Thanks, Adam

I want to extend a public thanks to Adam Pagnucco for the tremendous work he has done on Maryland Politics Watch over the last several years. Adam's role in MPW grew steadily since he began putting up the occasional post and he took over as the primary blogger--accounting for the vast majority of posts--after I won election to the Chevy Chase Town Council.Thanks to his amazing effort combined

We're in the Money. . .

Things may be tough but they are way tougher in other states. Maryland is one of five states where household median income rose over the past decade and you'll notice that we're the wealthiest of those five states. So much for the argument that Democrats have ruined Maryland--we're the most successful state in the country. Full story from the Economist (account may be needed to read the story).

Katie O'Malley Says It Gets Better

Farewell to MPW: This Time for Real

Yes, I know I’ve told you this before, but now it’s for real: I am leaving Maryland Politics Watch.The last time I quit, I had just turned 40 and my son had just turned 1. I had figured out that the demands of the blog had grown too gigantic to allow me to work in a full-time job and to be a full-time Dad. Then I quit my job. Who wants to travel all over North America half the time when your

Jane Lawton for Delegate, 2006

Town of Chevy Chase Council Member and Mayor Jane Lawton first ran for a District 18 house seat in 2002, finishing fifth. But she was appointed to replace retiring Delegate John Hurson in late 2005 and proved to be so popular in office that she ran away with first place in 2006. Unfortunately, she passed away soon after. Jane Lawton was one of the most decent, honorable, humane and beloved

Royce Hanson for County Executive, 1978

Legendary Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson ran for Congress twice in the 1960s, for County Executive in 1978 and for County Council this year. He lost all four times. But Hanson's legacy to the county in setting its planning procedures, creating the Agricultural Reserve and steadily pushing MoCo towards smart growth far exceeds that of all but a handful of elected officials. Here is some

The Mailer That Ended Dana Dembrow's Career, 2002

Dana Dembrow was elected to a District 20 House seat in 1986 and spent many years fighting with the rest of his delegation, which included Senator Ida Ruben and Delegates Sheila Hixson and Peter Franchot. All three wanted him gone, but they could not figure out how to get rid of him. Finally, Dembrow committed a critical mistake: he was arrested for hitting his wife. Right before the primary,

Connie Morella for Congress, 1980

Connie Morella surprised MoCo by winning a District 16 Delegate seat as a Republican in 1978. She surprised the county again by running for Congress two years later. She lost in the GOP primary, but Morella would upset Stewart Bainum for Congress six years later and serve until 2002. She and MoCo's first Executive, James Gleason, are probably the two most successful Republicans in county

Sid Kramer's Write-In Campaign, 1990

Sid Kramer served one term on the County Council and two terms in the Senate before becoming Montgomery County's third Executive in 1986. Most people expected Kramer to win reelection easily. But five-term County Council Member Neal Potter filed to run at the last minute and beat Kramer in the Democratic primary. Undaunted, Kramer launched a write-in campaign for the general election, telling

Titans of Montgomery County, 1981

These are four of the most influential people in Montgomery County's history, standing together in a unique photo from 1981.Norman Christeller (left): County Council Member and Planning Board Chairman. Author of the county's law requiring Moderately-Priced Dwelling Units in new residential developments and leader of the fight against the 1978 TRIM amendment.Don Robertson (second from left):

Lou D'Ovidio for Delegate, 1986

Lou D'Ovidio was a teacher and MCPS administrator for 25 years and served two terms on the Takoma Park City Council before running for a District 20 house seat in 1986. He ran on a slate with Delegate Ida Ruben (who was running for Senate), Delegate Sheila Hixson and House challenger Robert Berger. D'Ovidio finished fifth in the primary behind Peter Franchot, Hixson, Dana Dembrow and Berger.

Roger Berliner for County Council, 2000

Roger Berliner first ran for the County Council District 1 seat in the 2000 special election to replace the retiring Betty Ann Krahnke. Berliner was defeated in the primary by Pat Baptiste, who in turn lost to former GOP Senator Howie Denis. Berliner returned to defeat Denis in 2006 and just won a second term. This is a lit piece from Berliner's first campaign in 2000.

