnout by Party = 1,335 Total Votes 

1. Democrats = 999
2. Republicans = 182
3. Independents = 136
4. Greens = 6
5. Libertarians = 0

Maryland House District 19 Early Vote Turnout by Party = 1,676 Total Votes 

1. Democrats = 1,220
2. Republicans = 257
3. Independents = 183
4. Greens = 4
5. Libertarians = 3

Maryland House District 20 Early Vote Turnout by Party = 1,741 Total Votes 

1. Democrats = 1,425
2. Republicans = 148
3. Independents = 148
4. Greens = 7
5. Libertarians = 3

Maryland House District 39 Early Vote Turnout by Party = 1,070 Total Votes 

1. Democrats = 666
2. Republicans = 222
3. Independents = 170
4. Libertarians = 3
5. Greens = 1

EARLY VOTE TURNOUT IN A FEW SWING RACES: Below we provide early vote turnout figures and party breakdowns in a few key races on the November ballot. Democratic turnout from the first three days of early voting looks okay across the board, but there are a couple districts where the party needs to turn up the heat!

Senate District 3 Early Vote Turnout by Party (Ron Young vs. Corey Stottlemyer) 

1. Democrats = 1,091
2. Republicans = 719
3. Independents = 246

Senate District 42 Early Vote Turnout by Party (Jim Brochin vs. Tim Robinson)

1. Democrats = 1,062
2. Republicans = 683
3. Independents = 153

Delegate District 9B Early Vote Turnout by Party (Tom Coale vs. Bob Flanagan) 

1. Democrats = 742
2. Republicans = 506
3. Independents = 158

Delegate District 12 (Eric Ebersole/Terri Hill/Clarence Lam vs. Gordon Bull/Joe Hooe/Rick Martel)

1. Democrats = 1,773
2. Republicans = 566
3. Independents = 220

Delegate District 29B (John Bohanan vs. Deb Rey)

1. Democrats = 190
2. Republicans = 158
3. Independents = 40

Delegate District 30A Early Vote Turnout by Party (Mike Busch/Chuck Ferrar vs. Herb McMillan/Genevieve Lindner)

1. Democrats = 1,384
2. Republicans = 839
3. Independents = 257

Delegate District 38B Early Vote Turnout by Party (Norm Conway vs. Carl Anderton Jr) 

1. Democrats = 430
2. Republicans = 388
3. Independents = 85

JUICE #3: NATIONAL PARTIES NOW SPENDING IN MARYLAND // PLUS: OBAMA, CHRIS CHRISTIE & THE CLINTONS CAMPAIGN IN MD - As we head into the homestretch for Maryland's gubernatorial race, the national Democrats & Republicans are engaging in a proxy battle in the Free State. Here are a few signs of activity from national politicians:

HILLARY CLINTON TO RALLY FOR ANTHONY BROWN THIS THURSDAY: So far Lt. Governor Anthony Brown's campaign has brought President Obama and former President Bill Clinton onto the campaign trail in Maryland. This Thursday, they are continuing the proxy battle with a rally with Hillary Clinton (press release excerpt below). You can RSVP at: http://www.anthonybrown.com/Oct30

This event is free – supporters will be admitted on a first come, first served basis. Space is limited and supporters must RSVP at www.anthonybrown.com/Oct30, or pick up tickets at a Democratic office listed here: www.anthonybrown.com/offices.

Who: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, County Executive Ken Ulman, and the Maryland Democratic Team

What: Early Vote event – Final push before polls close at 8 p.m. (Nearest Early Vote location is the College Park Community Center at 5051 Pierce Avenue, College Park, MD)

When: Thursday, October 30th, Doors open to the public at 2:45 pm

Where: University of Maryland College Park, Ritchie Coliseum, 4533 Rossborough Lane, College 

Hillary Clinton's visit comes on the heels of an Anthony Brown rally with President Obama (see TV news coverage) and a fundraiser with President Bill Clinton (see TV ad w/ Bill Clinton). Meanwhile, Larry Hogan has enlisted New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (see TV coverage) to campaign for him in the Free State.

NATIONAL PARTY TV AD WARS: Meanwhile, the Democratic Governor's Association (aka DGA) has now spent at least $1.15 million in deep Blue Maryland to shore up the Brown campaign. The Washington Post reported on the ad buys (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: The DGA previously spent about $750,000 on three weeks of ads in the Baltimore market that attack Hogan’s record on social issues, including his past opposition to abortion rights.... The latest DGA outlay in the heavily Democratic state will keep ads on the air on Baltimore stations through mid-October. The purchase appears to be roughly $400,000, based on publicly available records and people familiar with the buy....

To counter the DGA, the Republican Governor's Association (aka the RGA) has bought airtime in Maryland. The Baltimore Sun reported on the news (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: The RGA's intervention in the race in deep-blue Maryland reflects a growing hope in GOP circles that Hogan can score an upset despite the state's 2-1 Democratic registration advantage. The RGA's chairman, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, campaigned and raised funds for Hogan this week on his second visit to Maryland on Hogan's behalf. lRelated Distortions fly in race for governor POLITICS Distortions fly in race for governor SEE ALL RELATED 8 According to filings with the Federal Communication Commission, the RGA will spend $166,515 to advertise on WJZ-TV. The ad the group released Thursday is a 30-second spot rattling off taxes, fares and other charges that have gone up under Brown and Gov. Martin O'Malley....

JUICE #4: SENATORS RASKIN & ZIRKIN BATTLING FOR CHAIR OF JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS COMMITTEE - One of the non-election stories politicos are currently following is the battle between State Senators Jamie Raskin & Bobby Zirkin for Chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee. After all, not all of the hot races this year are electoral battles -- some of them relate to the assignment of leadership posts. This November, State Senator Brian Frosh is all but certain to be elected Maryland's next Attorney General, but Frosh also chairs the Senate's Judicial Proceedings Committee (aka JPR). With his looming departure from that post, Senate President Mike Miller will soon have to choose a replacement. Center Maryland columnist Josh Kurtz recently highlighted the basics of the JPR battle (excerpt below):

JOSH KURTZ VIA CENTER MARYLAND: At first glance – and maybe even at second and third glance – it’s a no-brainer: A Harvard-educated constitutional scholar vs. a guy who advertises his ability to win dog bite cases prominently on his law firm website. Put another way, it’s a choice between a lawyer who wrote a best-selling book about the Supreme Court and a lawmaker who introduced a bill that would have prevented the wife of an Annapolis lobbyist from serving on the Baltimore County school board because the lawmaker didn’t like a natural gas pipeline project in his neighborhood that the lobbyist’s firm was promoting....

