Showing posts with label rona kramer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rona kramer. Show all posts
Monday, October 18, 2010
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Karen Montgomery Declares Victory
The Board of Elections has released its official primary results that show Karen Montgomery defeating District 14 Senator Rona Kramer by a 4,973 to 4,857 vote tally. Montgomery sent the following email to her supporters claiming victory.
VICTORY!
Dear [Voter],
To all the wonderful people who have helped in my campaign for Senate in District 14: THANK YOU!!!!
What you did:
Organized neighborhood coffees
Stuffed and stamped envelopes
Made phone calls
Provided cookies, brownies and other food
Walked door-to-door, when it was hot and you were exhausted
Delivered signs and election material
Donated money
Created mailers
Greeted people at grocery stores
Made videos
Facilitated discussions
Joined with me in parades
And voted for me!
My grateful thanks.
I am overwhelmed by your kindness, capability, willingness to volunteer your work, skills and time, and most of all, your faith in me to work as hard as I possibly can for our community and state.
With my utmost gratitude,
Karen
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Absentee Ballot Counts
One of our informants forwarded the following absentee ballot counts by legislative district. These counts have implications for a number of close races.
Democratic Absentee Ballots, as of 10am this morning...
D14: 636 requested -- 320 returned so far
D15: 692 requested -- 312 returned so far
D16: 1735 requested -- 868 returned so far
D17: 814 requested -- 461 returned so far
D18: 1266 requested -- 599 returned so far
D19: 925 requested -- 528 returned so far
D20: 731 requested -- 297 returned so far
D39: 430 requested -- 208 returned so far
The spy notes, "If the absentees returned don't increase dramatically, Rona Kramer would have to take 60% of them, Kyle Lierman would need 65% and Cheryl Kagan would need 80%."
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Montgomery Responds to Kramer's Negative Mail
District 14 Senate challenger Karen Montgomery has sent the following email to supporters in response to Senator Rona Kramer's mail about her failure to attend the 2006 and 2007 special sessions. The email contains a video from a supporter as a response to the negative mail. There's just one problem: neither the email nor the video responds in any way to the absence issue cited in Kramer's mail. Here is Montgomery's email, which was sent out on Tuesday.
#####
Dear [Voter],
The Karen Montgomery for Senate campaign has focused on issues from day 1. We have chosen not to embark on Karl Rove-style politics. This campaign has discussed voting records and policy. The past week has shown that our opponent is not committed to the same standards. Many of you have called us, outraged and disgusted, and said "How are you going to respond?"
The best response has come from you: the District 14 voters, our supporters and our friends. We have made a series of videos that let Karen's constituents tell their stories about how she has served them and our community as a whole. The first video is below:
We will be sending you more videos over the coming week. If you want to help Karen win, take a look at these videos, forward them to your friends, and post them on your websites and your Facebook pages. And if you'd like to get more involved in the last week of the campaign, please call us now at 301-792-6357 or email citizen(at)citizenkepler.com.
We will be working hard in other ways to get the message out, but your stories are the heart of this campaign. It would be great if each of you would forward these stories to as many people as possible. Finally, please remember to vote and have everyone in your family vote on Sept. 14.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Rona Rips Karen
We predicted this. Perhaps Senator Rona Kramer (D-14) was getting jealous of all the attention that Senators Mike Lenett and Nancy King, and challengers Roger Manno and Saqib Ali, are receiving?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Primaries to Watch V, Part Two
By Marc Korman and Adam Pagnucco.
Here are races Eight and Seven!
8. District 14 Delegate Open Seat
Previous Rank: #8
Marc
Incumbent Anne Kaiser and 2002 candidate Craig Zucker are widely considered locks for two of the three Delegate seats. Zucker should probably be sweating a little just because of the uncertainty created by two open seats.
For the third seat, the crystal ball is a little cloudy. Eric Luedtke continues to chug along with door knocking and many solid endorsements. I have heard anecdotally that Jodi Finkelstein is impressing lots of people, including the Washington Post of course. Bo Newsome’s campaign had a late and real slow start, but benefits from being on the slate of incumbents plus Zucker.
It is hard to say with any certainty who breaks through here. I give the edge to Luedtke who started early when he was planning a State Senate run and is hitting so many doors, but I am probably biased.
