Democrats Dominate Elections; Ambulance Fee Appears Headed To Defeat

Photo by Brad Rourke

Democratic candidates dominated the partisan races throughout Rockville precincts, with voters giving the nod to incumbents and presumptive winners in almost every case. The controversial “Ambulance Fee” measure (Montgomery County Question A) appeared destined for defeat, as the gap continued to widen as new precincts reported.

All the results are available here at the Montgomery County Board of Elections results page.

The following information reflects the state of affairs shortly before midnight, with 166 precincts having reported in Montgomery County out of the total of 254 precincts.

Governor Martin O’Malley appeared to be have trounced former governor Robert Ehrlich 60% to 37% shortly before midnight. State Senator Jennie Forehand was handily dispatching her opponent Adol Theo Owen-Williams, II 74% to 25%. And, the current District 17 of Kumar Barve, Luis Simmons, and Jim Gilchrist looked poised to retain their seats with roughly 23% each. Republican challenger Daniel Campos looked to have garnered about 11.5% of the vote, not enough to make it.

Ike Leggett looked to be heading for re-election as County Executive with 64% of the vote, and the four Democratic primary winners for the Montgomery County at-large seats — Marc Elrich, Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal, and Hans Riemer — were also heading toward victory shortly before midnight, with roughly 16% each.

In the at-large Board of Education race, Shirley Brandman was the evident winner with 62%. Judy Docca appeared to be winning District 1 with 69% of the vote, and Patricia O’Neill was winning District 3 with 67%. In District 5, Mike Durso appeared to be the winner with almost 58% of the vote.

County Question A — the “Ambulance Fee” — was highly contested and it looked as if it could go either way as midnight drew near. However, the trend as more precincts came is was leaning against. With 166 precincts reporting, the numbers were 45.57% for and 54.43% against.

Judge Dismisses Ambulance Fee Lawsuit And The Electioneering Continues

TBD.com reports Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Robert Greenberg dismissed a challenge by the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association (MCVFRA) claiming the county was engaging in illegal electioneering in support of the ambulance fee referendum.

Judge Greenberg ruled that “the suit was filed too late (there is a 10-day statute) and that there was no evidence to show the county’s actions would sway voters.”

In her post Ambulance fee lawsuit: Judge dismisses volunteers’ challenge Elahe Izadi noted:

Meanwhile across town today, county officials were out in full force, along with a volunteer paramedic, advocating for ambulance fees. And, yes, county communications’ staff members sent out numerous press releases ahead of the press conference.

Evidence of the County’s efforts to sway voters on Question A was also documented by Tom Moore, who has written a Contributor Opinion to Vote No On Question A. He snapped this picture of the Rockville Memorial Library from earlier today with a “Vote For Question A” banner hanging across the entrance.

Photo by Tom Moore

Regardless of your opinion on the ambulance fee issue, should a government building be displaying a banner telling us how to vote ? Who paid for and hung this banner on a public building?

Early Voting Brings Out Less Than 5% Of County Voters

From MD BOE

On Friday the Maryland State Board of Elections released the results of last week’s early voting. Montgomery County has 573,431 registered voters and 26,707 (4.66%) casted their ballots early at polling sites. This puts the County below the unofficial State participation rate of 6.33% (219,601 of 3,468,287 potential voters). Although they released the numbers, the Board of Elections will not be releasing the results until after all the votes are cast tomorrow on Election Day.

Here’s the breakdown of early voter turnout:

6,601 at Bauer Drive Community Center in Rockville
4,656 at the Executive Office Building in Rockville
5,309 at the Germantown Recreation Center
3,951 at the Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center
6,190 at the Silver Spring Civic Building

Democrats voted early in greater proportion than Republicans:

Democrats 17,978 of 324,195 registered voters ( 5.55%)
Republicans 5,127 of 123,253 registered voters (4.16%)

In District 17, 3,226 of 70,412 (4.58%) registered voters already cast their vote.

