THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2010
KLMNO
S
B7 ELECTION 2010 MARYLAND MARYLAND
Loss of moderate incumbents points to more-polarized Senate
by Aaron C. Davis Maryland’s often hushed, maroon Sen-
ate chamber could soon be a far more po- larized and potentially rancorous place, especially on fiscal policy, with staunch liberal and conservative lawmakers re- placing moderate ones. After several primary losses by in-
cumbents, at least one in six faces in the Senate will be new when the General As- sembly reconvenes in January to recon- sider measures that would require large corporations to pay more taxes and would raise levies on alcoholic beverages. Some Democrats have suggested these measures — which failed in the legisla- ture this year — as potential ways to close an estimated $1.5 billion budget gap. “This election is definitely going to send a message throughout the Maryland political landscape that voters are really looking for progressive solutions as we go through these tough times,” said Rion Dennis, acting director of Progressive Maryland, a nonprofit that advocates for working-class families. “There are a new breed of lawmakers coming who will change the tenor of that chamber.” Led by a wave of mostly young, liberal Democrats in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, at least five senators were ousted Tuesday by members of the House of Delegates.
Two races in Montgomery County re- mained too close to call. There was also turnover on the Repub- lican side of the aisle. Sen. Donald F. Munson, a moderate from Washington County, was defeated by Del. Christopher B. Shank, the minority whip, who is known for scathing addresses on the House floor when he perceives Repub- lican interests being bowled over by the chamber’s strong Democratic majority. Democratic and Republican lawmak- ers said one undecided race that hung in the balance could determine how parti- san Maryland’s Senate becomes. In the 14th District, in Montgomery, Sen. Rona E. Kramer, who opposed the state’s “millionaire’s tax” was trailing Del. Karen S. Montgomery by 101 votes in the Democratic primary. With nearly three times as many uncounted Democratic ab- sentee ballots remaining in the district, it was likely the race wouldn’t be decided for a week — or longer if it goes to a re- count. Montgomery is a key backer of so- called combined reporting, a tax policy that affects large corporations and that some other states have adopted. Democrats, led by longtime President
Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., are expected to maintain a healthy majority in the Sen- ate. But Republicans hope to pick up five seats, enough to force a filibuster. “If Kramer goes, she was a moderate,
and there’s no question that would be a big difference,” said Sen. J. Lowell Stoltz- fus (Somerset), a retiring Eastern Shore Republican. He said the addition of Shank might only balance out the loss of Sen. Andrew P. Harris (R-Baltimore County), who gave up his seat to chal- lenge Rep. Frank M. Kratovil (D) in the 1st Congressional District. “Harris was as polarized as anyone can
be,” Stoltzfus said. Democratic and Republican strategists
and lawmakers in Annapolis said that more than any one-for-one swap, Mun- son’s loss to Shank, who ran to the in- cumbent’s right, and the defeat of a long- time Baltimore democrat who was out- flanked to the left could have a more pervasive, partisan effect. Most Maryland legislative districts are
heavily Democratic or Republican and rarely competitive in general elections. But observers said that if sitting law- makers perceive that they could be vul- nerable to less moderate elements within their own parties, they might be less will- ing to compromise. In other Democratic primaries, Sen.
Nathaniel Exum was upset by Del. Jo- anne C. Benson, and Sen. David C. Har- rington lost the nomination to Del. Victor R. Ramirez, both contests in Prince George’s. In Montgomery, Sen. Michael G. Lenett lost to Del. Roger P. Manno.