By all accounts, the battle is between Montgomery County Sen. Jamie Raskin (D), an American University law professor and constitutional scholar, and Baltimore County Sen. Bobby Zirkin (D), the trial lawyer and pipeline foe. But [Senate President Mike] Miller’s decision isn’t as easy as one might expect given the two contenders’ credentials, because this is not an academic exercise – and the chairmanship of JPR is anything but an academic position. In fact, it’s become a major dilemma for Miller, the longest-serving Senate president on Planet Earth who once held the JPR gavel himself....

WILL MOCO & LIBERALS HAVE A ROLE IN THE STATE SENATE? - But there is much more to the JPR battle than just the resumes of Senators Raskin & Zirkin. The decision has much to do with the trajectory of the chamber, and Montgomery County's role in the future of the State Senate. With the exit of Senator Brian Frosh and the retirement of former Majority Leader Rob Garagiola, Montgomery County may soon be without any Senator in a senior leadership position in the state's upper chamber.

Moreover, with the ever-increasing liberal bent to Maryland's Democratic electorate, the JPR battle foreshadows whether progressives in the State Senate will be given a correspondingly larger voice in the body. On this point, there are some similarities and some differences in voting record between Raskin & Zirkin. Most notably, Zirkin voted against the Dream Act while Raskin supported the bill. The two Senators also disagree on whether landlords should be able to discriminate against tenants based on the form of payment for rent (eg: housing vouchers for veterans and low income residents). Raskin opposes discrimination against form of payment, while Zirkin supports it.

That being said, both Senators voted for marriage equality and both support marijuana legalization. Both Senators also voted against corporate welfare for Lockheed Martin, and Zirkin ultimately joined Raskin in supporting death penalty repeal and transgender non-discrimination. In any case, we will likely not know how this story plays out until after the General Election is concluded.


JUICE #5: LOW PROFILE BALLOT QUESTIONS FACING VOTERS IN NOVEMBER // TRANSPORTATION LOCK BOX, COUNTY EXEC SPECIAL ELECTIONS & MORE - In addition to the state and county races on the ballot this year, there are some fairly interesting (albeit low-profile) ballot questions facing voters. We discuss the two statewide ballot questions and a Montgomery County-specific ballot question below:

QUESTION 1: SHOULD MARYLAND LOCK-BOX ITS TRANSPORTATION FUNDS? - This ballot question asks voters whether state lawmakers should be prohibited from spending transportation dollars on non-transportation budget items. The measure was placed on the ballot by the General Assembly as part of the gas tax negotiations during the last legislative session. The lockbox on the transportation trust fund dollars could be overturned through at 60% vote of the legislature during a fiscal emergency. A vote "for" Question 1, is a vote for the lockbox and is recommended by a diverse range of groups including the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, Progressive Neighbors, The Baltimore Sun, The Gazette, various Chambers of Commerce, the carpenters union and supporters of the Red Line, Purple Line and CCT.

QUESTION 2: SHOULD MARYLAND ALLOW COUNTIES TO FILL COUNTY EXEC VACANCIES THROUGH SPECIAL ELECTIONS? - This ballot question asks voters whether Maryland should authorize counties to fill vacancies in the office of County Executive through special elections instead of appointments. In Montgomery County, for example, a County Exec vacancy would currently be filled through a vote of five members of the County Council. A vote "for" Question 2 is a vote to allow counties to use special elections and is recommended by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and Progressive Neighbors.

MOCO QUESTION A: SHOULD MOCO REQUIRE COUNCILMEMBERS TO LIVE IN THEIR DISTRICT AT THE TIME OF A PRIMARY, GENERAL & VACANCY? - This ballot question asks voters in Montgomery County whether candidates for District-based County Council seats must reside in their district at the time of a Primary Election and General Election or at the time a vacancy occurs. A vote "for" Question A is a vote to require residency and is recommended by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and Progressive Neighbors.

JUICE #6: MONTGOMERY COUNTY APPROVES PUBLIC FINANCING FOR COUNTY RACES STARTING IN THE 2018 CYCLE - One major game-changer to local politics is that Montgomery County Councilmembers recently voted unanimously to adopt a "clean elections" public financing system for county races. The County Council sent the following press release discussing how the new system works (excerpt below):

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL: The Montgomery County Council today unanimously enacted Bill 16-14, which will allow candidates for County Council and County Executive to qualify for partial public financing for their campaigns. This is the first measure of its type for County elective offices in the Washington Region and in the State of Maryland.... The bill would establish a Public Election Fund. To qualify for public financing, a candidate would have to:

• File a Notice of Intent prior to collecting qualifying contributions
• Establish a publicly funded campaign account
• Only accept contributions from an individual of between $5 and $150
• Refuse to accept a contribution from any group or organization, including a political action committee, a corporation, a labor organization or a State or local central action committee of a political party
• Collect a qualifying number of contributions from County residents: 500 for County Executive candidates, 250 for at-large Council candidates and 125 for district Council candidates
• Meet qualifying dollar thresholds of $40,000 for County Executive, $20,000 for at-large Councilmember and $10,000 for district CouncilmemberLimits are indexed to inflation
• Only contributions from County residents are eligible for matching funds

The plan provides strong incentives for candidates to seek out many small individual contributors. Matching public dollars for County Executive candidates would be $6 for each dollar of the first $50 of a qualifying contribution received from a County resident, $4 for each dollar for the second $50 and $2 for each remaining dollar received up to the maximum contribution. Matching dollars for County Council candidates would be $4 for each dollar of the first $50 received from a County resident, $3 for each dollar for the second $50 and $2 for each remaining dollar received up to the maximum contribution.

The maximum limit on public funds per candidate for either the primary election or the general election will be $750,000 for a County Executive candidate, $250,000 for a Council at-large candidate and $125,000 for a district Council candidate. Matching dollars would not be distributed for self/spouse contributions or to candidates running unopposed.

Advocates are hopeful that the "clean elections" push will soon spread to other states and hopefully be adopted for state elections in coming years.

That's it until next time!