Full disclosure, I donated to Kaiser, Luedtke, and Zucker. Neeta Datt’s son and I attended high school together. I have volunteered for Luedtke and Kaiser.
Adam
Kaiser is definitely a lock. Zucker has been a smart pick for nearly a year. Of the remaining candidates, Luedtke has the best combination of money (although not much), endorsements, door-knocking and mail. Bo Newsome may be technically on a slate with Rona Kramer, Kaiser and Zucker, but they are effectively letting him sink or swim on his own. The other candidates’ financial performances are truly woeful. One candidate whose fundraising record is unknown is Vanessa Ali, who never sent in her August 10 report and has racked up $150 in late fees.
7. District 14 State Senate Challenge
Previous Rank: #5
Marc
From where I am sitting, which is far, far away from District 14, Delegate Karen Montgomery is not picking up the momentum she needs to topple Rona Kramer despite a steady stream of door knocking. The incumbent State Senator is taking Montgomery seriously, has formed a full slate, and has the full-throated support of Ike Leggett and others as a result. To win, the challenger will need to rapidly amp up her campaign to try and demonstrate why Kramer is out of touch with primary voters.
Adam
Both candidates are working hard at crunch time. Both are mailing, both are knocking and both have allies. The unions have stepped up to help Montgomery with the first of what could be multiple independent mailers, but Kramer can always write checks to herself to counter them.
Kramer is holding an ace that has not yet been seen. It is widely known that Montgomery was in China during the critical 2007 special session and missed votes on tax hikes, slots and the budget. But it appears that she missed the 2006 special session too. She was recorded as having an “excused absence” on the only two bills to make it to the House floor during that session: a bill to crack down on sex offenders and a bill to limit increases in electricity rates. Given the recent problems with Pepco, that latter missed vote could make for a damaging mailer.
Our informants are split down the middle on this contest and many are calling it a toss-up. But when the incumbent holds the money advantage, these kinds of races usually go in their favor.
More tomorrow!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
First Independent Expenditure in District 14
The mailer below was produced by Progressive Maryland, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters and SEIU Local 500. It promotes Senate candidate Karen Montgomery, Delegate Anne Kaiser and Delegate candidates Craig Zucker and Eric Luedtke. It also goes after Rona Kramer. Interestingly, the groups refer to Kaiser and Zucker as a part of their "progressive team" despite their membership on a slate with Kramer.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Labor Steps Up for Karen Montgomery
District 14 Senate challenger Karen Montgomery had a decent showing in her campaign finance report for the period ending August 10. She started with $58,224.09, raised $45,442.27 and finished with $ 78,317.72. This will not equal Senator Rona Kramer’s self-funding capability, but it will be enough to compete.
Labor PACs gave Montgomery $19,100, nearly half her contributions, and SEIU PACs gave her $13,000. One or more of the unions may lend Montgomery some ground support and even finance an independent expenditure criticizing Kramer. One more fact worth noting is that Montgomery received $1,000 from Delegate Susan Lee (D-16) despite the fact that Lee is engaged in a free-for-all House race in her district.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Primaries to Watch IV, Part Three
By Marc Korman and Adam Pagnucco.
Here are races Six and Five!
6. District 16 Open Seat
Previous Rank: #7
Marc
Chaos is the order of the day in District 16. There are thirteen candidates vying for three Delegate seats. Perhaps that should not be a surprise since eleven ran for one seat in 2007 when Delegate Frick was appointed. It is an odd race. One of the incumbents has never run before, one of the challengers has run five times, and the district has little to drive turnout at the top of the ticket.
Obama campaign staffer Kyle Lierman, business owner and Montgomery County Young Democrats President Scott Goldberg, and former NARAL Executive Director Ariana Kelly have been the most active thus far. But Mark Winston is coming out strong with Ike Leggett’s endorsement and Hrant Jamgochian has been carpet bombing the district with signs and campaign frisbees.
Bill Frick and Susan Lee have been canvassing with teammate Brian Frosh and few have anything bad to say about them. Frosh has really stepped up for Frick and Lee, spending lots of time door knocking despite not having a primary and being the heavy favorite in November. Most people think the real fight is for the third Delegate slot. With a race this crowded with a low turnout, it could be anyone’s for the taking.
A fun little note is that one of the three Republicans waiting in the general will be Prince Arora, who ran as a Democrat for the appointment in 2007.
Full disclosure, I am a member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee from District 16 and have supported Bill Frick.
