Tuesday, February 17, 2009

District 4 Tidbits (Updated)

Here's a few bits for all you D4 junkies!

1. Cary Lamari vs. the Post
Lamari is challenging his exclusion from the Post's election coverage with this comment on Maryland Moment:

I would like to thank the Post for covering the Special Election, however just in case you didn't get my emails, I plan on running for the District 4 County Council Seat, I worked with Marilyn for 17 years as a Civic Activist and then worked to get Don Praisner elected last year. I will strive to promote the ideals and values both Marilyn and Don stood for. Please visit my wesite at: www.carylamari.net.
Lamari is a former President of the Montgomery County Civic Federation, a position of considerable importance in the county. The Post's decision not to mention him after the coverage of this blog - and more importantly, its decision not to correct its article - is an arrogant disservice to Montgomery County voters.

2. Crenca Endores Lamari
Former County Council Member Rose Crenca, who served three terms from 1978-1990, has released a statement supporting Lamari.

3. Ben Kramer's Website
Kramer's website is online. Its current banner says "Democrat for House of Delegates," but it mentions the April 21 primary date. His staff needs to take care of this.

4. Kramer Hires Eric Hensal
Speaking of staff... Eric Hensal, Don Praisner's campaign manager in 2008, has joined the Kramer campaign. Hensal is a political consultant who was once employed by the Painters Union and has represented the Washington DC Building Trades Council and the American Federation of Teachers.

Hensal has made some unusual choices for someone with a labor background. This election will mark the second time in a row he has opposed labor's favored candidate, Nancy Navarro. Hensal's last candidate, Mr. Praisner, voted with Phil Andrews against the county's prevailing wage law. Hensal also served as a consultant to Council Member Duchy Trachtenberg in her effort to obtain concessions from the public employee unions. These facts are attracting attention inside the county's labor movement.

5. Brenneman Advocating for Kramer
We hear that Fran Brenneman, a former Board of Education member who served as Ike Leggett's campaign manager, has been calling some influential people inside District 4 urging support for Ben Kramer. That raises some interesting questions about Leggett.

Back in 1998, Brenneman ran for an at-large County Council seat in the same election as Ben Kramer. The Gazette described the two as members of the "pro-growth camp." In 2006, Ben Kramer's father, former County Executive Sid Kramer, supported Ike Leggett and was named his honorary transition co-chair. This points to a mutually cooperative history between Leggett, Brenneman and the Kramers.

The problem for Leggett is that he ran on a slow-growth platform against Steve Silverman last time. Ben Kramer and his family are commercial property owners and are not known to favor growth restrictions. If Leggett endorses Kramer, he will risk losing some of the civic base that worked hard for him in 2006.

Something to keep an eye on, folks!

Update: We hear that Ike Leggett's campaign treasurer, Larry Rosenblum, is also supporting Ben Kramer.