MEASURING CONTEST: Maryland Juice's Round-Up of Cash in Statewide Races, All of MoCo's Campaigns & Some Hot Primaries

UPDATE: A few of the late fundraising reports have finally been posted, so we're updating the post below. Here are the campaigns we've added:

• Attorney General Race - Aisha Braveboy: $42,918.44
• D12 Delegate - Brian Bailey: $977.35
• D17 Delegate - Jim Gilchrist (incumbent): $11,602.65
• D19 Delegate - Melodye Berry: $152.00
• D40 Delegate - Doc Cheatham: $87.00
• D44 Senate - Verna Jones-Rodwell (incumbent): $62,843.00

We've also added on more race to our round-up -- the Democratic Primary battle between District 42 Sen. Jim Brochin and O'Malley ally Connie DeJuliis:

• Jim Brochin (incumbent): $228,744.52 
• Connie DeJuliis: $41,745.06

CASH ON HAND: Over the last few months, candidates have announced for various races in the upcoming June primary elections. But yesterday, politicos had the opportunity to start assessing the various Democratic candidate fields through an age-old measurement: cash on hand. Indeed, January 15th was the due date for candidates across the state to show their hands and disclose the state of their finances. There is much you can learn from the reports that have been posted online, but below Maryland Juice provides a simple round-up of how much cash various campaigns now have available. Also note that where there were discrepancies between bank balances and cash on hand figures, I've listed the larger of the two numbers. Our report below includes "cash on hand" figures for many high-profile races, along with all of Montgomery County's Democratic Primary races. (Full Disclosure: My own campaign appears below). The non-Montgomery County races are at the bottom of this list:

STATEWIDE RACES

Governor

1. Anthony Brown + Ken Ulman = $7,093,647.94
2. Doug Gansler + Jolene Ivey  = $6,304,091.99
3. Heather Mizeur + Delman Coates = $750,000 *

* Note: It is very difficult to calculate funds raised and cash on hand for this committee by looking at the accounts of Friends of Heather Mizeur, Mizeur-Coates for Maryland, and the public matching fund report. I had to pick up the phone to get this number. For the other gubernatorial campaigns, I added up the totals reported for the teammates' individual accounts, joint accounts, and slates.


Attorney General

1. Sen. Brian Frosh = $795,909.69
2. Del. Jon Cardin = $374,269.65
3. Del. Bill Frick = $133,546.28
4. Del. Aisha Braveboy = $42,918.44

Comptroller

1. Peter Franchot (incumbent) = $1,457,657.31

MONTGOMERY COUNTY RACES

Montgomery County Executive

1. Ike Leggett (incumbent) = $971,159.00
2. Doug Duncan = $330,120.86
3. Councilmember Phil Andrews = $118,805.41

Montgomery County Council At Large

1. Nancy Floreen (incumbent) = $144,908.57
2. Hans Riemer (incumbent) = $122,859.93
3. George Leventhal (incumbent) = $117,467.90
4. Beth Daly = $98,640.89
5. Marc Elrich (incumbent) = $52,232.01
6. Vivian Malloy = $10,195.87

Montgomery County Council District 1

1. Roger Berliner (incumbent) = $52,368.60

Montgomery County Council District 2

1. Craig Rice (incumbent) = $60,996.81
2. Neda Bolourian = Affidavit Filed (under $1,000)

Montgomery County Council District 3

1. Gaithersburg Councilmember Ryan Spiegel = $17,374.81
2. Guled Kassim = No Report Filed
3. Gaithersburg Mayor Sid Katz = No Committee Exists
4. Rockville Councilmember Tom Moore = No Committee Exists

Montgomery County Council District 4

1. Nancy Navarro (incumbent) = $16,707.26

Montgomery County Council District 5

1. Del. Tom Hucker = $146,904.57 (Note: Also weighing re-election in District 20)
2. Evan Glass = $57,115.43
3. Terrill North = $25,409.91
4. Board of Education Member Chris Barclay = $5,000

State Senate District 14

1. Karen Montgomery (incumbent)  = $43,278.80

State Senate District 15

1. Brian Feldman (appointed incumbent) = $112,197.59

State Senate District 16

1. Del. Susan Lee = $220,359.81

State Senate District 17

1. Del. Luiz Simmons = $101,569.63
2. Cheryl Kagan = $49,934.34

State Senate District 18

1. Rich Madaleno (incumbent) = $36,869.66

State Senate District 19

1. Roger Manno (incumbent) = $120,168.32

State Senate District 20

1. Jamie Raskin (incumbent) = $155,253.95

State Senate District 39

1. Nancy King (incumbent) =  $91,050.39

State House District 14 (3 seats)

1. Craig Zucker (incumbent) = $42,412.75
2. Anne Kaiser (incumbent) = $37,025.67
3. Eric Luedtke (incumbent) = $25,865.47
4. John Evans = Affidavit Filed (under $1,000)

State House District 15 (3 seats)

1. Aruna Miller (incumbent) =  $108,790.30
2. Bennett Rushkoff = $53,470.77
3. Kathleen Dumais (incumbent) = $52,291.12
4. David Fraser-Hidalgo (appointed incumbent) = $32,974.12

State House District 16 (3 seats)

1. Ariana Kelly (incumbent) = $122,964.88
2. Marc Korman = $120,791.41
3. Hrant Jamgochian = $116,698.81
4. Kevin Walling = $30,653.11
5. Jordan Cooper = $26,908.82
6. Gareth Murray = $2,474.32

State House District 17 (3 seats)

1. Kumar Barve (incumbent) = $78,363.07
2. Andrew Platt = $36,141.02
3. Laurie Anne Sayles = $22,092.75 or $44,185.50 (Note: There are two reports posted for this account)
4. Jim Gilchrist (incumbent) = $11,602.65
5. Susan Hoffman = $11,109.51

State House District 18 (3 seats)

1. Jeff Waldstreicher (incumbent) = $113,873.00
2. Rick Kessler = $68,782.37
3. Al Carr (incumbent) = $42,107.65
4. Ana Sol Gutierrez (incumbent) = $28,270.44
5. Liz Matory = $17,435.88
6. Emily Shetty = $10,463.28
7. Natali Fani-Gonzalez = Affidavit Filed (under $1,000)

State House District 19 (3 seats)

1. Bonnie Cullison (incumbent) = $33,395.13
2. Ben Kramer (incumbent) = $33,174.71
3. Marice Morales = $15,498.99
4. Melodye Berry = $152.00
5. Charlotte Crutchfield = No Committee Exists

State House District 20 (3 seats)

1. Tom Hucker (incumbent) = $146,904.57 (Note: Also weighing County Council District 5 race)
2. Jonathan Shurberg = $65,423.79
3. David Moon = $52,340.84
4. Will Jawando = $45,916.09
5. Sheila Hixson (incumbent) = $32,303.96
6. Will Smith = $28,311.45
7. Darian Unger = $24,937.19
8. George Zokle = $15,880.05
9. D'Juan Hopewell = $8,942.39
10. Justin Chappell = $38.18
11. Saschane Stephenson = Affidavit Filed (under $1,000)