Adam
There are too many candidates in this race. Most of them will get lost in the shuffle and District 16 residents will learn to get very acquainted with throwing out mailers. This greatly helps incumbents Susan Lee and Bill Frick, who should win solidly by racking up institutional support and cash and running with Senator Brian Frosh.
So for the challengers, how do you stand out? There are usually two ways to do so: endorsements and money. Ariana Kelly is the early endorsement leader, collecting support from MCEA, NARAL, NOW and SEIU. There could be more to come. Kyle Lierman will rely on his famous last name and his Obama connections to raise great heaping gobs of cash. Kelly is the only female Democratic candidate other than Lee and Lierman’s campaign experience is unparalleled. All of these factors make these two stand out.
The others are all white males who will probably wind up agreeing on most issues. As the deluge of literature begins to swamp mailboxes, voters will have a hard time telling them apart. These candidates must figure out a way to break out from the pack. Could it be Mark Winston, who was endorsed by Ike Leggett? Could it be Young Dems leader Scott Goldberg? Could it be someone else? Or will this be a Kelly-Lierman race? It’s too early to tell.
5. District 14 State Senate Challenge
Previous Rank: #5
Marc
Karen Montgomery is knocking on doors and talking about progressive issues. Rona Kramer has slated up with incumbent Delegate Anne Kaiser, and Delegate candidates Craig Zucker and Bo Newsome and is talking about Montgomery missing the 2007 Special Session. Absenteeism is an old, effective campaign favorite and Kramer will make a big deal out of it. Both candidates are out working but given Kramer’s money this is a real uphill climb for Montgomery. Progressives are happy to have a champion talking about issues such as the death penalty, but it may not be enough against the entrenched Kramer.
Adam
Jamie Raskin toppled Ida Ruben in 2006 in part by tapping into a wave of progressive activism in Silver Spring and Takoma Park. One of the questions in this cycle has been where those progressives would wind up. A school of thought held that many of them would head up US-29, New Hampshire Avenue and Georgia Avenue to help a credible liberal defeat Rona Kramer. So where are they?
This race is behaving rather predictably so far. Montgomery is racking up endorsements from unions and environmentalists. Kramer has assembled a slate for self-defense and will soon be spending lots of money on mail. If Montgomery’s endorsements are accompanied by real live boots on the ground, she has a chance. Otherwise, Kramer is going to win.
More tomorrow!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Equality MD Endorsements and Some Surprises
Equality Maryland released their early endorsements today. A complete list and some highlights below the fold.
In District 18, EM has endorsed four candidates for delegate: incumbents Al Carr, Ana Sol Gutierrez, and Jeff Waldstreicher as well as challenger and EM Board Member Dana Bayer. Next, in District 39, EM endorsed incumbent Sen. Nancy King over her challenger, Del. Saqib Ali.
In both the delegate race in District 18 and the senate contest in District 39, the challengers have attempted to position themselves as stronger on LGBT rights and EM's endorsement of the incumbents undercuts this theme. In any case, it's a positive sign that candidates now position themselves as more liberal on this; times have changed.
Meanwhile, in District 19, EM has not yet endorsed Bonnie Cullison--an openly lesbian candidate for the House of Delegates--though it did endorse incumbent Ben Kramer. For now, EM is staying out of the hot Senate race in that district.