Valerie Ervin for County Council, 2006

Incoming County Council President Valerie Ervin has enjoyed one of the more rapid rises to prominence in MoCo history. In 2002, she became Council Member George Leventhal's Chief of Staff. In 2004, she was elected to the school board. In 2006, she was elected to the council's District 5 seat. In 2008, she became Chair of the council's Education Committee. This year, she had no Democratic

Team for Montgomery, 1986

In 1986, seven County Council candidates ran as a slate called Team for Montgomery: incumbents Neal Potter, Rose Crenca, Mike Gudis and Bill Hanna and challengers Bruce Adams, Mike Subin and Ike Leggett. All seven won. The slate members served a combined 108 years on the council and 8 years (and counting) in the Executive's office, making this perhaps MoCo's most successful political team ever.

SchaeferMania!

William Donald Schaefer was one of Maryland's great political characters. But this 2001 flyer celebrating his second anniversary as Comptroller leaves even your author speechless!

The Pinocchio Mailer, 1998

The Seven Dwarfs are not the only Disney characters to appear in MoCo political mail. In 1998, Democratic District 15 House challenger David Dashefsky invoked Pinocchio in this mailer attacking GOP incumbent Richard LaVay. Dashefsky lost to LaVay by 577 votes but the mailer lives on.

David Weaver for Delegate, 1990

David Weaver is one of MoCo's greatest campaign strategists, spokesmen and staffers. He served as a staffer to Senator Joe Biden, worked on Gus Bauman's campaign for County Executive in 1994, served as Doug Duncan's spokesman for twelve years and was a Chief of Staff for both Comptroller Peter Franchot and Congressman Chris Van Hollen. We suspect there's a lot more ahead for him.In 1990, Weaver

Montgomery County's TRIM Amendment, 1978

Prince George's County is well-known for its TRIM amendment, a cap on property tax increases passed by referendum in 1978. Some blame TRIM for preventing the county from adequately funding schools and other basic services. MoCo also had a TRIM amendment on the ballot that same year, known as Question E. A giant coalition of unions, non-profits, civic groups and elected officials gathered to

Gansler Guns for Dean, 1998

Montgomery County State's Attorney Robert Dean, appointed in 1996 to replace Andrew Sonner, had two problems in his election campaign. First, he was embroiled in an embarrassing sex scandal with a subordinate complete with love poems. Second, he was opposed by one of the most aggressive politicians in MoCo's history: federal prosecutor Doug Gansler. Gansler let the press handle the sex scandal

Neal Potter for County Council, 1978 and 1994

No one has won more countywide elections in MoCo than Neal Potter. The humble, squeaky-clean Chevy Chase resident won a County Council seat in 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986 and 1994, and served one term as County Executive starting in 1990. Here are two of his lit pieces: one from his third campaign in 1978 and one from his last.Potter for Council, 1978Potter for Council, 1994

Best of the Bad Boy

House Majority Leader Kumar "Bad Boy" Barve was first elected in 1990 and has been wisecracking his way through Annapolis ever since. Here are three lit pieces from early in his career.1990: "Hey Kids!!" That's right - only Kumar would recruit volunteers by openly calling them "kids."1990: "Who Cares?" This is an unusual slogan for someone trying to earn votes for office, but this is the

Doug Duncan for County Executive, 1994

No other Montgomery County Executive has surpassed Doug Duncan's twelve years in the position. This is a mailer from his first campaign for the office, a win in 1994.

Goldie Hawn for Peter Franchot, 1986

In 1986, Peter Franchot launched his first run for District 20 Delegate. There were two opens seats as Delegates Ida Ruben and Diane Kirchenbauer were duking it out for Stewart Bainum's vacated Senate seat. The Delegate field was jammed with eleven candidates. So Franchot brought out the most prized endorsement of all to help him win: former Takoma Park resident and Hollywood superstar Goldie

Elrich Blasts Berlage, 1998

Council Member Marc Elrich finished first in this year's at-large primary, but he had to travel a long, hard road to get there. Elrich ran for the District 5 council seat in 1990 and 1998 and at-large in 1994 and 2002 before finally winning in 2006. Perhaps his toughest race was in 1998 against District 5 incumbent Derick Berlage, whom Elrich labeled a "total hypocrite" for changing his

Gus Bauman for County Executive, 1994

Gus Bauman was a staffer and legal counsel for the Planning Board before becoming its Chairman in 1989. Four years later, he left the board to run for County Executive and finished behind Rockville Mayor Doug Duncan and County Council Member Bruce Adams. Gus is now one of the county's beloved wise men, serving as Nancy Floreen's campaign Chairman and as Chairman of the state's new commission on

Ike Leggett for County Council, 1986

This is a mailer from Ike Leggett's first campaign for an at-large County Council seat in 1986. Leggett finished second that year and finished first in his next three races. Leggett's record of winning six county-wide elections has been surpassed only by Neal Potter, who served six terms on the council and one as County Executive.