State House District 39 (3 seats)

1. Charles Barkley (incumbent) = $91,538.35
2. Kirill Reznik (incumbent) = $46,379.65
3. Shane Robinson (incumbent) = $26,025.53

SOME CONTESTED DEM PRIMARIES OUTSIDE OF MOCO

State House District 12 (3 seats)

1. Clarence Lam = $60,594.65
2. Terri Hill = $49,491.08
3. Nick Stewart = $27,799.69
4. Eric Ebersole = $17,023.40
5. Rebecca Dongarra = $9,342.63
6. Renee McGuirk = $9,011.30
7. Adam Sachs = $1,291.02
8. Brian Bailey = $977.35
9. Michael Gisriel = No Report Filed

State House District 13 (3 seats)

1. Shane Pendergrass (incumbent) = $111,718.04
2. Frank Turner (incumbent) = $56,245.78
3. Janet Siddiqui = $45,233.50
4. Fred Eiland = Affidavit Filed (under $1,000)

State House District 22 (3 seats)

1. Anne Healey (incumbent) = $51,046.65
2. Alonzo Washington (appointed incumbent) = $27,041.00
3. Rushern Baker IV = $26,542.99
4. Tawanna Gaines (incumbent) = $16,179.37

State Senate District 26

1. Anthony Muse (incumbent) = $78,810.25
2. Brian Woolfolk = $50,117.17
3. Del. Veronica Turner = $25,249.06

State House District 37A

1. Rudolph Cane (incumbent): $47,742.40
2. Wicomico Councilmember Sheree Sample-Hughes = $7,147.04

State House District 40 (3 seats)

1. Frank Conaway Jr (incumbent) = $33,247.29
2. Shawn Tarrant (incumbent) = $29,603.91
3. Barbara Robinson (incumbent) = $20,837.51
4. Rob LaPin = $7,124.20
5. Doc Cheatham = $87.00
6. Quianna Cooke = No Report Filed

State Senate District 42

1. Jim Brochin (incumbent) = $228,744.52
2. Connie DeJuliis = $41,745.06

State Senate District 44

1. Del. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam = $79,983.43
2. Verna Jones Rodwell (incumbent) - $62,843.00

State House District 45 (3 Seats)

1. Cheryl Glenn (incumbent) = $52,103.58
2. Talmadge Branch (incumbent) = $50,473.52
3. Cory McCray = $40,651.07
4. Nina Harper (appointed incumbent) = No Report Filed

JUICE: Annapolis Threatens MoCo & PG Wage Hikes, Brown for MoCo School Funds, Gansler Cries Foul & Delaney Flashback

Below Maryland Juice provides a round-up of recent news that may be of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: RUMORS THAT ANNAPOLIS LAWMAKERS WILL TRY TO VETO THE MOCO & PRINCE GEORGE'S MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES - County Councilmembers in Montgomery and Prince George's recently voted to approve a minimum wage of $11.50 an hour, in order to create a regional wage standard with the District of Columbia. But Maryland Juice just caught an interesting item in today's AFL-CIO "Union City" newsletter indicating that efforts are afoot in Annapolis to veto the MoCo & Prince George's Councilmembers through state legislation (excerpt below):

AFL-CIO: A regional plan to raise the minimum wage in the metro Washington area may hit an unexpected roadblock: the Maryland legislature. That’s because Free State lawmakers are considering a two-part minimum wage law, according to Bob Ross, president of the Prince George’s County NAACP.  One section of the bill would raise Maryland’s minimum from $7.25 to $10.10 – less than the $11.50 approved in Montgomery, Prince George’s and DC – and the other section would revoke minimum wage hikes like those just approved in MontCo, PG and DC. Meanwhile, in DC, Mayor Vincent Gray, who in early December announced he’s running for re-election, says he prefers a $10 minimum wage. The DC City Council’s $11.50 minimum wage bill passed Tuesday with a veto-proof 13-0 preliminary vote, with a final vote scheduled for December 17....

JUICE #2: ANTHONY BROWN ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR INCREASE IN MOCO SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION FUNDING - Bethesda Now reported this weekend that gubernatorial candidate Anthony Brown has pledged to advocate for increased MoCo school construction dollars in the coming legislative session (excerpt below):

BETHESDA NOW:  The Brown campaign held the event — in which it announced endorsements from 18 elected officials in Montgomery — at the town hall of the Town of Chevy Chase, not far from where Gansler lives.... Brown talked about his military service, the state’s recent new laws on gun control and the death penalty repeal and private-public partnership legislation that the state hopes to use to finance and build the Purple Line light rail. He also pledged his support to Montgomery County’s planned push for state construction funding in the 2014 General Assembly....

Citing an "achievement gap" in student performance in Montgomery County, last October County leaders pledged to fight for expanded school construction dollars in Annapolis. The Washington Post reported on the effort several weeks ago (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Montgomery officials will gather Thursday to formally kick off what County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) regards as his top legislative priority for next year’s Maryland General Assembly: construction funding for a school system squeezed to the seams by surging enrollment.

Leggett and Montgomery’s school leadership are seeking a deal similar to one the city of Baltimore secured from lawmakers and Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) earlier this year....  Montgomery has 17 percent of Maryland’s student enrollment, but the county typically gets about 11 percent of state construction funding, officials said....

Montgomery would seek $20 million from the state to leverage its own $40 million outlay. These funds would supplement the county’s share of new state authorizations for school construction. The $60 million would support bonds of up to $750 million, to fund construction over the next five years, county officials said....

JUICE #3: DOUG GANSLER ALLEGES ANTHONY BROWN COVERING UP BUNGLED OBAMACARE ENROLLMENT IN MARYLAND - Maryland Juice received the following press release from Doug Gansler's gubernatorial campaign accusing Lt. Governor Anthony Brown of covering up the state's much-criticized roll-out for Obamacare enrollment:

PRESS RELEASE

Brown Hiding Behind Executive Privilege To Cover Up His Failure Implementing Health Care Exchange

…the office claimed "executive privilege” in not releasing Brown’s correspondence over Maryland’s Health Care Exchange.

“No E-Mails from Brown on Health Exchange ”
Baltimore Sun, 12/7/13

SILVER SPRING---The campaign of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Douglas Gansler today called on Lt. Governor Anthony Brown to stop hiding behind executive privilege and immediately disclose all email correspondence between Brown, Brown’s office, and members of the exchange or officials from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene about the website or its lead contractor.