davisa@washpost.com
RESULTS
The Associated Press uses zeroes to reflect vote totals for races in which all candidates moved on to the general election.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES District 14
MONTGOMERY DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
Anne R. Kaiser* Craig Zucker Eric Luedtke
Jodi Finkelstein
Robert Bo Newsome Gerald Roper Neeta Datt Vanessa Ali
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 3) K Patricia A. Fenati
K Henry Kahwaty
K Maria Peña-Faustino District 15
MONTGOMERY DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
Brian J. Feldman* Kathleen Dumais* Aruna Miller
David Fraser-Hidalgo Lara Wibeto
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 3) K Sylvia J. Darrow
K Scott Graham
K Matthew Mockerman District 16
MONTGOMERY DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
Bill Frick*
Susan C. Lee* Ariana Kelly Kyle Lierman
Hrant Jamgochian Mark Winston Bill Farley
Charlie Chester Scott Goldberg
Michael David Sriqui Peter Dennis
Craig G. Herskowitz John Adams
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 3) K Jeanne Allen
K Carol G. Bowis K Meyer F. Marks
District 17
MONTGOMERY DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
K Kumar P. Barve* K James Gilchrist* K Luiz Simmons*
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 3) K Daniel R. Campos
K Craig Frick
K Josephine J. Wang District 18
MONTGOMERY DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
Ana Sol Gutierrez* Jeff Waldstreicher* Al Carr*
Dana Beyer
Vanessa Atterbeary Michael K. Heney
District 19
MONTGOMERY DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
K Ben Kramer*
Bonnie Cullison Sam Arora
Jay Hutchins Hoan Dang
Vivian Scretchen
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 3) K Tom Masser
K Linn Rivera District 20
MONTGOMERY DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
Heather R. Mizeur* Sheila E. Hixson* Tom Hucker*
Chris Stoughton RICKY CARIOTI/THE WASHINGTON POST In Montgomery, as elsewhere in Maryland and the District, voter turnout was on the light side for primary elections. MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL
County police, fire unions willingly take credit for Trachtenberg loss
by Michael Laris
Rife with images of a ferocious blaze being doused by firefighters and police cruisers on the ready in a Montgomery County neighborhood, the leaflet, filled with ominous warnings, arrived in mail- boxes in the midst of a crowded cam- paign for County Council. The mailer was funded by Montgom-
ery’s police, fire and general government employee unions, whose pay and ben- efits packages will be voted on by the council’s next members. It declared that budget cuts driven by politicians “com- promised public safety” by spreading firefighting equipment and personnel “dangerously thin.” “Do County residents really want few-
er Police Officers on the street?” it asked. “Do the residents of Leisure World, or Hillandale, or Langley Park, or Hyatt- stown care if it takes a few minutes lon- ger to get EMS units and fire equipment to their neighborhoods?”
Although it did not use her name, the warnings were meant, in part, to un- dercut the campaign of Duchy Trachten- berg. She was conspicuously left off the list of candidates deemed to be “Champi- ons of Public Service.” That mailer was among the more sub-
tle attacks on Trachtenberg. Years be- fore, public employees had branded her a “contract buster” and put her face on a “Wanted” poster. They also demonstrat- ed outside her campaign kickoff this year.
On Wednesday, Trachtenberg conced-
ed defeat to newcomer and “Champion of Public Service” designee Hans Riemer, a youth vote and political organizer from Silver Spring. He came in second in countywide vote totals, ensuring him a spot as one four at-large Democrats headed for November. “It’s a resounding
win,” Riemer said. Trachtenberg blamed the county’s public employee unions for running a sustained and effective campaign to push her from office. Union representatives agreed. “It was the Unions that put Duchy in