On the other hand, Del. Karen Montgomery scored a coup with EM's endorsement of her challenge to incumbent Sen. Rona Kramer, also perceived as strong on equality. The complete list follows:
State Senate
Delores Kelley D-10
Bobby Zirkin D-11
Edward Kasemeyer D-12
Karen Montgomery D-14
Rich Madaleno D-18
Jamie Raskin D-20
Paul Pinsky D-22
Nancy King D-39
Catherine Pugh D-40
Nathaniel McFadden D-45
House of Delegates
D-3A Galen Clagett
D-10 Adrienne Jones
D-12B Elizabeth Bobo
D-13 Frank Turner
D-14 Anne Kaiser
D-15 Brian Feldman
D-16 Bill Frick
D-16 Susan Lee
D-17 Kumar Barve
D-17 Luiz Simmons
D-17 Jim Gilchrist
D-18 Dana Beyer
D-18 Al Carr
D-18 Ana Sol Gutierrez
D-18 Jeff Waldstreicher
D-19 Benjamin Kramer
D-20 Tom Hucker
D-20 Heather Mizeur
D-21 Ben Barnes
D-21 Barbara Frush
D-21 Joseline Pena-Melnyk
D-22 Justin Ross
D-23 James Hubbard
D-26 Kris Valderrama
D-30 Virginia Clagett
D-30 Judd Legum
D-34 A B. Daniel Riley
D-39 Charles Barkley
D-39 Kirill Reznik
D-40 Barbara Robinson
D-40 Shawn Tarrant
D-41 Samuel Rosenberg
D-42 Stephen Lafferty
D-43 Maggie McIntosh
D-43 Curt Anderson
D-43 Mary Washington
D-46 Brian McHale
D-46 Luke Clippinger
D-47 Jolene Ivey
D-47 Doyle Niemann
Monday, May 17, 2010
Kramer, Kaiser and Zucker Form Slate in District 14
Senator Rona Kramer, Delegate Anne Kaiser and Delegate candidate Craig Zucker have announced that they are running as a team in District 14. Kramer faces a challenge by Delegate Karen Montgomery. The remaining Delegate seat being vacated by Herman Taylor has attracted MCEA Board Member Eric Luedtke and possibly more candidates who have yet to announce. County Executive Ike Leggett, who lives in District 14, has endorsed the slate.
Following is the slate's press release.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 17, 2010
State Senator Rona Kramer, Delegate Anne Kaiser and Candidate Craig Zucker Form District 14 Leadership Team
Slate Receives Endorsement of Montgomery County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett
(Olney, MD) -- Today, State Senator Rona Kramer (Democrat-Olney), Delegate Anne Kaiser (Democrat-Burtonsville) and candidate Craig Zucker (Democrat-Brookeville) announced the formation of a District 14 legislative slate called the District 14 Leadership Team.
“We are looking forward to working as a team to make sure District 14 gets the resources and representation it needs and deserves,” said the candidates in a joint statement.
Each member of the Leadership Team has pledged to protect working families, businesses, and community priorities throughout the district. Senator Kramer and Delegate Kaiser provide strong leadership in Annapolis with their positions on two powerful committees. Senator Kramer serves on the powerful Budget and Taxation Committee and Delegate Kaiser on the House Ways and Means Committee. Zucker also brings a wealth of experience to the team as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Maryland Comptroller.
“I am proud to support this group of outstanding individuals. The District 14 Leadership Team has the talent, experience, and vision that we need during these difficult economic times. They will provide strong leadership for the people of District 14,” said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett.
“Our communities will benefit by having Rona Kramer, Anne Kaiser and Craig Zucker representing District 14 in Annapolis,” said Joy Turner, Sandy Spring activist.
Maryland’s 14th legislative District is comprised of the communities of: Ashton, Brinklow, Brookeville, Burtonsville, Calverton, Cloverly, Colesville, Damascus, Fairland, Goshen, Laytonsville, Montgomery Village, Olney, Sandy Spring, Silver Spring, Spencerville and Sunshine.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:
Senator Rona Kramer
Rona Kramer has been in the Maryland Senate since 2003. She serves on the Budget and Taxation Committee, (capital budget subcommittee; past chair and current member pensions subcommittee; public safety, transportation & environment subcommittee), Joint Audit Committee, Executive Nominations Committee, Spending Affordability Committee.
She has been successful in the passage of many bills to protect senior citizens throughout Maryland, as well as, environmental protections, individual rights, and support for those with developmental disabilities.
Raised in Montgomery County, she attended Kennedy High School; University of Maryland, College Park, B.A., 1976; University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D., 1979.
Growing up in a family committed to public service, Senator Kramer has been a dedicated community activist her entire adult life, with the following as some of the organizations in which she has been and is still, involved: President, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce; President, Shopping Center Management Association; Chair, Montgomery County Police and Fire/Rescue Awards Program; Board of Trustees, Montgomery College of Art and Design; Board of Trustees, Graffiti Abatement Partnership; Board of Trustees, Montgomery County Friends of the Library; Precinct chair and area coordinator, Montgomery County Democratic Party; and the Wheaton Revitalization Strategy Committee.
Website: www.ronakramer.com
Delegate Anne Kaiser
Anne Kaiser, 42, is proud to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing the 14th Legislative District.