As reported in the Baltimore Sun on Friday, Brown’s office is refusing to turn over an undisclosed number of emails between his office and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene claiming “executive privilege.”

Doug Gansler and Jolene Ivey have been strong supporters of President Obama and his health care reform law and will work to ensure it is implemented effectively.

Bob Wheelock, Director of Communications for the Gansler Campaign, issued the following statement:

Lt. Governor Brown was given the task by the Governor to implement the creation of Maryland’s Health Insurance Exchange. Lt. Governor Brown failed and now is trying to hide behind executive privilege to avoid responsibility.

Governor O’Malley has taken over the job, but the least that Lt. Governor Brown can now do is to be straight with the people of Maryland regarding what he knew about problems with the Health Exchange. Lt. Governor Brown can start by disclosing his emails and correspondence with respect to his lack of stewardship of the Maryland Health Exchange, instead of hiding behind claims of executive privilege.

Instead of taking responsibility, Lt. Governor Brown has been ducking responsibility.

When the problems with the rollout of the Maryland Health Exchange immediately became apparent, Lt. Governor Brown said he was surprised by the problems with the website.

Then he admitted he knew there were roll out problems but did nothing to fix them.

Then it was revealed that under Brown's leadership, Maryland's Health Exchange underperformed other states.

Then the Washington Post called Brown’s leadership "an embarrassment" and Congressman Van Hollen on Meet the Press called the problems with implementation "a mess."

Then Brown sat quietly and did nothing while Governor O’Malley took over the task.

Then he ran away from the press and refused to answer questions about his failures.

Then he pointed fingers and blamed a staffer.

Now he refuses to release his email correspondence over health care, claiming executive privilege.

For a politician who STILL has this on his campaign website….

“As the leader of Maryland’s efforts to improve health care and Co-Chair of the Health Care Reform Coordinating Council, Lt. Governor Brown has positioned Maryland as the national leader in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.”

It’s sad that this is now what he’s saying:

 “…the office claimed executive privilege” in not releasing Brown’s correspondence over Maryland’s Health Care Exchange. Baltimore Sun, “No E-Mails from Brown on Health Exchange,” 12/7/13.

It’s time for Lt. Governor Brown to stop hiding behind executive privilege and fully disclose what he knew and when he knew about problems with the rollout of Maryland’s Health Insurance Exchange.

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JUICE #4: CONGRESSMAN JOHN DELANEY'S FORMER COMPANY CAPITAL SOURCE BACK ON THE RADAR - A couple readers noted that this week The Washington Post decided to rehash some of the minutiae from last year's heated Democratic Primary battle between John Delaney and Rob Garagiola. During the 2012 election contest, The Post highlighted the following item about Delaney's former company Capital Source, and its relationship to a business called Aeon Financial (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Before stepping onto the public stage as a candidate, Delaney made a name for himself in the financial arena as the founder of CapitalSource, a multibillion-dollar commercial finance firm. The Chevy Chase outfit provides loans of up to $100 million to small and mid-size businesses....

Because Delaney, 48, is new to the political world, Garagiola has focused his attacks almost exclusively on Delaney’s business record.... A portion of CapitalSource’s portfolio is comprised of asset-based, or secured, loans made to companies in the health-care and real estate sectors. One of those companies is Aeon Financial, a Chicago-based firm that purchases tax liens on residential properties from municipalities.

Garagiola has accused CapitalSource, in conjunction with Aeon, of foreclosing on homes throughout Maryland and Ohio in order to collect those liens. CapitalSource Bank FBO Aeon Financial LLC is listed as the plaintiff in hundreds of foreclosure proceedings....

In a bit of an unusual move, The Washington Post is now following up on their coverage of Aeon almost two years later (?). Yesterday, they released a lengthy article regarding Aeon's practices, and re-interviewed Delaney about the situation (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST:  The firm that threatened to foreclose on hundreds of struggling D.C. homeowners is a mystery: It lists no owners, no local office, no Web site.

Aeon Financial is incorporated in Delaware, operates from mail-drop boxes in Chicago and is represented by a law firm with an address at a 7,200-square-foot estate on a mountainside near Vail, Colo.

Yet no other tax lien purchaser in the District has been more aggressive in recent years, buying the liens placed on properties when owners fell behind on their taxes, then charging families thousands in fees to save their homes from foreclosure....

One of Aeon’s major lenders was CapitalSource Bank, founded in 2000 by John Delaney, who was elected to the U.S. House last year. The Maryland Democrat was the bank’s chief executive officer when CapitalSource loaned $30 million to Aeon in 2009.

Delaney spokesman Will McDonald said the congressman didn’t know about the company’s problems in Ohio or the District’s lawsuit against Aeon.... “During Congressman Delaney’s time as CEO, CapitalSource made over 5,000 business loans, loans probably totaling over $20 billion,” McDonald said. “The CEO of a bank does not track the ongoing business operations of all outstanding loans because doing so would be impossible.” Delaney took a leave of absence from his position at the bank last year and resigned after being elected to Congress....

In any case, former State Senator Rob Garagiola has moved on to greener pastures, and Delaney's comments about Aeon are just a small part of The Washington Post coverage. But this story is a couple years old now, so I guess it took a long time to research? Though the article does note that, "The Post spent three months examining Aeon’s corporate history, traveling to Chicago, Cleveland and three counties in Maryland and reviewing hundreds of business and land records, to find out who is behind the company that has affected thousands of homeowners across the country."

Del. Luiz Simmons to Run for Sen. Jennie Forehand's Seat // PLUS: Delaney Endorses Simmons & Cheryl Kagan Weighs Run

Maryland Juice received a  press release this morning (see below) indicating that Delegate Luiz Simmons will be vacating his District 17 Seat to run for the State Senate seat currently held by Jennie Forehand. Notably, Forehand announced last month that she was still deciding whether to run for re-election or retire, but it appears that Simmons is plowing forward anyway. Simmons today also announced the endorsement of Congressman John Delaney in his bid for Forehand's Senate seat.  Former Delegate Cheryl Kagan is also known to be weighing a State Senate bid in D17, and we note that she posted the following message to her website today:

CHERYL KAGAN - Dear Friends: Thanks for visiting my website! I have received many calls over the last several weeks, urging me to run for the District 17 Senate seat in next year's election. I am humbled that so many of you have thought of me.

Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Montgomery County face real challenges. We need an effective leader in the State Senate who will get things done and stand up for the values and interests of our communities.

I am looking at the race and will be announcing my plans shortly.