This means many of us still need to vote tomorrow, November 2, 2010. The polls open at 7 AM and close at 8 PM. Although I tried early voting in the Primaries, I’ll be voting with my sons in tow tomorrow. I’ve always enjoyed teaching them to vote by showing them I do.

Voting Begins Today In Maryland

Every day is Election Day for the next week. The polls are open for the Gubernatorial General Election. Voting Centers opened the doors at 10 AM this morning. They’ll remain open until Thursday, October 28th from 10 AM until 8 PM (except for Sunday the 24th.)

Two Voting Centers are located in Rockville:
Montgomery County Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville 20850
Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center, 14625 Bauer Drive, Rockville 20853

Other Centers are at:
Germantown Recreation Center, 18905 Kingsview Road, Germantown 20874
Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center,14906 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville 20866
Silver Spring Civic Building, 8525 Fenton Street, Silver Spring 20910

Voters can go to any of these Early Voting Centers and use the same equipment which will be used on Election Day, Tuesday, November 2nd. The Board of Election website has a scroll bar which provides wait times of each of the five Centers, updated hourly, so you can plan accordingly.

As the Baltimore Sun reported, when the State of Maryland offered Early Voting for the first time during this year’s Primary Election, the turnout was very low with only 77,000 of the possible 3.2 million taking advantage of the opportunity. Advocates for early voting had hoped to increase participation in this year’s election by making it more convenient.

To help voters make their decisions, the League of Women Voter’s Guide publishes the verbatim responses of candidates to questions which are important to voters. For information on Montgomery County Question A concerning the Emergency Medical Services Transport Fee, read our post, Both Sides Of The Montgomery County Ambulance Fee Issue, Proposed Cuts.

As I described during my early voting experience, the process was quick and easy. However, I will admit that I missed voting on Election Day. When you have already cast your vote, the last minute campaign frenzy is also lost on you. But, perhaps that was for the better!

Primary Election Results (All Precincts Reporting) (UPDATED)

The District 17 Democratic primary race between Sen. Jennie Forehand and former Del. Cheryl Kagan remained too close to call definitively as election day ended. But, with all precincts reporting, Forehand had the lead:

• Jennie Forehand: 3,830 (52.09%)
• Cheryl Kagan: 3,522 (47.91%)

This race may not be called this evening, given the current margin a recount is very possible. However, Forehand’s lead has been widening as late precincts come in. Maryland Politics Watch has called this race for Forehand.

The Montgomery County Council at-large race was also close, but with 3/4 of the county’s precincts reporting Maryland Politics Watch has gone ahead and called it. The big news was that challenger Hans Riemer’s race was successful, with incumbent Duchy Trachtenberg bearing the brunt. Results:

• Marc Elrich: 45,009 (17.81%)
• Hans Riemer: 38,437 (15.21%)
• Nancy Floreen: 36,973 (14.63%)
• George Leventhal: 36,385 (14.40%)
• ———-
• Duchy Trachtenberg: 32,505 (12.86%)
• Rebecca Wagner: 30,552 (12.09%)
• Jane de Winter: 14,204 (5.62%)
• Fred Evans: 10,372 (4.10%)
• Raj Narayanan: 8,247 (3.26%)

In the Board of Education at-large race, the winner appeared clear early. Final results:

• Shirley Brandman: 50,749 (62.46%)
• Lisa M. Lloyd: 16,568 (20.39%)
• Lyda Astrove: 13,927 (17.14%)

Latest election results are available here, updated in as near real-time as you can get.

[This post was UPDATED Wednesday morning with latest results.]

Roundup Of The District 17 Senate Campaign Between Sen. Jennie Forehand and Former Del. Cheryl Kagan

Rockville has been Ground Zero for one of the harder-fought election campaigns in the state, the race for democratic nomination to the District 17 Senate seat, which is currently held by Jennie Forehand. Forehand is opposed by former state Delegate Cheryl Kagan. The election is September 14.