A lifelong county resident, Anne graduated from Rockville High School, earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Chicago and two Masters Degrees from the University of Michigan.
During eight years in the legislature, Kaiser has been the prime sponsor of 32 bills that are now law, primarily dealing with education policy and tax policy.
Kaiser, a member of the Ways & Means Committee, serves as chair of the Education Subcommittee. In that role, Kaiser led the debate on major legislative initiatives for the Governor, the Speaker of the House and our school teachers. Additionally, Anne has other leadership responsibilities including chair of the County Affairs Committee for the Montgomery County Delegation and the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families. She also serves as a chief deputy whip.
Anne has been active in the community for 20 years, holding leadership positions as Chair of the Mid-County Citizens’ Advisory Board, Co-Coordinator of the Montgomery County Women's Fair and as an elected member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee. She is a lifetime member of Tikvat Israel Congregation in Rockville.
Website: www.annekaiser.com
Craig Zucker
Craig Zucker, 35, is proud to be an independent minded Democratic candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in the 14th Legislative District.
Craig has spent more than 15 years in public service. He currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff to Maryland State Comptroller Peter Franchot. Prior to joining the Comptroller’s Office, Craig was Director of Maryland Home Care for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). While there, he helped to improve the lives of the more than 5,000 home health care workers throughout Maryland by securing their first wage increase since 1986.
He has been involved in many community and political organizations including the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, the Olney Theatre Center, Project Change (Olney) and the Board of Governors for the Chelsea School. Craig also served on the Mid-County Recreation Advisory Board and as a member of the Carl M. Freeman F.A.C.E.S. Advisory Board. Craig currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Manna Food Center.
Craig earned his undergraduate Degree from St. Thomas Aquinas College and his Masters Degree in Government from the Johns Hopkins University. He lives in Brookeville with his wife Jenny, and his son Benjamin.
Website: www.craigzucker.com
By Auth: Friends of Rona Kramer, Douglas E. Metz, Treasurer
By Auth: Kaiser for Delegate, Alison Praisner Klumpp Chair; Marian Kaiser, Treasurer
By Auth: Friends of Craig Zucker, Warren Fleming Chair; Jennifer Zucker, Treasurer
Friday, May 14, 2010
Senate Fireworks Fizzle
Tuesday night's meeting of the Greater Olney Civic Association (GOCA) promised some real action as several members of the District 14 and District 19 delegations were scheduled to make presentations to the audience. That's right - the event actually called for Senator Mike Lenett and Delegate Roger Manno, along with Senator Rona Kramer and Delegate Karen Montgomery, to be civil to each other. But each of these pairs is running against each other for Senate. So what happened? One of our seemingly infinite legion of spies submitted the following secret dispatch that is only available to MPW readers.
#####
If you were looking for fireworks at the Greater Olney Civic Association (GOCA) on Tuesday night, you were sorely disappointed.
With the scheduled legislative wrap-up from representatives from both districts representing the the Greater Olney area -- District 14 and District 19 -- there was an opportunity to see the clashing State Senate races up close.
At the beginning of the meeting, those legislators in attendance included Senator Kramer, Delegates Kaiser and Montgomery, and an aide for Senator Lenett. In the candidate column, there was Craig Zucker and Eric Luedtke, neither of whom stayed the entire evening. Also in attendance was a friend of District 19 delegate candidate, Sam Arora.
When asked by the GOCA president who would go first, Kaiser chimed in "Senator?" while looking directly at her choice for State Senate, Rona Kramer. This prompted some laughter.
But if you were hoping for some fighting words, the two ladies, I underscore ladies, disappointed. Hopefully this foreshadows an above board battle throughout the summer.
Kramer, setting the stage for one of her key battlelines with Montgomery, talked about the budget and hanging tough as a county. This certainly foreshadows her discussion of the special session that Montgomery was absent for. She also "stole" two of Montgomery's issues by talking about: 1) developmental disabilities and her own success with the income tax checkoff for developmental disabilities; and 2) the environment by talking about another success regarding reducing the harmful effects of road salt following a snowstorm.
Kaiser, sporting a black eye from a celebrity basketball game, mentioned the tough budget and how the state's priorities of education and the environment were mostly protected. She talked about 2 key education bills that she worked on during the session, including the Governor's key priority - the Education Reform Act and the Speaker's education priority, the Safe Schools Act. She ran out of time and was unable to tout her successful bills. She did share that a local bill regarding wine tastings at farmer's markets had passed. With a successful farmer's market in the area, the group seemed pleased by this.