Stay tuned!

Cheryl

The departure of Luiz Simmons from the House of Delegates will trigger a race for his open-seat, and already a small number of challengers have been laying the groundwork to run for the D17 vacancy, including former Rockville Mayor Susan Hoffmann, former DNC and congressional aide Andrew Platt, and MoCo Young Dems Vice President Laurie-Anne Sayles. In any case, you can see the press release from Simmons below:

PRESS RELEASE

Del. Luiz Simmons To Run For State Senate, Receives Rep. Delaney’s Support

Rockville, MD  – Today, 3-term State Delegate Luiz Simmons announced that he will run for State Senate in District 17, which includes the cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg.

Since 2002, Delegate Simmons has been a strong voice for residents of Rockville and Gaithersburg. In the State Senate Simmons will continue to put his community first over status-quo politics, and ask the tough questions to find answers to the issues facing District 17 and all of Maryland.

“It has been a true honor and privilege to serve my community as a State Delegate.  We have accomplished a lot, but there is more to be done – more to do on education, more to do on domestic violence, more to do on our economy -- and I plan on getting right to work in the State Senate,” said Del. Luiz Simmons.  “I will always see to the needs of my community first. I hope to be a voice of reason and a voice for solutions.”

Del. Luiz Simmons launches his campaign for State Senate with the support of Congressman John Delaney (D-Maryland).

"For over forty years, Luiz Simmons has been dedicated to helping the residents of Rockville and Gaithersburg. His work as a local attorney and his tenure as Delegate show that Luiz is a committed public servant. I am proud to call Lou a friend and to support his candidacy for the State Senate. I am confident that he will place the needs of his constituents over politics, and continue to make Maryland a place we are all proud to call home,” said Congressman John Delaney (D-Maryland).

Simmons thanked Delaney for his support saying, “I am tremendously grateful for Congressman Delaney's support and his confidence in me. Congressman Delaney has been a true leader both in business and now in the House of Representatives.  Whether it is in the halls of Congress, fighting to fix our failing infrastructure, or standing up for our state's working families by leading the charge to increase Maryland's minimum wage, he is someone who we can count on."

To learn more about Del. Luiz Simmons and his campaign visit www.LuizSimmons.com.

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DISTRICT 26 SHOWDOWN: Delegate Veronica Turner Leaving Maryland House to Challenge State Senator Anthony Muse

UPDATE:  In addition to Delegate Veronica Turner, Brian Woolfolk (an attorney and policy advocate) will be challenging State Senator Anthony Muse in the 2014 Democratic Primary.

A Maryland Juice source reported last week that Delegate Veronica Turner is challenging State Senator Anthony Muse in the June 2014 Democratic Primary. Turner and Muse are colleagues in Maryland's 26th legislative district in Prince George's County, and already former Maryland Democratic Party Executive Director David Sloan has announced a campaign for the forthcoming D26 open seat in the House of Delegates.

We contacted Delegate Turner about her future plans, and she confirmed that she will be challenging Anthony Muse for State Senate. She also provided us with the following flyer inviting supporters to "an exciting campaign announcement" this Monday:

Senate President Mike Miller Shuffles Committee & Leadership Posts for Brinkley, Feldman, Getty, Hershey, Pugh & Robey

Maryland Juice just received the following press release from the office of Senate President Mike Miller announcing new committee assignments an leadership posts to account for the new members appointed to the body. The shifts impact State Senators David Brinkley, Brian Feldman, Joseph Getty, Stephen Hershey, Catherine Pugh and James Robey. Robey and Pugh are taking the leadership posts previously held by Sen. Rob Garagiola (eg: Majority Leader & Senate Finance Health Subcommittee Chair, respectively). The remaining committee assignments are highlighted below:

PRESS RELEASE

Senate President Miller Announces new Committee & Leadership Positions

Announcement comes after Feldman, Hershey Appointments

Annapolis, MD – Today, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., announced new committee assignments and Democratic leadership appointments resulting from the resignation of Senators Garagiola and Pipkin as well as the appointments of Senators Feldman and Hershey.

“I am pleased to announce these appointments and know that these Senators will be very successful in these roles. We have incredible talent and knowledge in the Maryland Senate and I am certain all of these appointments will serve our State well," said Senate President Miller.

In appointing Senator James Robey as Senate Majority Leader, Senate President Miller remarked that "We have a true and demonstrated leader in the Senate with a career of public service that we all admire and for this reason I am pleased to appoint Senator James Robey as the Senate Majority Leader. While we are all saddened by his decision not to seek re-election next year, we are excited to have him serve in this role in his final year in public service.”

Senate President Miller also announced the appointment of Senator Catherine Pugh as the Senate Finance committee Health Subcommittee chair following the departure of Senator Garagiola, stating, "I can think of no one better than Senator Pugh to help our state move forward in this new and complex era of health care delivery."

Senate President Miller also announced the following committee assignments:

Committee Assignments:

• Senator Brian J. Feldman – Finance Committee
• Senator David R. Brinkley – Finance Committee
• Senator Joseph M. Getty – Budget & Taxation Committee
• Senator Stephen S. Hershey, Jr. – Judicial Proceedings Committee

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O'Malley Picks Brian Feldman to Replace Garagiola in Senate // Live in District 15 & Want to Be Delegate? Here's How to Apply

The Associated Press reported today that Governor O'Malley has appointed Delegate Brian Feldman to replace Rob Garagiola in the State Senate (excerpt below):

AP VIA WASHINGTON POST: Gov. Martin O’Malley has appointed Delegate Brian Feldman to the state Senate.... The governor announced the appointment on Thursday to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Sen. Rob Garagiola, who represented District 15 in Montgomery County....

As a result of Feldman's elevation to the Senate, his own seat in the House of Delegates will also be vacant soon. Our most recent list of possible D15 candidates included the following names:

• 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)

 
WANT TO BE A DELEGATE?  HERE'S HOW TO APPLY - The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee issued the following press release announcing the next steps in the already hated race to be appointed to Brian Feldman's House seat (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Committee to Vote on Delegate for Legislative District 15

The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will meet and vote on Tuesday, October 8 at 7:30 pm to submit a name to the Governor for Delegate for Legislative District 15. The vacancy is the result of Delegate Brian Feldman’s appointment to the Senate. The Senate seat became vacant when Senator Rob Garagiola resigned.

In accordance with State rule, when a seat in the Maryland General Assembly becomes vacant, the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee must submit a name to the Governor within 30 days.