While this is a primary election, the winner is for all intents and purposes the ultimate victor, as this is a solidly democratic district.

This campaign has been energetic for some time, as Kagan filed her candidacy in May but had been campaigning before then. However, now is the time that voters are making up their minds so we thought we would provide links to relevant information so readers can easily research.

In addition to everything below, we’ve asked each candidate to provide a statement of their choosing by the end of the day. We will publish those on Saturday.

(Note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates and we work hard to provide a balanced forum for all.)

Photo from candidate's web site

The Candidates’ Online Identities

• Jennie Forehand:
  • Main web site
  • Facebook page
• Cheryl Kagan
  • Main web site
  • Facebook page
  • Twitter account (@CherylKagan)

Endorsements

• Jennie Forehand
  • Endorsed by The Gazette
  • List of endorsements on candidate site
• Cheryl Kagan
  • Endorsed by the Washington Post
  • List of endorsements on candidate site

Debates

While there have been a number of debates in this campaign, the most recent was August 31, held in Rockville Memorial Library. The candidates questioned each other, and responded to written questions from the audience. Rockville Central had complete coverage:

• Forehand, Kagan Question Each Other
• Forehand, Kagan Respond to Audience Quatsions:
  • Part One
  • Part Two
  • Part Three

Our friends at TBD.com also hosted a brief (less than 10 minute) debate between the two candidates, and provided us with full video. You can see that here.

Contributor Opinions

A number of readers have submitted contributor opinion pieces in support of either Forehand or Kagan. Here they all are, organized.

• Contributor Opinion pieces in favor of Jennie Forehand:
  • Contributor Opinion By Sen. Brian Frosh: Setting The Record Straight On Jennie Forehand
  • Contributor Opinion by Richard Arkin: Kagan Goes Negative
  • Reader Note by Kevin Brooks: Forehand Kagan…Pretty Simple
  • Contributor Opinion by John Moser: I Support Sen. Jennie Forehand
  • Contributor Opinion By Richard Arkin: Forehand The More Successful Legislator
  • Contributor Opinion By Laura Berthiaume: What I Know
    

Photo from the candidate's website

• Contributor Opinion pieces in favor of Cheryl Kagan:
  • Contributor Opinion by John Cooper-Martin: Cheryl Kagan Will Make a Great State Senator for District 17
  • Contributor Opinion By Scott Maravilla: Cheryl Kagan Is Our Future
  • Contributor Opinion By Sima Osdoby: Why I am Supporting Cheryl Kagan
  • Contributor Opinion By Bob Wright: Kagan Followed Letter And Spirit Of The Law
  • Contributor Opinion By Paul Carlson: Cheryl Kagan, The Hardest Working Public Servant I have Ever Known
  • Contributor Opinion by Frederick Beckner: Cheryl Kagan Helping to Keep Big Money Out of Politics
  • Contributor Opinion By David Spitzer: A Response to Richard Arkin
  • Contributor Opinion By Arthur Katz: Forehand’s Mailer, Cover Their Eyes
  • Contributor Opinion By Anne Robbins: My Support For Cheryl Kagan
  • Contributor Opinion By Eileen McGuckian: Why I Support Cheryl Kagan
  • Reader Note By Jim Coyle: Support For Kagan
  • Reader Note By Dick Strombotne: Why I Support Cheryl Kagan
  • Contributor Opinion By John Britton: My Preference For Cheryl Kagan

So, there you have it.

If circumstances change materially, we will update this page and mark it.

Happy voting!

Got Something To Say About District 17? Make Sure We Hear From You By Thursday!

Photo Credit: Flickr user 'Search Engine People Blog'

Dear Rockville Central readers,

As many of you are aware, the race for the Democratic nomination for State Senate in District 17 has shaped up to be one of the harder-fought battles in recent memory. Many readers have submitted contributor opinions in favor of their candidate, be it Sen. Jennie Forehand or former Del. Cheryl Kagan.