Montgomery, focused on issues dealt with by her committee, the Health and Government Operations Committee. She also focused on her constituent service. She talked about those who must foreclose on their home because of hospital bills and described a situation of calling the German embassy and Deutsche Bank regarding a specific constituent. Montgomery also talked about pharmaceutical sales.
Teresa Healey-Conway, aide to Sen. Lenett, spoke as briefly as someone should who's not the actual legislator. What she did not do was explain why the Senator was absent. She mentioned three issues that the Senator worked on: voting rights for those under guardianship; giving notice to tenants regarding foreclosure; and the safe schools act mentioned by Kaiser. While she was brief and spoke well, this author wonders why she and the Senator believed that the guardianship issue was a top 3 issue to tout at a civic meeting.
One person asked a softball question of Sen. Kramer regarding taxes. Kaiser also chimed in with a discussion of the gas tax and alcohol tax.
Another in attendance described an awful situation regarding long-term care insurance.
Then another in attendance asked about cuts to the budget. Montgomery for some reason focused her entire answer on nursing homes. This author has no idea if Montgomery actually heard the question or just wanted to talk about nursing homes. Kaiser then briefly mentioned the $5.6B in cuts in the last 4 years.
Kramer and Manno then walked in from another obligation.
Ben Kramer screams when he talks. Several in attendance, mentioned after the meeting that they just tuned him out. He talked about protecting seniors from con artists, reverse mortgages, insurance brokers and road salt management. That's all I've got because it's hard to listen to a screamer.
Roger Manno seemingly had no idea that real people were in the room. One of the first sentences out of his mouth was "deleverage the state's pension obligations to the county." He said how his controversial bill on the subject sparked a debate in Annapolis. From what I hear, he had no impact on the pension debate in Annapolis. He talked about a prior success of his regarding genetic non-discrimination and a current bill regarding shifts breaks. His Annapolis speak included the phrases "sine die" and "RGGI portfolio." Really? He did end well with a plug for doing constituent services and working with others.
Question time again - and this was fun. GOCA President Matt Zaborsky said that there was only 10 minutes left for questions. So, a civic activist asked Ben Kramer about the ignition interlock issue and why Chair Vallario doesn't support such legislation. Kramer took 12, count 'em, 12 minutes to answer the question. Unbelievable. No respect for the audience or the other electeds in the room.
At the end of the meeting, a transportation activist asked about the 28-97 road issue. Roger Manno provided some good feedback and agreed with him. The gentleman interrupted to reiterate his point, whereby Manno said "You had me at hello." The whole room erupted in laughter. Except, of course, for Teresa Healey-Conway.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Senate 14 Voting Records: Kramer vs. Montgomery
Senator Rona Kramer and Delegate Karen Montgomery were each first elected in 2002, when District 14 was essentially re-invented through redistricting. Montgomery is now challenging Kramer for her Senate seat. Here is how Progressive Maryland, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters and Equality Maryland have scored both candidates over the last term.
Progressive Maryland
Scores
Kramer: 65% in 2007, 46% in 2008, 52% in 2009
Montgomery: 95% in 2007, 95% in 2008, 95% in 2009
Votes
Kramer: 6-1 in 2007, 4-2 in 2008, 5-3 in 2009
Montgomery: 7-0 in 2007, 5-0 in 2008, 5-0 in 2009
Reasons for Scoring Against
Kramer: Voted against campaign finance reform in 2007, progressive income tax and flexible leave in 2008, campaign finance reform, apprenticeship opportunity, False Claims Act in 2009
Montgomery: None
Maryland League of Conservation Voters
Scores
Kramer: 67% in 2007, 70% in 2008, 50% in 2009
Montgomery: 100% in 2007, 90% in 2008, 100% in 2009
Votes
Kramer: 6-5 in 2007, 7-3 in 2008, 4-4 in 2009
Montgomery: 8-0 in 2007, 9-1 in 2008, 7-0 in 2009
Reasons for Scoring Against
Kramer: Voted against coastal bays dredging regulation in 2007, voted for amendment to weaken energy standards in 2007, voted to weaken Global Warming Solutions Act and Critical Areas Act Reform in 2008, voted to exempt utilities from forest preservation in 2009, voted against stormwater fees in 2009, voted against requiring nitrogen removing technology in new septic systems in 2009
Montgomery: Voted to delay a ban on phosphorous discharges into the Bay in 2008
Equality Maryland
Scores
Kramer: 100% in 2008, 75% in 2009
Montgomery: 100% in 2008, 100% in 2009
Votes/Co-sponsorships
Kramer: 3-0 in 2008, 3-1 in 2009
Montgomery: 3-0 in 2008, 5-0 in 2009
Reasons for Scoring Against
Kramer: Did not co-sponsor anti-transgender discrimination in 2009
Montgomery: None
Average, All Groups
Score
Kramer: 65.6%
Montgomery: 96.9%
Votes/Co-sponsorships
Kramer: 38-19
Montgomery: 49-1
Our Take:
There are VERY significant differences in this race on labor and environmental records. Montgomery is a reliable vote for labor and environmentalists whereas Kramer often strays. Additionally, Kramer has a reputation for trying to weaken progressive bills before ultimately voting for some of them. Maryland LCV lowered Kramer’s score multiple times for voting for amendments designed to weaken pro-environmental legislation.
