The fracas surrounding Del. Sam Arora continues. Sam, you may recall, is the delegate who was ardently for same-sex marriage before he was against it before he was for it before he, well, you get the idea. As the Gazette reported, two openly gay and lesbian legislators ripped Sam for his actions during the session.
Sen. Rich Madaleno:
"I think Sam Arora distinguished himself as someone not to be trusted, and I don't think he will have a long career in the House of Delegates," said Madaleno (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington, the Senate's only openly homosexual member." . . .Del. Anne Kaiser:
"When you co-sponsor a bill where the lead sponsor is the majority leader from your county who worked very hard to get you elected and you change your mind on the day of the vote, you damage, potentially fatally damage, your credibility," he said, referencing the bill's lead sponsor, House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve (D-Dist. 17) of Gaithersburg.
Going forward, that could impact Arora's ability to get things done for his district, Madaleno said.
"For me, I will always have a doubt when he makes a commitment on any issue whether or not I can trust that commitment," he said.
"I think it's definitely true that Sam hurt his reputation within the legislature and potentially within his district," she said, noting that her parents and other family members and friends supportive of the bill who live in Arora's district felt betrayed. "The sense was, ‘What is he going to back out on next?' His word was damaged."However, Del. Ben Kramer--Sam Arora's colleague in District 19--attacked Sen. Madaleno for his comments:
"I do think that Sen. Madaleno saying that in a public forum was inappropriate and unnecessary," he said. "I can understand that Sen. Madaleno has a perspective based on a particular issue, but I don't think that it is accurate or reflective of Del. Arora's abilities or potential in the legislature."So I guess Sen. Madaleno is really just overwrought and too sensitive? Or was it just bad form for another member of the club to call out Del. Arora for turning his back on his constituents and colleagues after campaigning for same-sex marriage, trumpeting his sponsorship of the bill to constituents, and telling colleagues he was for the bill just two days before the vote?
Del. Kathleen M. Dumais said Arora handled the matter appropriately by discussing his dilemma with committee and chamber leaders.Sam has moved on to extent of declaring same-sex marriage a relatively unimportant issue in a written statement:
"That gave us all the opportunity to talk him through [it]," she said. "I think that gives him credibility as opposed to not."
Dumais (D-Dist. 15) of Bethesda, who is vice chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee, believes Arora eventually has to tell constituents what led him to reconsider his stance. But she noted that such re-evaluation is not uncommon, particularly on emotionally charged issues.
"When we sit in committee and listen to hours of hours of hours of testimony on these tough issues, it gives you a different perspective than when you're out on the campaign trail and these things sound wonderful," she said.
"Every day I'm honored to work for the people of my district by working to protect education funding and make our communities safer," he wrote in the statement. "With all due respect to Senator Madeleno [sic], I'm finding the folks in my community are less concerned about Annapolis politics and more concerned with issues like caring for our seniors and improving Pepco."Again, recall that this is a man who proudly campaigned on his support for same-sex marriage, took campaign donations on that basis, and then touted his sponsorship of the bill to constituents. And note that there is nothing on his current position on same-sex marriage.
Statement by Columbia University College Democrats
Like so many throughout Maryland and across the nation, the Columbia University College Democrats were shocked and disappointed that the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act had to be recommitted to the Judiciary Committee on March 11 after it was determined that it would fall a handful of votes short of passage. hough we have high hopes that the bill will pass next year, we cannot help but Bemoan the frustrating pace of progress. Our sympathy goes out to the thousands of Marylanders who were hoping to become full citizens this year.
As an organization committed to advancing marriage equality in New York and nationwide, we eagerly followed the campaign of Sam Arora last year, not only because of his active outreach to LGBT organizations and constituencies, but because of his strong record of activism that dates back to his days at our university. We were so proud when one of our own was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates.
After witnessing Delegate Arora’s wavering during the course of this debate—which surely contributed to the momentum that ultimately doomed the bill’s chances for this year—we cannot keep our disapproval to ourselves. Though he eventually reaffirmed his intention to vote for the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, Delegate Arora’s actions (which included supporting an amendment that would allow private agencies to deny adoption rights to same-sex couples and advocating a referendum that would put the rights of LGBT citizens up for a popular vote) betrayed the commitment he made to Marylanders during his campaign and demonstrated a disregard for the dignity of the many LGBT people whom he represents.