Maryland Blogdom, January – October 2010

Here’s an overview of how Maryland blogs have done from January through October, 2010.In the first ten months of this year, the 46 Maryland state and local blogs that release their site statistics recorded a combined total of 1,770,058 visits. That is 32% higher than the first ten months of 2009 (when they collectively totaled 1,341,387) and 95% higher than the first ten months of 2008 (when

Rushern Baker: Leslie Johnson Should be Sworn In (Updated)

From TBD. Baker's comment on Leslie Johnson comes at 12:00 on the video.Update: Incoming Council Member Mel Franklin is the first member of the next council to call on Johnson not to take the oath of office.

County Employee Pain Goes On

One year ago today, we wrote a post about the sudden halt in pay increases and the sudden rise of furloughs facing Maryland county employees in FY 2010. In the present fiscal year, those circumstances are arguably worse.According to this month’s state Spending Affordability Briefing and our research from last year, the number of counties granting cost of living adjustments (COLAs) to non-school

One of the Stranger Solicitations We Have Received

We get lots of solicitations here at MPW. Some of them (like requests for guest posts) are welcome. Then there are requests like this one that we received from "Sachin."From: ashutosh@search-value.com on behalf of Sachin (sachin@webprofits.com.au) Sent: Sat 11/13/10 4:32 AM To: acp1629@hotmail.com We would like to write an unique article for your website‏Hey there,We have been reading the

Andy Harris: Government-Run Health Care "Got Us Into Bankruptcy"

Surely, you have heard of Congressman-Elect Andy Harris’s newfound support for government-run health care – at least for himself – by now. But to appreciate the full head-spinning magnitude of his conversion to socialism, one has to observe his statements on the issue while he ran for office. This video comes from his February 2010 appearance at the Cecil County Patriots Candidate Forum.At 1:50

Josh Kurtz on "Political Pulse" on Ch. 16 TV‏

Josh Kurtz, who writes on Maryland Politics for www.centermaryland.org and is the editor of Environment and Energy Daily, will be on "Political Pulse" on:Thurs, Nov. 18th, at 9:00 p.m.Fri-Sun, Nov. 19th-20th, at 6:00 p.m. andTues, Nov. 23rd, at 9:30 p.m.Topics that will be discussed include the federal charges against PG County Exec. Jack Johnson, Maryland politics, the Dem's loss of the U.S.

How Much Web Traffic Do Maryland News Sites Get?

The Washington Post. The Baltimore Sun. NBC4. WBAL. The Gazette. These are a few of the many sources Marylanders go to for news and political coverage. But no one knows the relative readership of these sources on the Internet, which is becoming the premier platform for information delivery, because they do not report their site traffic. That ends today. Now, for the first time, we reveal

MPW Reader Poll: The Next GOP Statewide Victory

Free Blog Poll

How Leslie Johnson Did It

The Post has the answer to the question everyone is asking.Yes, using One Hundred Dollar bills, it can be done!

The Great Squeeze on Transportation

Lost in all the coverage of Maryland’s projected $1.6 billion general fund deficit is another conclusion drawn by state budget analysts: the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) “may not be able to deliver its planned capital program.”A capital budget is an exercise in balancing. On one side, available revenues – usually from taxes, transfers and bonds – must be calculated on an annual

Top Blog Posts, October 2010

These are the most-visited blog posts on MPW in October.1. MPW Reader Poll: Can Robin Ficker Beat Craig Rice?2. Kane Pulls Out of Debate with Brown – in Her Own Community3. Ehrlich vs. O’Malley on School Construction4. The Ambulance Fee Cut List5. President Obama in Bowie6. Ehrlich Spells His Name Wrong on His Own Lit7. Republican House Candidate Proposes Tattoos for HIV Victims8. School

The Wildest Michael Steele Quotes of All Time

Now that RNC Chairman Michael Steele is fighting for a second term, we are taking this opportunity to review his many contributions to American political dialogue. For the enlightenment of our readers, we present the wildest Michael Steele quotes of all time.Number 20Steele tells Sean Hannity that the GOP will not win the House. Hannity: “Do you think you can take over the House? Do you think

The Craziest Campaign Speech Ever?