But Kramer is holding an ace on voting record: Montgomery skipped the entire 2007 special session to go to China. The special session was the seminal event of the entire term since it dealt with slots, budget adjustments and a very large tax package. Kramer will argue that a person who misses votes as important as those does not deserve to be in the Senate. We do not see how Montgomery will be able to effectively respond other than by changing the subject.
There is reason to question whether a hard-left message will sell in District 14. The district has three population centers: Burtonsville, which has large numbers of African-Americans and other people of color; Olney, a heavily white area that is politically moderate; and Damascus, which may be the most conservative locality in the entire county. The district voted for the slots amendment and the Ficker Amendment in the 2008 general election, but those voters are not the same group that will show up in a low-turnout Democratic primary. Karen Montgomery’s supporters should find out what issues are truly on the minds of District 14 voters and tailor their message accordingly rather than assume that labor and environmental issues will automatically carry the day against a rich and tough incumbent like Rona Kramer.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Senate Races on the Issues
In a recent post, Marc Korman noted that prior to this year, the last time a sitting MoCo Delegate challenged a Senator was in 1994, when then-Delegate Chris Van Hollen defeated Senator Patricia Sher in the District 18 Democratic primary. Now, no fewer than three Delegates are taking on their Senators: Karen Montgomery vs. Rona Kramer in District 14, Saqib Ali vs. Nancy King in District 39 and Roger Manno vs. Mike Lenett in District 19. This is great for issue-oriented voters since all of these candidates have served in the General Assembly over the last term. Normally, challengers make claims and incumbents recite their records. But in each of these races, both candidates have voting records that are subject to scrutiny.
MPW’s Research Department has taken advantage of this opportunity on behalf of our readers in these three districts. We have examined the records of all six candidates from the perspective of three progressive advocacy groups that release regular legislative scorecards: Progressive Maryland, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Equality Maryland. Progressive Maryland is an umbrella group representing a variety of labor and civil rights organizations. Their 2007, 2008 and 2009 scorecards track votes on labor and campaign finance bills. Maryland LCV is an environmental advocacy group whose 2007, 2008 and 2009 scorecards track votes on environmental bills. Equality Maryland is a civil rights group whose 2008 and 2009 scorecards track co-sponsorship and votes on LGBT rights bills. Between these three groups’ rankings, a good chunk of issues important to Democratic primary voters – especially liberals – can be evaluated.
The groups typically use two measures of voting behavior: scores and vote tallies. Scores, expressed as percentages, are mostly based on votes but differ a bit because Progressive Maryland and Equality Maryland weight some votes heavier than others. Progressive Maryland also uses a “leadership score,” which is a subjective measure assessing the non-voting behavior of legislators, that accounts for twenty of their 100 score points. Equality Maryland uses co-sponsorship of particularly important bills, like those allowing gay marriage, in addition to votes. The organizations also occasionally use committee votes in addition to floor votes. We will report both scores and votes and let the readers decide which is more important, though the two track each other pretty closely.
And so over the next three days, we will assess how the actual records of the candidates in the District 14, 19 and 39 Senate races stack up. There will be no running, no hiding and no propaganda from the candidates – just their real-live votes. Voters rejoice and politicians beware!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
