I talked with former Delegate and current candidate for Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker (D) about how he feels about his chances in the race and commented on a picture in the Washington Post from 2008.
A press release from Baltimore/Harford Del. Pat McDonough (R-Dist. 7) says that according to a Patrick Gonzalez Poll completed over the weekend, McDonough has the potential to conduct a strong race for Baltimore County Executive.
The press release adds that the poll indicated that the delegate’s name recognition was 44% with 20% favorable and 6% unfavorable. In a match-up with the two leading Democrat contenders, McDonough received 26% with Councilman Kevin Kamenetz (D-Dist. 2) receiving 32% with 42% undecided. Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder (D-Dist. 6) received 32% with McDonough receiving 27% and 41% undecided.
McDonough was thinking about running for governor, but said that he was no longer doing so speaking with reporters at the state house during opening day exercises, citing that he believes that former Governor Robert Ehrlich (R) was going to re-eneter the race. As I tweeted last week from the state house, McDonough says that the signs that Ehrlich is going to enter the race are around him.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – It is an election year and it’s early. In two conversations, I had with Lt. Governor Anthony Brown (D) and Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson (D), they are holding on to what they think for the most part to see how things will play out.
Both Brown and Johnson said that there are going to be some competitive races this year, but I wanted to focus on the county executives race in particular because Johnson is term. The Lt. Governor said that he wanted to wait and see where the candidates stand before working with anyone in particular. Johnson says that he has a preference, but he is not coming out with it. I’ll put it this way, I doubt he will be coming forward for Rushern Baker anytime soon.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson (D) says that he is pretty close to making a decision on what he is going to do after December 2010; that is when is time as the county executive will come to an end. He says that there will be announcement by the end of the month in regards to his future.
Last February, it was reported that Johnson was considering a run against O’Malley in the 2010 primary election. Johnson dismissed that as the “press indication.”
Baltimore/Harford Senator Andy Harris (R-Dist. 7) launched his election campaign earlier this week, seeking a rematch to unseat now incumbent U.S. Rep. Frank Kratovil (D) in the 1st Congressional District. This time …he’s vulnerable, he being Kratovil. Don’t take my word for it, Washington Post Political Analyst Chris Cillizza ranked the 1st at number seven on his top 10 list of congress seats likely to switch parties in 2010. Cillizza in a December posting to the Washington Post Maryland Politics blog says that a poll released by the Harris campaign shows that the long time State Senator is leading 52 to 39.
Even though Kratovil is positioned as a blue dog who voted against the House version of health insurance reform, he won in 2008 with less than one percent and the 1st is still a conservative stronghold. This is going to be a very interesting race to watch.
More on the launch from WBAL-TV (Channel 11).
Justin Ready, the former executive director of the Maryland Republican Party announced that he is running for the House of Delegates representing District 5A in Carroll County, which includes Westminster, Hampstead, Manchester, and Finksburg. If Ready’s name sounds familiar, you may recall that he was asked by now former state GOP leader Jim Pelura for his resignation without explanation this past summer (more from The Gazette).
The Westminster native says in a release that “As a Reagan-style conservative, I’ve been saddened and disappointed by the lack of fiscal discipline I see in the Maryland General Assembly and from Martin O’Malley.” Ready also said that he would be out on the street if he ran his business of household like O’Malley and his allies in the General Assembly.
Ready cites being a small business owner and his work experience in Annapolis as preparing him for being a delegate.
Judge for yourself. His website is JustinReady.com and you can follow him on twitter @justinready.
Maryland Politics Today is getting our Free Vote 2010 section ready. If you are a political candidate and you have a website, twitter and/or facebook acocunt, I would like to know about it. Email news-at-marylandpolitics-dot-us with all of the information. Do not forget which office you are going to run for and which county (or counties.)
It’s going to be an interesting time for Prince George’s County as County Executive Jack Johnson is term limited (and is considering running against Governor Martin O’Malley in the Democratic Primary). County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey is looking to challenge U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards in the Democratic primary in the fourth congressional district.
The scenarios are covered by The Washington Afro-American, where I also shared my thoughts with reporter George Barnette.
Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney is reporting that that Prince George’s County Sheriff Michael A. Jackson (D) is running for County Executive.
The Senate seat in District 38 is now wide open for the election next year as Lower Shore Senator Lowell Stoltzfus (R) announced this week in Salisbury that he will not be seeking re-election. G.A. Harrison, fellow contributor to Red Maryland and Salisbury News reporting that Stoltzfus made the announcement while speaking to a group Thursday evening at the Fountains Conference Center.
Stoltzfus adds that he will not be resinging his seat, despite speculation that he will do so. Harrison says that there are a couple of people interested in the Senate chair for the district covering Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties.
Stoltzfus, 60, will have served the lower shore in Annapolis for 20 years by the time he finishes his current term in 2011. Her was first a delegate when elected in 1990. One year later, he moved over to the Senate where he served as minority leader from 2001-2006. He is citing family concerns in addition to his wife’s health as a reason for stepping down.
MORE: The Dispatch (Ocean City), The Daily Times
We also know about someone else’s plans. Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith (D) has ruled out running for comptroller against Peter Franchot (D).
In a statement released yesterday, Smith called it a tough decision after thinking about it for a long time, and he has decided that being Comptroller is not something that he wants to aspire to. “I have never pursued any elected office because it was expedient. I always sought the opportunity to serve because I thought I could make a real difference — as a councilman, a judge, and currently as County Executive. I did not feel that passion when considering a run for Comptroller.”
Smith was heavily favored to take on Franchot…who himself probably felt the same thing as he made a cople of public appearances in Baltimore County while back advocating for more schools to be built in the county.
At one point following the 2006 election, Senate President Thomas Mike Miller (D-Dist. 27) said that he was going to retire after this term…then he changed his mind. Now there is one person who wants to make sure that Miller follows through with his original intentions to leave office.
This Republican says he is the right Miller for the job, none other than Ron Miller, who many of you know from the early days of this blog as he contributed a number of op-ed pieces.
Ron Miller announced his candidacy yesterday saying that the other Miller shepherded the highest tax hike in Maryland history and that he cannot stand by and act is if the status quo is OK. “People are hurting and all the special projects Mike Miller brings to the district to buy favor at election time aren’t doing anything for families who need more money in their pockets to make a building and make a life.”
Thomas Mike Miller has been in office for over thirty years. This will be a rematch in a way as Ron Miller took him on in 2006. Maryland Politics Today is going to label this contest a match to watch, especially if these two Miller’s get past the primary. I suspect that they will face each other in the fall of 2010, but anything can happen between now and the primary.
