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

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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.

District 17 Senate Candidates Debate Wednesday

The campaign for state senate in District 17 is one of the most-watched races in this election cycle.

Senator Jennie Forehand is being challenged  by former state delegate Cheryl Kagan for the democratic nomination. The primary is September 14. (The winner of that matchup will face Adol Theo Owen-Williams II, the republican challenger.)

We’re delighted to announce, as a member of the TBD.com community, that on tomorrow’s 10am edition of  ”News Talk” hosted by Bruce Depuyt, Forehand and Kagan will square off for a televised debate.

You can watch the debate live at 10am, or taped at 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm, or 9:30 pm. Tune in on TBD.com, or on News Channel 8.

Montgomery County Council Candidates On the Issues at Casey Barn: Agriculture Reserve; Furloughs

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On Sunday, all at-large candidates for Montgomery County Council met at Casey Barn for a debate sponsored by the District 17 , 39, and Asbury Park Democratic Clubs. Rockville Central was there to capture their answers.

This is the last in a four-part series.

Should the Agricultural Reserve be protected from homebuilding? (Answered by Raj Narayanan, Duchy Trachtenberg, Jane de Winter, Nancy Floreen)

. . . . . . . . . .

Montgomery County Council Candidates On the Issues at Casey Barn: Water and Sewer; the ICC

Moderator Elliot Chabot

On Sunday, all at-large candidates for Montgomery County Council met at Casey Barn for a debate sponsored by the District 17 , 39, and Asbury Park Democratic Clubs. Rockville Central was there to capture their answers.

This is the third in a four-part series.

How can we elevate the priority of replacing defective water and sewer mains? (Answered by Nancy Floreen, Raj Narayanan, Duchy Trachtenberg, Jane de Winter,)

. . . . . . . . . .

Do you support the Intercounty Connector (ICC)? (Answered by Fred Evans, Hans Riemer, Marc Elrich, George Leventhal, Becky Wagner)

Montgomery County Council Candidates On the Issues at Casey Barn: Ambulance Fees, Libraries

On Sunday, all at-large candidates for Montgomery County Council met at Casey Barn for a debate sponsored by the District 17 , 39, and Asbury Park Democratic Clubs. Rockville Central was there to capture their answers. This is the second in a four-part series.

Do you support an ambulance fee? (Answered by Jane de Winter, Nancy Floreen, Raj Narayanan, Duchy Trachtenberg)

. . . . . . . . .

What should libraries be doing to serve people in need? (Answered by Becky Wagner, Fred Evans,Hans Riemer, Marc Elrich, George Leventhal)

Montgomery County Council Candidates On the Issues at Casey Barn: Park Police, Science City

On Sunday, all at-large candidates for Montgomery County Council met at Casey Barn for a debate sponsored by the District 17 , 39, and Asbury Park Democratic Clubs. Rockville Central was there to capture their answers. The format had the candidates split into two groups, just to keep things manageable.

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After the typical introductory remarks” segment, the moderator asked a series of eight questions. Each question was answered by all candidates in one panel — so each candidate answered four questions.

The first two questions were:

• Do you support merging the Park Police with the Police Department?
• Do you support the ‘Science City’ project?

Here are the answers to the first two questions:

Do you support merging the Park Police with the Police Department? (Answered by Duchy Trachtenberg, Jane de Winter, Nancy Floreen, Raj Narayanan)

. . . . .

Do you support the ‘Science City’ project? (Answered by George Leventhal, Becky Wagner, Fred Evans, Hans Riemer, Marc Elrich)

We will be posting video over the rest of the week, in three more installments. Stay tuned!

(Note that on the “Science City” answer, we had to cut video between Riemer’s and Elrich’s answers. Nothing of substance was removed; this was just because our finger slipped!)

Montgomery County Council Debate Sunday

There are two election campaigns this year that are contested and have a special bearing on Rockville, Our Fair City. They are both Democratic primaries and the election day is September 14.