Candidates for the Delegate position must be a registered Democrat residing in District 15. Candidates should submit an application including a resume and cover letter by 5:00pm, Monday, October 7 to the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee’s headquarters, 3720 Farragut Ave., Third floor, Kensington, MD 20895 or via email MontgomeryDems@msn.com.  Candidates are expected to attend the October 8 meeting to address the Committee and participate in a question-and-answer period. 

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D15 Delegate Brian Feldman Selected by MoCo Democratic Central Committee to Replace Rob Garagiola in State Senate

Maryland Juice received the following press release from Delegate Brian Feldman announcing his unanimous appointment by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee to replace Rob Garagiola in the State Senate:

PRESS RELEASE

The MCDCC Selects Del. Brian Feldman to Fill the D15 Senate Seat

Annapolis, Maryland  - The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee met tonight, September 10, 2013 and voted unanimously in support of Delegate Brian J. Feldman to fill the District 15 Senate seat recently vacated by Rob Garagiola.  Delegate Feldman’s name will be submitted to Governor O’Malley who has authority under the Maryland Constitution to make the appointment.  Once appointed, Feldman will serve out the remainder of Garagiola’s term.

“I am honored by the strong support of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and look forward to this new challenge.  I plan to build upon my experience in the House over the past decade and to hit the ground running on Day One in the Senate where I will continue to advocate for District 15 and Montgomery County,” said Feldman.

Delegate Feldman, both an Attorney and a CPA, has served in the House of Delegates since being elected in 2002.  He is a member of the Economic Matters Committee, Chaired the Montgomery County House Delegation for five years and has served as House Parliamentarian for the past three years.  He is also the House Chair of the Joint Information Technology and Biotechnology Committee and Chair of the House Subcommittee on Banking, Economic Development, Science and Technology. 

Prior to being elected to the Legislature, Delegate Feldman worked as a Senior Trial Attorney for the United States Department of Justice where he was a three-time recipient of the Department of Justice’s Outstanding Attorney Award.   He currently works as an attorney in private practice and as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University.  Delegate Feldman and his wife, Janice, have two college aged children who attended Montgomery County public schools.

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MCDCC Picks 2 New Members: Tamika Bennett & Jonathan Prutow // PLUS: Herman Taylor Endorses Saqib Ali for D15

Below Maryland Juice provides two interesting tidbits of information regarding the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC). The first news item is an announcement of two new members of the MCDCC, while the second item is a sign that the race for a District 15 Delegate vacancy is already underway.

JUICE #1: MOCO DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE ELECTS TWO NEW MEMBERS - Tonight Maryland Juice attended a meeting of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee. You may ask what the occasion was because the MCDCC is not due to vote on a replacement State Senator for Rob Garagiola's District 15 vacancy until September 10. In fact, the MCDCC members called a meeting tonight to vote to fill two vacancies on their own body, but these new members will be among those who will choose candidates to replace the outgoing District 15 elected official(s).

MCDCC Chair Gabe Albornoz Thanks Candidates Seeking the Vacant Seats

Here is a bit of background for the uninitiated: When a state legislative vacancy occurs, the party central committee of the outgoing legislator submits a name(s) to the Governor to select a replacement. As the Maryland State Archives note: "In recent times, an important function of state central committees has been to name those who will replace General Assembly members who have died, resigned, refused to act, or been disqualified, expelled, or removed from office.... Although the Governor makes the appointment to fill a vacancy in the General Assembly, the Governor must select the person nominated by the state central committee of the party with which the vacating legislator had been affiliated...."

The MCDCC had two vacancies to fill -- one in District 17 and one in District 20 -- and tonight the incumbent members selected replacements for both positions. Below we provide brief background information on both new Central Committee members:

MEET NEW D17 MCDCC MEMBER JONATHAN PRUTOW - Jonathan Prutow was previously serving as a non-voting member of the MCDCC, and tonight he ran unopposed for the District 17 vacancy. I first met him when he volunteered for Hans Riemer's County Council campaign in 2010, while also working at the Fair Elections Legal Network. I can honestly say that Jonathan Prutow is a true work-horse for the party, because when I later went on to run GOTV in Montgomery County for the Maryland Democrats, the MCDCC Chair at the time (Karen Britto) was in a jam to find someone to help run the Democrats' early vote program in Montgomery County. Based on what I had seen from his work ethic and desire to get involved, I suggested Jonathan Prutow and connected him with Britto. Apparently it all worked out, since Prutow's colleagues on the MCDCC promoted him to a voting position.  Prutow's (now dated) bio on the MCDCC website notes:

MCDCC: Jonathan Prutow was first appointed to the MCDCC in December  2010. Mr. Prutow is a Gender Balance State Member and lives in District 17.  He currently serves on the Early Voting Committee, Issues Committee, and  Board of Elections Committee. He also was also appointed to the Committee to  Study Compensation of the County Executive, County Council, Sheriff, and  State’s Attorney. Mr. Prutow chaired the Early Voting Committee during the  2012 Primary Election. In addition to his work with the Montgomery County  Democratic Central Committee, Mr. Prutow has been involved with Organizing  for America and Obama for America (OFA) in several capacities since 2009. He  was a Community Organizer and Neighborhood Team Leader with OFA in the Rockville area and also worked as a Regional Voter Protection Director with OFA-Florida from  August 2012 to November 2012. He currently serves as the Statewide Press Lead  with Organizing for Action-Maryland. Mr. Prutow received his JD and Master of  Public Administration degrees from American University’s Washington College  of Law and School of Public Affairs in 2008, and he is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

New District 17 MCDCC Member Jonathan Prutow

MEET NEW D20 MCDCC MEMBER TAMIKA BENNETT - The second MCDCC vacancy was in my home turf of District 20, and unlike the District 17 race, there were four candidates for the D20 slot: Tamika Bennett, Alan Bowser, Justin Chappell and Arthur Jackson. The MCDCC members overwhelmingly chose Tamika Bennett, giving her 19 votes votes to Alan Bowser's 4 votes. In recent weeks, I've gotten to meet and learn more about Tamika Bennett and discovered that her family has a bold political backstory. In South Carolina in the 1950's, Tamika's family was involved in the petition to desegregate public school services, which resulted in the famous Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Needless to say, these political activities lead to threats of violence toward those involved, with one person fleeing to New York while hiding in a casket. As Wikipedia notes: "Although Brown resulted in a legal victory for the NAACP, it was a hollow victory for those associated with [the Briggs family]. Reverend Joseph De Laine, the generally acknowledged leader of Summerton [South Carolina's] African-Americans at the time, had his church burned and he moved to New York City in 1955 after surviving an attempted drive-by shooting. Harry and Eliza Briggs, on behalf of whose children the suit was filed, lost their jobs. Harry spent more than a decade working in Florida to support the family. Eliza eventually joined her children in New York."