This is Phil Davison, a GOP candidate for Treasurer in Stark County, Ohio. And no, he did not win.

MPW Poll: Jack Johnson's Arrest

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Jack Johnson: “Put it in Your Bra!”

The FBI’s affidavit against Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson is a fascinating document. They accuse Johnson of helping a developer get federal HOME grants for his projects in return for at least $100,000. The following excerpt from the FBI’s affidavit against Johnson details his reaction, and his wife’s reaction, as federal law enforcement closed in.#####EXCERPT FROM

FBI Finds $79,600 in Cash in Leslie Johnson's Underwear

You can't... make... this... up. She is due to be sworn in as a Prince George's County Council Member on December 6. How on Earth can that happen now?Lost in all of this is the fact that Jack Johnson served two terms as State's Attorney (1994-2002). How was the law enforced when he was in charge of enforcing it?

The Jack and Leslie Johnson Arrest Videos

From NBC4. Yes, that is Council Member-Elect Leslie Johnson under that coat.View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

More on Johnson from WTOP

WTOP is reporting the following:A source close to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Baltimore tells WTOP the investigation is linked to a developer who sought to involve Johnson in a land deal at the Greenbelt Metro station. The investigation is also linked to the transfer of a residential property involving Johnson, the source says.This information seems connected to a story run by the Post in

Raw Video: Jack Johnson Arrested

From WUSA9.

Raw Video: Johnson's Neighbors React to Arrest

From WUSA 9.

Jack Johnson and Wife Grabbed by FBI (Updated)

Outgoing Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife, newly elected County Council Member Leslie Johnson, have been seized by the FBI. TBD, the Gazette and the Post have details.County residents can rest easier knowing that they have been "commited" to custody.Update: We do not know the exact charges made against Johnson. But we do know that the FBI has been investigating various

Leggett: Deficit "Close to $200 Million"

Following is a memo from County Executive Ike Leggett to Council President Nancy Floreen on Montgomery County's growing budget deficit. In the memo, Leggett estimates that the voters' repeal of the ambulance fee, rising enrollment at MCPS and likely cutbacks in federal aid and spending will inflate the FY 2012 deficit from $145 million to close to $200 million. Revenue from the ambulance fee

Party Performance by County: Summary

Over the last week, we have looked at the performance of the Maryland Republican Party in the Democratic Big Three jurisdictions; Central and Southern Maryland; Western Maryland; Baltimore and Harford Counties and the Upper Eastern Shore; and the Central and Lower Eastern Shore. We considered voting percentages and win rates in federal, state and county elections. We did not emphasize voter

Harry Hughes for Senate, 1986

The Eastern Shore's most successful politician is probably two-term Governor Harry Hughes. Facing term limits in 1986, Hughes ran for a U.S. Senate seat but was defeated in the primary by Congresswoman Barbara Mikulski. This is a lit piece from Hughes's last campaign for elected office.

Pinsky vs. the Post on Teacher Evaluation

Senator Paul Pinsky (D-22) and the Washington Post are squaring off over teacher evaluation standards. Here are the basic facts.Maryland, along with many other states, is competing to receive federal public school aid under the “Race to the Top” program. In the last session, the General Assembly passed legislation intended to bring the state into compliance with federal requirements for Race to

Party Performance in the Central and Lower Eastern Shore

Today we’ll look at election results in six counties in the Central and Lower Eastern Shore.Caroline County0.5% of Registered Voters (22nd)Solid RepublicanThe entire statehouse delegation and County Commission are Republicans. Enough said.Talbot County0.7% of Registered Voters (19th)Leans RepublicanHistorically, the statehouse delegation went Republican and the Democrats captured a majority of

Teachers for Ida Ruben, 1986

MCEA's mailers for various County Council and state legislative candidates drew a lot of attention this year, but they are nothing new. Here is a mailer starring MCEA all the way back from 1986 on behalf of Delegate Ida Ruben (D-20), who successfully won a seat in the Senate and held it for 20 years. MCEA was with her to her final race.