We are delighted at this outpouring.

However, to make sure that Rockville Central can remain a place for exchange over issues and not a mechanism for campaigning, we are going to stop publishing opinion pieces related to the campaign after Friday. After Election Day, we will gladly accept submissions again.

So: If you have a contributor opinion on the District 17 campaign that you would like to submit, please do so (just send it to [email protected]) by Thursday, September 9, at 5:00 pm eastern. We will not publish opinion pieces on the District 17 election that we receive after that.

Forehand, Kagan Answer Audience Questions (Part Three)

Last Tuesday night, the District 17 Democratic Club held the final debate of the primary campaign between incumbent Sen. Jennie Forehand and challenger, former Del. Cheryl Kagan, at Rockville Memorial Library.

The primary election is September 14.

Rockville Central was there at the debate capturing video, and we have been releasing it in sections over the past few days.

The final audience questions:

• Rockville Pike is in need of safety improvements. Can you do something about it?
• What can either of you tell us about your Republican opponent?
• How do we bridge the geographic gap between where affordable housing is, and where the jobs are?
• What do you have to say about age?
• Should there be a constitutional convention?

Here’s the video:

(Note that there was a video glitch in one question, so I skipped it. That one was a two-part question directed at Kagan and then Forehand. To Kagan it was: Why did you quit being a state delegate and why are you coming back? To Forehand it was: Why do you want to remain a state senator? Also, note that I made a bit of a bobble on the final question, the one about age. So it jumps a bit. Sorry about that!)

Forehand, Kagan Respond To Audience Questions (Part Two)

Last Tuesday night, the District 17 Democratic Club held the final debate of the primary campaign between incumbent Sen. Jennie Forehand and challenger, former Del. Cheryl Kagan, at Rockville Memorial Library.

The primary election is September 14.

Rockville Central was there at the debate capturing video, and we are releasing it in sections over the next few days.

The second four audience questions:

• What’s left to do to improve the Chesapeake Bay? Should we have fewer chicken farms?
• What changes are needed in education?
• What legislation did not pass in 2010 that should be brought up and passed in 2011?
• Can you tell us the sources of your campaign funds?

Here’s the video:

Primary Voting Begins Today

For the first time the State of Maryland is implementing Early Voting for the Gubernatorial Primary Election. You can already vote in person for the primaries. You don’t have to wait until September 14th.

When I arrived at the polls at the County Executive Building, 101 Monroe Street in Rockville, at 9:45 AM this morning, two voters were already in line in front of me. Betty Hughes and Dorothy Kozikowski were seated and waiting. They are going away on a cruise next week to Newfoundland. Since they always vote in person, they were glad for this opportunity. They were “pretty definite” that they would not change their minds.

At exactly 10 AM Brigitta Mullican, who is volunteering at the Voting Center, announced that the polls were open and that there were seven people in line. Two more walked up as we filed into the room to vote. By the time I had finished the process, about 20 had voted. A steady stream of people arrived throughout the first hour.

Jerold S. Garson, President of the Board of Elections, was at the County Executive Building polling location. He and the other Board Members were at all the locations to make sure the Early Voting was off to a good start. They all are going to be on call 24 hours-a-day during the voting period. He explained that two years ago the voters in Maryland approved early voting. Every single county voted for it because people wanted more hours. He told me, “As you can see, people are voting! The people are here.”

Jane de Winter, who is running for a Montgomery County Council At Large seat, was in the first group to vote. “I have my vote in the bank! It’s great to be able to come in and vote. Now I can work on Election Day. It’s great to give people other options.”