In any case, like Jonathan Prutow, Tamika Bennett was previously serving as a non-voting member of the MCDCC and is the secretary of the East County Citizens Advisory Board.

New District 20 MCDCC Member Tamika Bennett

JUICE #2: FORMER DELEGATE HERMAN TAYLOR ENDORSES SAQIB ALI FOR A POTENTIAL DISTRICT 15 DELEGATE VACANCY - One of the first tasks facing the two new MCDCC members will be to join their colleagues in electing a new State Senator for District 15. Incumbent Senator Rob Garagiola's surprise resignation has led to a vacancy that is likely to be filled by Delegate Brian Feldman (now that challenger Bilal Ayyub has dropped out of the race). We predicted on Monday that this meant that Feldman's lack of competition would also likely trigger another MCDCC appointment process for the D15 Delegate seat in October. It appears that the race to succeed Del. Brian Feldman is now officially underway. An anonymous source forwarded Maryland Juice an email sent by former Delegate Herman Taylor to members of the MCDCC endorsing former Delegate Saqib Ali for the D15 Delegate slot:

From: Herman Taylor
Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Subject: Re: Letter of Support

Dear Esteemed members of the MCDCC,

It was my privilege to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates for 8 years and represent the area in which I grew up (District 14). I want to recognize your service to the Democratic Party and the great responsibility you have to fill the vacant Senate seat in District 15.

If Delegate Brian Feldman is elevated to the State Senate, Saqib Ali would make an excellent choice to replace him.

I was Ali's legislative colleague for four years in the House of Delegates (I always refer to him by his last name). More importantly during that time we shared a single office suite. I was able to observe Ali's daily interactions with his staff, colleagues, constituents and lobbyists. I can tell you without any doubt that he was a hard-working, conscientious and capable legislator. He treated everybody with fairness and respect. He is a person of character and integrity with an intense devotion to serving others. I am proud to call him my friend.

Therefore, I am honored to support Saqib Ali and respectfully ask for your consideration of his candidacy for District 15 Delegate.

Best regards,

Herman L.Taylor, Jr.

MORE ON THE POTENTIAL DISTRICT 15 DELEGATE VACANCY SOON!

Bilal Ayyub Withdraws from District 15 Senate Race // DOCS: Brian Feldman Endorsed by SEIU, Ike Leggett, Kumar Barve

UPDATE: The Washington Post's Bill Turque carries commentary from Bilal Ayyub on the reason for his exit from the D15 Senate race (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST:  The University of Maryland engineering professor recruited ... for the upcoming Maryland State Senate vacancy in Montgomery County’s District 15 has withdrawn his name, citing pressure from elected officials and “discouraging” e-mails from party activists.... “The discouraging electronic traffic on my candidacy has illuminated for all of us the fact that we have a long way to go to change the mindset of those who are apprehensive about inclusion.”

Ayyub, 55, added that he was “discouraged or urged to withdraw by various individuals including elected officials.” In an interview Monday morning Ayyub declined to specify who contacted him, except to say that at least one elected official “called me repeatedly....”

Maryland Juice has been covering the race for the District 15 State Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Rob Garagiola. D15 Delegate Brian Feldman has been seeking the seat, and recently University of Maryland Professor Bilal Ayyub entered the race to be appointed to replace Garagiola. But just weeks before the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will select a replacement Senator for District 15, Ayyub has withdrawn from the race, in the belief that Feldman has already locked up the endorsement. Indeed, Maryland Juice was just about to post an update on the race, including new endorsements for Feldman from SEIU Local 500, County Executive Ike Leggett, and House Majority Leader Kumar Barve. Below we provide a few key exhibits, including Bilal Ayyub's letter to the MCDCC announcing his exit from the D15 race, and letters from SEIU, Leggett and Barve to the MCDCC.

JUICE #1: LETTER FROM BILAL AYYUB TO THE MCDCC ANNOUNCING HIS WITHDRAWAL FROM THE D15 SENATE RACE - Bethesda Magazine's Lou Peck reported this weekend that Bilal Ayyub was leaving the race for District 15 Senate (excerpt below):

BETHESDA MAGAZINE: Bilal Ayyub, who had been recruited by representatives of several minority groups to seek the soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat in District 15, withdrew his candidacy late Saturday – clearing the way for Delegate Brian Feldman to be named to fill the slot....

The committee is scheduled to meet on Sept. 10, at which time it is all but certain to recommend Feldman to fill the seat of state Sen. Robert Garagiola, whose resignation takes effect next weekend....

On his campaign website, Bilal Ayyub posted several letters of support, including endorsements from CASA in Action, several area politicos, and a list of rank-and-file supporters. But below you can read Bilal Ayyub's full letter to members of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee:

Bilal Ayyub Letter to MCDCC Members Announcing Withdrawal from D15 Senate Race

JUICE #2: DEL. KUMAR BARVE'S LETTER TO MCDCC ENDORSING DEL. BRIAN FELDMAN - District 17 Delegate Kumar Barve wrote the following letter to members of the MCDCC endorsing Brian Feldman for the D15 Senate seat and arguing against the idea of a caretaker appointment for Rob Garagiola's slot:

Del. Kumar Barve Letter to MCDCC Endorsing Del. Brian Feldman

JUICE #3: COUNTY EXECUTIVE IKE LEGGETT'S LETTER TO MCDCC ENDORSING DEL. BRIAN FELDMAN - Below you can read a quick letter from County Executive Ike Leggett endorsing Delegate Brian Feldman for the District 15 State Senate vacancy:

County Executive Ike Leggett Letter to MCDCC Endorsing Del. Brian Feldman

JUICE #4: SEIU LOCAL 500 LETTER TO MCDCC ENDORSING DEL. BRIAN FELDMAN - Below you can read a quick letter from SEIU Local 500 endorsing Delegate Brian Feldman for the District 15 State Senate vacancy:

SEIU Letter to MCDCC Endorsing Del. Brian Feldman

Now that it looks a bit more clear that Delegate Brian Feldman will likely be appointed to replace Rob Garagiola in the State Senate, we can come to one clear conclusion. Feldman's elevation to the Senate will leave a vacancy for District 15 House of Delegates that will also be appointed by the MCDCC. That means....

THE BATTLE FOR THE DISTRICT 15 DELEGATE VACANCY BEGINS NOW!