Party Performance in Baltimore County, Harford County and the Upper Shore

How do the parties do in Baltimore County, Harford and the upper shore?Baltimore County14.2% of Registered Voters (3rd)Leans DemocratRepublicans win seats in the districts Baltimore County shares with Carroll County (Legislative District 5) and Harford County (Legislative District 7). Otherwise, Democrats win most of the time, especially in districts that border the city. The fact that Governor

Atterbeary Linked to Ehrlich Voter Suppression Robocaller

The Baltimore Sun has reported that former District 18 House candidate Vanessa Atterbeary employed Julius Henson, the campaign operative who was responsible for voter suppression robocalls for Bob Ehrlich in Baltimore. The Sun says Henson has “a history of rough-and-tumble campaign tactics” and links him to what happened this summer in District 18.The Sun refers to Vanessa Atterbeary’s

Party Performance in Western Maryland

Welcome to rural and mountainous Western Maryland, a region almost as unfriendly to Democrats as is Baltimore City to Republicans.Frederick County4.0% of Registered Voters (8th)Solid RepublicanShifting voter registrations have caused some to believe that Frederick is trending Democratic. Not so fast. The Democrats had only three wins here this year: Ron Young’s narrow defeat of Senator Alex

Intra-Party Battles Start

So far, some may be calling for Nancy Pelosi to step down as Speaker but no one has stepped forward to challenge her. No problem with Pelosi here as her real sin seems to be that she was effective. Reps. Jim Clyburn and Steny Hoyer will face off for the post of Minority Whip, though I can't find coverage of this contest in the Post.Meanwhile, the war of all against all commences in the

Anne Applebaum on Alaska

She may now live in Poland but has a lucid analysis of Alaska and the Republican Party. Read it.

Van Hollen on the House Elections

Party Performance in Central and Southern Maryland

Last week, we analyzed Republican electoral performance in Maryland’s three Democratic strongholds: Baltimore City and Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. The conventional wisdom is that while the Democrats always carry those counties, the GOP carries the rest of the state. But is that really true? We will look at GOP performance in state and county elections in the state’s other

Glendening Announces for Governor, 1994

Schaefer for Governor, 1986

Mooney Concedes

The Frederick News-Post has the story on former Frederick Mayor Ron Young's victory.

Winners and Losers: General Election Edition

Who's hot and who's not listed below.Winners1. Senate President Mike MillerMike Miller lead his caucus to a two-seat gain against serious headwinds. He raised the money vital to victories by Frederick County and the Lower Eastern Shore. You can be sure those new senators will be very, very grateful. Ditto for Nancy King and Jennie Forehand who he supported against tough primary challengers.

MPW Reader Poll: General Election Surprises

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Republican Performance in the Democratic Big Three

Following are the percentages gained by Republican candidates in Baltimore City, Montgomery County and Prince George's County since 2002. Races with no GOP candidate or with incomplete tickets are not included. Together, these three jurisdictions accounted for 42% of Maryland's registered voters in 2010.Montgomery County: The great GOP tidal wave of 2010 caused an average Republican gain of 2.9

Alphabet Soup

Here's the order of finish in the Council At-Large general election.Elrich (D)Floreen (D)Leventhal (D)Riemer (D)Dyer (R)Fennel (R)Rippeon (R)Uncapher (R)Gluck (Green)Which one of these politicians will change his or her surname to "Aaron" first?

Now Comes the Hard Part

Today, Maryland Democrats are celebrating the reelection of Governor Martin O’Malley, U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski and their holding onto both chambers of the General Assembly. But the reality of governance will soon set in. Why?Because the Republicans have won control of the U.S. House of Representatives, and that means federal stimulus aid for the state government has almost certainly dried

Con Con Definitely Behind

Though 55% of voters who bothered to vote on whether to hold a state constitutional convention voted in favor, the share is below 50% of all who cast ballots--the threshold for it to pass. According to the unofficial results, 842,232 voted in favor which is less than 50% of the people who cast a vote in the gubernatorial contest (867,498).

Firming Up Some Senate Results

The State Board of Elections has more complete unofficial results. Here are some key races for the Senate:Looks like Alex Mooney lost his Senate seat (District 3, Frederick & Washington) to Ron Young. Mooney trailed Young by 1.6%--665 votes.Democrats also are leading in a squeaker for an open Senate seat on the lower Eastern Shore. In District 38 (Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset), Democrat Del.

County Exec, Council and Commission Results Around the State

All of Maryland's counties held local elections. Republicans will control the County Councils or Commissions in 15 counties. Democrats will control in the 8 other counties. Republicans made some interesting gains here--picking up over 20 seats and taking control of three Commissions.Republicans did much better down the ballot, though Democrats still hold most of the more populous counties.