If you are voting early at the County Executive Building, parking is free for one hour at the County garages on Rt. 28 and Monroe Street. After 10 AM, voters can also park in the Jury Lot at the same intersection. Although there are signs at the southernmost doors on Monroe Street directing you into the cafeteria, when you enter through these doors, there is no indication as to where you should go until you walk through the whole cafeteria and see a sign pointing up the stairs. The polling location is on the lobby level so it is best to use the main entrance by the circular drive.

Maureen Fong, a resident of Courthouse Square, explained, “I couldn’t find it. I know the area but wasn’t sure where to go. Thank goodness for the big sign”, then she added, “We did it!”

People are discussing whether there really were funds to publicize the early voting. Some stated there was no money in the budget while others believed it was co-mingled with the new voting system funds. Either way, the general consensus seems to be that money wasn’t spent on publicity to get people to the polls early. Many people passing by the County Executive Building weren’t aware of this new option.

One woman had not received her ballot in the mail and she knew they had been mailed in batches. State Delegate Jim Gilchrist explained the ballots already went out. When he was door knocking this week, people were aware of the election and had received their ballots. Since you can already vote, let’s hope so!.

If you are still researching the candidate, a helpful online Voter’s Guide is provided by The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County.

Montgomery County Early Voting Centers will open from 10 AM until 8 PM, Friday, September 3 until Thursday, September 9, 2010 excluding Sunday. Voters will use the same voting equipment as on Election Day. All the lists for every district have been loaded into each machine so you can cast your early vote at any location. A poll worker confirms the proper ballot loads before you begin. Mr. Garson confirmed that all the voting machines have all been tested.

Early Voting Centers are located at:

Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center, 14625 Bauer Drive, Rockville 20853
Germantown Recreation Center, 18905 Kingsview Road, Germantown 20874
Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center, 14906 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville 20866
Montgomery County Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville 20850
Silver Spring Civic Building, 8525 Fenton Street, Silver Spring 20910

During Early Voting hours, the Board of Election website will display a scroll bar giving the wait times at each of the five Centers, updated hourly. This is a cool feature to help make voting as quick and easy as possible.

You can still vote by Absentee Ballot until September 7th.
Last chance to vote is at your assigned Primary Election location on September 14th.

Forehand, Kagan Respond To Audience Questions

On Tuesday night, the District 17 Democratic Club held the final debate of the primary campaign between incumbent Sen. Jennie Forehand and challenger, former Del. Cheryl Kagan, at Rockville Memorial Library.

The primary election is September 14.

Rockville Central was there at the debate capturing video, and we are releasing it in sections over the next few days.

The first four audience questions:

1. How can Maryland improve our health care rankings?
2. Name an issue that you are passionate about but that gets little attention.
3. Should an extra $300 million of revenue be directed to state workers who have had to go on furloughs?
4. Montgomery is often treated like “Daddy Warbucks.” What can we do about that?

Here’s the video:

Note: you can see I started and stopped the video with each question, so it looks like it jumps from one to the other question. I did not edit out anything of substance; the video includes every question and answer from this section of the debate.

Forehand, Kagan Question Each Other At Debate

On Tuesday night, the District 17 Democratic Club held the final debate of the primary campaign between incumbent Sen. Jennie Forehand and challenger, former Del. Cheryl Kagan, at Rockville Memorial Library.

The primary election is September 14.

While both candidates expressed satisfaction that the exchange was “civil,” it was by no means lacking in heat. While the format guaranteed that (it included a section where the candidates asked each other questions), the substance of the campaign has become contentious as well, with both candidates pointing out criticisms they have of one another.

Rockville Central was there at the debate capturing video, and we will release it in sections over the next few days.

Here’s a compilation of the first main section, the one where Forehand and Kagan question one another.

Note: you can see I started and stopped the video with each question, so it looks like it jumps from one to the other question. I did not edit out anything of substance; the video includes every question and answer from this section of the debate.

New Early Voting Starts Next Week In Montgomery County

You’ll have many more opportunities to “go to the polls” this election season. When you receive your sample Primary Election Ballot in the mail, don’t leave it in the pile until Election Day. Now you can go to certain polling locations and vote before Election Day.