One is the race between Sen. Jennie Forehand and former Del. Cheryl Kagan for the District 17 Senate seat.

Montgomery County seal

The other key race is for the four at-large seats on the Montgomery County Council. The four incumbents, Marc Elrich, Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal, and Duchy Trachtenberg are being challenged by Jane de Winter, Fred Evans, Raj Narayanan, Hans Riemer, and Becky Wagner.

That’s an awful lot of candidates!

You’ll have a chance to meet all of them this Sunday, August 8 at a debate sponsored jointly by the District 17, District 39, and Asbury Democratic Clubs. The candidate forum will be held just up the road at Casey Barn in Gaithersburg:

Sunday, August 8, 3:30 p.m.
Casey Community Center (Casey Barn)
810 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg.

The event is free and open to the public.

O’Malley Endorses Jennie Forehand in District 17 Senate Race

As many Rockville Central readers know, the race for the Democratic nomination for District 17′s state senate seat is one of the more high-profile campaigns in the state. Former state delegate Cheryl Kagan is running against sitting senator Jennie Forehand.

Yesterday, the Forehand campaign got a high-profile endorsement from Governor Martin O’Malley. Here is the Forehand press release:

Governor Martin O’Malley Endorses Senator Jennie Forehand

Citing her support of the high tech and biotechnology industries and her common sense approach to addressing the State’s fiscal issues, Governor Martin O’Malley enthusiastically announced today his endorsement of Senator Jennie Forehand in the District 17 Senate race.

“Given the current economic downturn, Jennie understands that we must combine fiscal responsibility with common sense while making every effort to maintain our excellent education system,” said Governor O’Malley. “Her legislation to develop the high tech and biotech industries has brought high paying jobs to Maryland and ensured that they stay here”.

“The Governor and I both share the priority to cut costs,” said Senator Forehand. “We worked together to push through my bill streamlining the state’s traffic courts.” This new law will dramatically reduce overtime costs for local police departments and put more officers back on the street. For Montgomery County police alone, this change will save $1 million in overtime costs.”

Senator Forehand has served four terms in the State Senate representing Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Garrett Park. She has been endorsed by the Montgomery County Teachers’ Association (the Apple ballot), the Montgomery County National Organization for Women (NOW), the AFL-CIO, the Montgomery County Public Schools Retirees’ Association, and the Maryland Democratic Women’s PAC.

She was recently named Senate Chair of Maryland’s Task Force on Nanobiotechnology. Year in and year out, Senator Forehand has initiated and sponsored significant legislation which has heightened the efficiency of State and local government, as well as improved the live of maryland citizens. She was the leader in creating a “smoke-free” Maryland and repealing the tax on computer services.

“I am happy to have the backing of the O’Malley administration and for their support of my public safety initiatives increasing penalties for human trafficking and my bills to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and identity theft,” state[d] Senator Forehand.

Mayor Elected To MML Board

>Ruth Hanessian has sent us some breaking news. At the Maryland Municipal League (MML) Annual Conference in Ocean City, Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio was elected as one of their ten board members, a very prestigious position.

Ruth added, “It reflects well on those of us in Rockville who elected her mayor.”

When pre-registration closed, 115 municipalities had registered. Almost 900 city, town, county and state officials, as well as corporate representatives, planned to attend. The Convention was held from June 27th to the 30th and included over 200 exhibit booths and a large display of public works vehicles. Governor Martin O’Malley spoke at the inaugural dinner for the new members on Tuesday. The workshop topics included special taxing districts, storm water management regulations, and improving economic health.

The Keynote speaker was Mark Levin who identified the benefits of pursuing an aggressive volunteer recruitment effort and what municipal officials can do to attract people as volunteers. He spoke about how to get the most from the volunteer community.

In Rockville, we are familiar with the MML because the organization sponsors the “If I Were Mayor, I Would” contest.

Congratulations to Mayor Marcuccio.