Early Morning Analysis

Some thoughts on the national and state situation.Life in the Big Blue BubbleMaryland is just not following the rest of the nation in this election. O'Malley won by more than four years ago. My guess is Ehrlich was not helped by having held office before and he came across as reheated leftovers rather than something new. In legislative races, Dems lost six in the House but gained two in the

Republicans Projected to Gain 6 in House

In the Maryland House of Delegates, Republicans are currently on track to pick up a net of six seats (two defeats of Democrats, and four takeaways in open seats)--upping their numbers to 43 of 141, or 30.5%, in the Chamber. Regional breakdowns and some details below the fold.The party breakdown continues to vary considerably by region. All seats in Baltimore City, Montgomery, and Prince

Dems Likely Up 2 in the Senate

Unlike elsewhere in the country, close races seem to breaking for the Dems in the Maryland Senate. If the races go as currently indicated by the vote tallies, the Maryland Senate Republican Caucus will shrink by two--down to just 12 out of 47, or 25.5% of the Chamber. Senate President Mike Miller is enjoying the results.In District 3, Republican Sen. Alex Mooney is going down to Democrat Ron

Con Con Going Down

The devil is in the detail. The Constitutional Convention may be getting 55% of the vote but it needs to get a majority among all those voting in order to happen. There is often a lot of roll-off in ballot questions so it looks like that is not going to happen. The Baltimore Sun has the story.

Governor's Race by County: Third Cut

A decisive win for Governor Martin O'Malley.

Congress District 1 by County: Third Cut

The Associated Press has called this race for Andy Harris.

Other Races: Third Cut

For details, see here.Baltimore County Executive224 of 228 precincts reportingKamenetz (D): 136820 (54%)Holt (R): 117240 (46%)District 3 SenateFrederick-Washington Counties45 of 51 precincts reportingYoung (D): 21371 (51%)Mooney (R): 20706 (49%)District 30 SenateAnne Arundel County52 of 55 precincts reportingAstle (D): 23610 (51%)Elfenbein (R): 22843 (49%)District 33A HouseAnne Arundel County41

Crash!

On Election Night, the State Board of Elections website is down.

Maryland Recap

I haven't looked as closely in the House of Delegates but in the Maryland Senate, the Democrats may pick up two seats with no losses among potentially vulnerable Democrats. Democrat Ronald Young may knock of Alex Mooney in District 3 (Frederick-Washington), and Democratic Del. Jim Mathias leads Republican Michael James in District 38 (Somerset-Wicomico-Worcester). Both currently lead.As I said

MoCo Recap

Just to sum up as the evening comes to a close, on an evening in which the Democrats are getting shellacked nationally, they still hold every office in this County--and not by a narrow margin.Some stats for my fellow numbers geeks. Except for Sen. Jamie Raskin who is unopposed, Sen. Rich Madaleno is leading Republican Kurt Osuch by 74% to 26%--who ran one of the more vibrant campaigns on the

Mathias Retains Tight Lead in District 38

New numbers have Mathias up over James by 156 votes with over 42,000 votes cast in this lower Eastern Shore district previously held by a Republican.

Dems Have Narrow Lead in District 38

Former Ocean City Mayor and current Del. Jim Mathias, a Democrat, leads Republican Michael James by just 193 votes out of over 36,000 cast according to the State website which has finally started to update some of the state legislative races.

Young Retakes The Lead in District 3

Mooney has fallen behind again with fewer precincts left to count. In Frederick County, with 42 precincts reporting, Young leads by 783 votes. In Washington County, with 3 of 6 precincts reporting, Mooney leads by 118 votes.

Other Races: Second Cut

For a recap on these races, see here.Baltimore County Executive98 of 228 precincts reportingKamenetz (D): 57423 (52%)Holt (R): 51978 (47%)District 3 SenateFrederick-Washington Counties37 of 51 precincts reportingMooney (R): 17845 (50%)Young (D): 17728 (50%)District 30 SenateAnne Arundel County26 of 55 precincts reportingAstle (D): 11534 (55%)Elfenbein (R): 9598 (45%)District 33A HouseAnne Arundel

Congress District 1 by County: Second Cut

Governor's Race by County: Second Cut

Robin Ficker Quiet

For the first time since . . . anyone can ever recall, Republican Robin Ficker is quiet--something many might label Democrat Craig Rice's first accomplishment as councilmember-elect. I knew I liked the guy. Ficker now trails Rice by 41% to 59%.Essay Question 1: Ficker constantly claimed that Rice would raise taxes if elected. Does Rice's election mean that there is a mandate for new taxes?