office n it was the Unions that took her out. Justice served!” read a text message forwarded at 1:24 a.m. Wednesday by John Sparks, head of Montgomery’s fire- fighters union. Trachtenberg netted support from public employee unions four years ago but later challenged what she considers unsustainable compensation packages. The cost of government salaries and ben- efits have soared over the past decade in Montgomery and are a key driver of on- going budget problems in the wealthy county. Trachtenberg, head of the council’s
management and fiscal policy commit- tee, said low voter turnout overall gave an opening to the public employee unions, which she termed highly moti- vated “special interests.” “I’m not somebody they wanted to see
returned to office,” Trachtenberg said. “I wasn’t just targeted in the last few weeks. It’s over two years that I’ve been targeted by these people, and they’ve been relentless.” Trachtenberg said her critics handed out the public safety leaf- let at Metro stations as well. Trachtenberg’s critics had begun push-
ing accusations months ago that she was responsible for irregularities while working as treasurer of the Maryland chapter of the National Organization for Women, before she was in public office. “Our understanding is she was the
subject of a complaint about bookkeep- ing irregularities of some sort, not in- volving any allegation of misuse of funds” but rather of “not keeping the ac- counts straight,” said Joseph Sandler, a
District-based campaign and election lawyer who has worked on Democratic causes. Trachtenberg was told nothing about the complaint at the time, and it was subsequently investigated and re- solved within NOW, Sandler said. She was not sanctioned by the group, he said. Trachtenberg said the complaint was po- litically motivated and baseless. The matter was seized on by her sharpest opponents, including a Mont- gomery group opposed to a transgender anti-discrimination law sponsored by Trachtenberg and passed by the council. “We had shopped it around to a lot of people,” said Ruth Jacobs, a member of the group. In the days leading up to Tuesday’s
vote, Montgomery’s police union seized on the issue, and sent a letter to Attorney General Douglas Gansler seeking an in- vestigation. “It was out there. Duchy was saying
that she’s a key player in the county’s budget process,” said Montgomery police union official Walt Bader. He said there has been no response from Gansler. Sandler called the move by the police union “a political stunt. It’s par for the course. . . . It’s not a serious accusation of any violation of any law.” Responded Bader: “I think it’s more about accountability and transparency.” Bader added that he is pleased with
the election result. He accused Trachten- berg of pursuing a strategy of creating “the big bad county workers.” “Duchy beat herself. She tries to vilify and demonize, and that’s not the way you win an election,” Bader said. But Trachtenberg said her union foes
can’t handle being challenged. “That’s just them reacting to the fact
that a grown-up actually said ‘no’ to them,” she said. “I said to them, ‘We can’t afford this.’ I don’t regret it.”
larism@washpost.com
Robert Jonathan Estrada Elihu Eli El
District 21
ANNE ARUNDEL, PRINCE GEORGE’S DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
Joseline Pena-Melnyk* Ben Barnes*
Barbara A. Frush* Brian K. McDaniel Devin F. Tucker
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 3) K Scott W. Dibiasio
K Kat Nelson
K Jason W. Papanikolas District 22
PRINCE GEORGE’S DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
K Tawanna Gaines* K Anne Healey* K Justin Ross*
District 23A
PRINCE GEORGE’S DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 2)
Geraldine Valentino-Smith James W. Hubbard* Shukoor Ahmed Lisa Ransom
Nicole A. Williams Terence D. Collins Paulette Faulkner
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 2) K Margaret I. Moodie
District 23B
PRINCE GEORGE’S DEMOCRATS
K Marvin E. Holmes Jr.* Robin Breedon
U.S. SHADOW REP DCG K Joyce Robinson-Paul
DEMOCRATS K Mike Panetta*
Nate Bennett-Fleming
REPUBLICANS K Nelson Rimensnyder
U.S. DELEGATE DCG
Rick Tingling-Clemmons Natale "Lino" Nicola Stracuzzi
DEMOCRATS K Eleanor Holmes Norton*
Douglass Sloan