Early Voting Centers will be open from Friday, September 3 to Thursday, September 9, 2010 excluding Sunday. This means you can vote on Labor Day! The polls will be open from 10 AM – 8 PM.

Early voting has increased participation in other states. You can find a more convenient time to cast your ballot. With several days to choose from, you needn’t worry about last minute problems, Metro delays, or sickness. You can easily make voting fit your schedule.

The Maryland State Board of Elections conditionally approved five (5) Early Voting Centers for the 2010 Gubernatorial Elections:

In Rockville:

• Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center, 14625 Bauer Drive, Rockville 20853
• Montgomery County Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville 20850

Other Montgomery County locations:

• Germantown Recreation Center, 18905 Kingsview Road, Germantown 20874
• Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center, 14906 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville 20866
• Silver Spring Civic Building, 8525 Fenton Street, Silver Spring 20910

On Primary Election Day, Tuesday, September 14th, voting precincts will be open from 7 AM – 8 PM. Check your sample Primary Election ballot for your location to vote or enter your information in the locator. If you don’t take advantage of the Early Voting, remember that lines can form during peak hours immediately before work (7-9 AM), during the lunch hour (11 AM – 2 PM), and immediately following work (5-7 PM).

Early voting will also be available for the General Election from Friday, October 22, through Thursday, October 28, 2010 during the hours of 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM. Polls will be closed on Sunday. The Gubernatorial General Election Day is Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM.

If you make up your mind early, you can vote early. No excuses!

For further information on the voting process, call 240-777-VOTE.

Registering To Vote And A County Council Candidate Forum

Click to enlarge

As summer is ending, the primaries are heating up. Rockville Central ran a four-part video series from the forum held in the Casey Barn, but if you want to attend a discussion in person, here’s the details for the next event in Rockville featuring Montgomery County Council At-Large candidates:

Monday, August 23, 2010
7 to 9 PM
Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center
51 Mannakee Street, Rockville Campus
Parking in Lots 10 and 13

The Republican candidates are uncontested for the Primary race, so they are not included in the evenings proceedings.

The Forum is sponsored by:

• Montgomery College Alumni Association
• Montgomery County Civic Federation
• League of Women Voters of Montgomery County
• Organization of Chinese Americans, Greater DC Chapter

Moderated by Lon Anderson of AAA Mid-Atlantic & MC Alumni and Foundation Boards, the forum will also be televised live on Montgomery College TV Channel 10.

Some important Primary Dates:

The Primary Election is on Tuesday, September 14, 2010.
You must be registered to vote by Tuesday, August 24th.
If you want to change political parties, you must also do so by Tuesday, August 24th. (This is a change, it used to be 12 weeks so you still can!)

Details for registering and changing party affiliations can be found on the Montgomery County Board of Elections website.

The League of Women Voter ’s has a tremendously detailed Election Primer to answer all your questions.

District 17 Senate Primary Debate Video From TBD.com

On Wednesday, the two Democratic candidates for the District 17 Senate seat squared off for a brief televised debate on TBD.com’s NewsTalk with Brian DePuyt.

Incumbent Senator Jennie Forehand and challenger former delegate Cheryl Kagan answered a handful of well-placed questions. Their exchange, it is fair to say, was at times a little heated.

Thanks to our friends at TBD.com, we have the full video:

On August 31, the District 17 Democratic Club is sponsporing another Forehand-Kagan debate:

What: Candidates’ Forum with the Two Democratic Candidates for Maryland Legislative District 17, Senator Jennie Forehand and Cheryl Kagan

When: Tuesday, August 31. Doors open 7 pm, program starts promptly at 7:30 pm.

Where: Rockville Library, First Floor Meeting Room. The library is on the Town Square in downtown Rockville (21 Maryland Avenue). The event is free and open to the public.

Rockville Central plans to be there to cover the event.