Steny Hoyer the New Minority Leader?

Gordon Peterson on ABC local news just reported that the rumor is that Nancy Pelosi will step down as leader of the Democrats with Steny Hoyer to take her place. If so, he will be the most prominent Marylander at the national level since. . . Spiro Agnew became Vice President.

Mooney Pulls Into Nail Biting Lead

In Frederick County, Mooney now leads Young by 23 votes out of over 35,000 cast. No change in the Washington County returns where Mooney leads Young by a queenly 106 votes out of 382 ballots so far. Still 10 precincts outstanding in Frederick and 4 precincts in Washington.

Mooney Still Trails

Mooney trails Young. In Frederick County, Mooney trails Young by 13,340 to 14,186--or 48.4% to 51.5%. In Washington County, Mooney leads Young by 238 to 144--or 62.3% to 37.7%. In Washington County, 2 of 6 precincts are reporting. In Frederick County, 30 of 45 precincts are reporting.

Republicans Sweep Frederick County Commission

Republicans won all five races to the Frederick County Commission. The outgoing commission had three Republicans and two Democrats. The commission seats are all filled at-large.

Early Results: Other Races We Are Watching

Here are the early results in the other races we are watching.District 3 SenateFrederick-Washington Counties15 of 51 precincts reportingYoung (D): 7146 (54%)Mooney (R): 6061 (46%)District 30 SenateAnne Arundel County5 of 55 precincts reportingAstle (D): 4006 (57%)Elfenbein (R): 2985 (43%)District 33A HouseAnne Arundel County5 of 44 precincts reportingVitale (R): 4156 (43%)McConkey (R): 3033 (31%)

Harris Has Huge Early Lead on Kratovil

Here are the first results by county on the Congress District 1 race.

O'Malley Has Huge Early Lead on Ehrlich

Here's the first summary of election returns by county on the Governor's race.

Tighter in Mooney-Young Race

In Frederick County, Mooney now trails Young with 48% to 52% with 21 of 45 precincts reporting.In Washington County, I now realize that Mooney trails Young by 5 votes to 11--not that 5 of 11 precincts are reporting--hence the massive Mooney deficit. Our fact checkers apologize profusely for the error.The state website is slow to update and still appears just to have the early results.

Possible Dem Senate Gain on the Shore?

Republican Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus retired this year in District 38 on the lower Eastern Shore. According to the State website, Democrat Jim Mathias leads Republican Michael James by 51% to 49%. The Worcester County and Somerset County Boards of Elections are not reporting returns so I can't give you a complete county breakdown here for this multicounty (Somerset, Wicomico, Worcester). However,

Ambulance Fee Going Down?

The trend appears against it. Latest results show the No side winning with 53% of the vote--up from 51% earlier.

Mooney in Deep Trouble

Sen. Alex Mooney is still losing with the first real results in though the race is tighter. Mooney trails Ronald Young by 46% to 54% in Frederick County with 14 of 45 precincts reporting. In Washington County, Mooney trails Young with 31% to 69% with 5 of 11 precincts reporting. Washington County is not reporting absolute vote totals so I can't tell you the total and the state website appears

School Board Results

The incumbent slate (Shirley Brandman, Judy Docca, Pat O'Neill, Mike Durso) is leading the pack strongly against their aggressive, insurgent challengers. All were supported by MCEA.

First Real Results in MoCo

They finally reported some totals including the first election day votes. Question A on the ambulance fee is losing with 51% but remains very tight. MoCo is voting about 55% against a constitutional convention but so far the State is voting for it by the same amount. Democrats still lead in all races in MoCo.

Speaker Michael Busch Leads

Republicans would love to repeat their decapitation of Democratic Speaker Cas Taylor by taking out Speaker Michael Busch in his marginal district. However, Busch currently leads the pack for one of the three delegate seats with incumbent Democratic Del. Virginia Claggett in second and incumbent Republican Del. Ron George in third. In fourth place, Democratic challenger Judd Legum is just a few

Kratovil Down in First District

Andy Harris is leading Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil in the First District by 52% to 44% according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. All other incumbents leading, most by large margins though incumbent Republican Rep. Roscoe Bartlett is just at 55%.