REPUBLICANS K Missy Reilly Smith
K Winner * Incumbent Results are unofficial. Source: Associated Press
196 54% 166 46
96,808 91% 10,069 9
0 0%
3,608 78% 1,044 22
4,707 33% 3,861 27 2,548 18 1,404 10 1,144 8 367 3 356 2
0 0% 8 OF 9 PRECINCTS
0 0% 0 0 0 0
20 OF 23 PRECINCTS
3,895 29% 3,604 27 3,362 25 1,572 12 961 7
0 0% 0 0 0 0
0 OF 0 PRECINCTS
7,200 30% 7,195 30 6,858 28 1,401 6 950 4 643 3
26 OF 31 PRECINCTS
7,159 26% 5,751 21 5,451 20 4,328 16 3,090 11 1,495 5
0 0% 0 0
27 OF 27 PRECINCTS
7,397 24% 6,946 23 6,349 21 5,064 17 3,982 13 868 3
30 OF 30 PRECINCTS
0 0% 0 0 0 0
0 0% 0 0 0 0
36 OF 36 PRECINCTS
8,499 23% 8,494 23 4,817 13 4,443 12 3,071 8 2,012 5 1,619 4 1,328 4 1,150 3 617 2 375 1 347 1 320 1
0 0% 0 0 0 0
0 OF 0 PRECINCTS
5,939 31% 5,768 31 4,427 23 1,678 9 1,081 6
0 0% 0 0 0 0
32 OF 32 PRECINCTS
6,116 24% 5,978 24 3,515 14 3,031 12 2,704 11 1,604 6 1,234 5 1,188 5
0 0% 0 0 0 0
29 OF 29 PRECINCTS District 24 26 OF 26 PRECINCTS
PRINCE GEORGE’S DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
K Carolyn J.B. Howard* K Michael L. Vaughn* Tiffany Alston Greg Hall
Kenneth Williams Byron Richardson
Clayton Anthony Aarons Michael Oputa
Nancy L. Dixon-Saxon Sherry James-Strother
District 25
PRINCE GEORGE’S DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
K Aisha Braveboy* K Dereck E. Davis*
K Melony Ghee Griffith* Michelle R. Wright Erek Barron
Antonio Faunteroy Davion E. Percy
District 26
PRINCE GEORGE’S DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
Veronica Turner* Jay Walker*
Kriselda "Kris" Valderrama* Ollie Anderson Sidney L. Gibson
Hopal "Hope" Felton Branndon D. Jackson
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 3) K Holly Ellison Henderson
District 27A
CALVERT, PRINCE GEORGE’S DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 2)
K James E. Proctor Jr.* K Joseph F. Vallario Jr.* Percel Alston Sheri L. Beach James Woods Joe Harris
Theron Green Barry A. Adams Russell P. Butler
Jeffrey L. Brockington
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 2) K Mike Hethmon
K Antoinette "Toni" Jarboe-Duley
District 27B
CALVERT DEMOCRATS
K Sue Kullen*
REPUBLICANS K Mark Fisher
Bob Schaefer Mike Blasey
District 28
CHARLES DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
K Sally Y. Jameson* K Peter Murphy* K C.T. Wilson
Gary V. Hodge Jim Easter
Bud Humbert Craig James Hickerson
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 3) K Kirk W. Bowie
K Mike Phillips
K Daniel D. Richards District 29A
CHARLES, ST. MARY’S DEMOCRATS
K John F. Wood Jr.*
REPUBLICANS K Matt Morgan
Joe DiMarco Henry E. Camaioni District 29B
ST. MARY’S DEMOCRATS
K John Bohanan*
REPUBLICANS K Erik Anderson
District 29C
CALVERT, ST. MARY’S DEMOCRATS
K Chris Davies
REPUBLICANS K Tony O’Donnell*
District 39
MONTGOMERY DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
Charles Barkley* Kirill Reznik*
Shane Robinson Robert J. Hydorn Tony Puca
Arthur H. Jackson
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 3) K Jim Pettit
K Al Phillips K Bill Witham
District 47
PRINCE GEORGE’S DEMOCRATS — (VOTE FOR 3)
K Jolene Ivey*
K Doyle Niemann* Michael Summers Diana M. Fennell
Wanda Shelton Martin Lamar A. Thorpe Anthony Cicoria Fred Price Jr.
REPUBLICANS — (VOTE FOR 3) K Rachel Audi
K Winner * Incumbent Results are unofficial. Source: Associated Press
3,410 29% 2,189 18 1,988 17 1,371 11 1,086 9 872 7 564 5 478 4
0 0%
5,067 30% 3,947 24 3,150 19 1,887 11 1,477 9 1,165 7
0 0% 0 0 0 0
18 OF 23 PRECINCTS
0 0% 0 0%
26 OF 26 PRECINCTS
0 0% 0 0%
0 OF 0 PRECINCTS 0 0%
1,522 56% 873 32 326 12
0 OF 0 PRECINCTS
7,249 25% 6,222 22 5,522 19 3,221 11 3,044 11 2,381 8 974 3
0 0% 0 0 0 0
0 OF 0 PRECINCTS 0 0%
1,760 65% 722 27 221 8
31 OF 31 PRECINCTS
5,290 37% 4,796 34 1,101 8 804 6 796 6 419 3 342 2 294 2 285 2 159 1
0 0% 00
0 OF 0 PRECINCTS
6,731 25% 6,089 23 5,043 19 3,944 15 2,768 10 1,123 4 973 4
0 0% 21 OF 24 PRECINCTS
5,785 28% 5,190 25 4,882 23 2,364 11 1,581 8 889 4 296 1
25 OF 27 PRECINCTS
5,355 25% 4,475 21 2,719 13 2,288 11 1,376 6 1,290 6 1,256 6 1,209 6 1,057 5 658 3
21 OF 27 PRECINCTS 26 OF 28 PRECINCTS
0 0%
48,691 58% 35,400 42
0 0%
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