Democrats Sweeping MoCo

You might have thought that this year would be the year that Republicans finally took back a seat somewhere in Montgomery County. Nope. A few stats based on results available at this hour that some up the strength of the Democrats in this county: 73% for O'Malley-Brown; all Democratic State Senators winning with 67% of the vote or more. None of the Washington Post endorsed Republican

Alex Mooney Down Severely in Early Votes

He has just 39% of the early vote according to the Frederick County Board of Elections. Democrats would love to take this gadfly out. Senate President Mike Miller invested heavily in this race.

Baltimore Mayor Condemns Robocalls Intended to Suppress Turnout (Updated)

The following news release from the Maryland Democrats quotes Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake as denouncing robocalls made in the city that were intended to suppress voter turnout.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 2, 2010 7:00PMRAWLINGS-BLAKE DENOUNCES MISLEADING ROBO CALLS INTENDED TO SUPRESS VOTER TURNOUT IN BALTIMORE CITYBALTIMORE - Tonight, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake denounced a

League of Women Voters Denounces "Unauthorized" Robocalls on Ambulance Fee

The Leauge of Women Voters of Montgomery County sent out the following mass email today protesting robocalls using its name without permission that advocated for the ambulance fee (MoCo Question A).From: "LWV of Montgomery County, MD" Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:50:05 -0400To: [lwvmc@erols.com]Subject: Unauthorized Robocalls Sent Using League's NameDear League Members, Over the weekend robocalls

Shirley Brandman's General Election Mailer

Races We Are Watching

Everyone will be watching the elections for Governor and Congress District 1, but there are a few others we find interesting. Here’s a rundown.Baltimore County ExecutiveDemocratic County Council Member Kevin Kamenetz is running against former Republican Delegate Kenneth Holt to succeed term-limited Jim Smith. Baltimore County is known as a swing jurisdiction. It has voted for its former

Democrats Lead in Early Voting - Without MoCo and Baltimore

Democrats performed better in early voting than Republicans despite subpar turnouts in Montgomery County and Baltimore City.Here is a chart contrasting voter registration and early voting percentages by party.The Republicans' early voting matched their voter registration percentage. The Democrats beat their registration percentage by 7.5 points.One reason for the Democrats' advantage would be if

Ariana Kelly's General Election Mailer

MPW Reader Poll: Governor's Race

Free Blog Poll

Our Forecast: Ehrlich vs. O’Malley

Who’s going to win the Maryland Governor’s race today? We know the answer, so read on to find out!OK, we don’t know the answer, but we are going to take our best shot at predicting the outcome. And we will not do it using party talking points, ideology, impassioned appeals or all that other pap. We will rely on what truly matters on Election Day: mathematics.Our projections are derived from

Kumar Barve's Economy Mailer

This is the second of two general election mailers from House Majority Leader Kumar Barve (D-17).

Rich Madaleno Helps O'Malley

District 18 Senator Rich Madaleno is a sure bet to win reelection, but he is sending out this general election mailer to encourage turnout for Governor O'Malley.

Phil Andrews: Ambulance Fees Can Cost Lives

Council Member Phil Andrews sent out this mailer under his own authority line.

The Infamous "Ehrlich-Steele Democrats" Flyer, 2006

This is one of the most notorious campaign lit pieces in Maryland history: the "Ehrlich-Steele Democrats" flyer from 2006. The Ehrlich and Steele campaigns bused in homeless people from Pennsylvania and Delaware to distribute these "voter guides" in Prince George's County. Then-First Lady Kendel Ehrlich even greeted them as they emerged from the buses to hand out the lit! Former Ehrlich aide

Domestic Violence Victim Takes on Simmons

Amy Castillo is a MoCo pediatrician who unsuccessfully tried to get a final protective order against her abusive husband, who later drowned her three children. Castillo testified before the House Judiciary Committee in support of a bill sponsored by Delegate Sue Hecht (D-3A) and Senator Jennie Forehand (D-17) that would have made it easier for abuse victims to obtain protective orders. Delegate

How Many Democrats Will Vote for Ehrlich?

Tomorrow’s gubernatorial contest between Bob Ehrlich and Martin O’Malley will depend on two things: turnout and the percentage of Democrats voting for Ehrlich. We’ll address turnout in tomorrow’s election forecast. Today, we’ll focus on Ehrlich Democrats.Bob Ehrlich, and any statewide candidate, needs to have Democratic votes to win. That’s because of the Democrats’ immense edge in voter