The Columbia University College Democrats call on Delegate Arora to reach out to his LGBT constituents—and the many other individuals and organizations who supported him—to reaffirm his commitment to equality. We expect Delegate Arora to use his remaining time left in office to vigorously advocate for the rights of LGBT Marylanders, including voting for the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act. We hope Delegate Arora will make his alma mater proud. Primary season is just around
the corner.
His must read column in the Washington Post. Capehart already went after Del. Arora earlier. Above is the same YouTube video of Rep. John Lewis, civil rights leader and icon, he uses in his post.
Sam Arora's public statement from the Washington Post:
I have heard from constituents, friends, and advocates from across the spectrum of views and have thought about the issue of same-sex marriage extensively. I understand their concern--this is a very serious issue, and one that many people feel passionately about. As the vote drew nearer, I wrestled with this issue in a way I never had before, which led me to realize that I had some concerns about the bill. While I personally believe that Maryland should extend civil rights to same-sex couples through civil unions, I have come to the conclusion that this issue has such impact on the people of Maryland that they should have a direct say. I will vote to send the bill to the floor because it deserves an up-or-down vote. On the floor, I will vote to send the bill to the governor so that Marylanders can ultimately decide this issue at the polls. I think that is appropriate.
A guest post by Paul Griffin, he is a District 19 resident and ran in the 2006 Democratic House primary
I voted for Sam Arora in the 2010 Democratic Primary in District 19. I hope to vote for him again in the future. Sam is clearly a bright, ambitious, young man who can go on to achieve great things in his career and accomplish many policy goals that will help the people of our district, county, and state.
But the events of recent days have been perplexing. Sam has signaled that – despite his campaign promises to support such legislation and in direct opposition to his own co-sponsorship of the bill – he isn’t sure if he will vote for Marriage Equality on the floor of the House of Delegates.
It isn’t often that one gets to watch such a promising young politician take steps to damage his reputation and political future. Sam has clearly done that by even wavering on this issue, but if – in the end – he votes against Marriage Equality he will have committed a trifecta of bad judgment.
He will have flip flopped on a major campaign promise (thus making himself look like nothing more than a cynical politician); he will have voted against his district (always a risky move for a politician); and he will have voted on the wrong side of history (something I believe he will someday regret).
But those reasons are, for the most part, political reasons to vote for Marriage Equality. The better reason to vote for it is because it is the right thing to do.
When I ran for the House of Delegates from District 19 – Sam's district – during the 2006 Democratic Primary, some voters discovered I am part of an inter-faith marriage (I’m Irish Catholic and my wife is Jewish; our kids are – well, nobody’s business . . .). A few people, and only a few, had a problem with that and expressed so. They felt that it was wrong for two people of different faiths to marry. Some said so politely, some not as politely. I brushed it off and tried to forget about it.
Now, I don’t pretend that my very limited experience here compares to what a gay couple probably experiences every single day. But to this day the idea that someone would question our marriage bothers me. Indeed, the very notion that anyone would question the legitimacy of the love and commitment of another couple who wishes to take the public vow of marriage is simply alien to me.
So it is partly based on my own personal experience that I've come to believe that we are long past the time when we should recognize same-sex marriage. In our country, marriage affords certain rights to and benefits on couples, and far be it for any of us to say that certain people of legal age can’t enjoy those rights and benefits with a person they love and with whom they wish to spend the rest of their life.
That is why I am posting this blog – my first ever on this site – and imploring Sam as one of his constituents who voted for him.
Sam: do the right thing. Support Marriage Equality!
Yeah, we know it's cheesy, but isn't this better than the nuclear destruction of the District 19 Senate race? And besides - these guys are wearing COWBOYS uniforms!!
This here is a collector's item, folks: an autographed copy of Sam "Hunk of the Hill" Arora's walk piece. If you're lucky, Sam will give you one of your very own!
In a district that includes Leisure World, this sort of mailing is virtually mandatory.
By Marc Korman and Adam Pagnucco.
Here are races Six and Five!
6. District 16 Delegate Open Seat
Previous Rank: #6
Marc
The chaos continues in District 16. At times, this has started to shape up as a race between Obama campaign staffer Kyle Lierman and Ariana Kelly from MomsRising. Both have the resources to run competitively and the mail house does not care if it was loaned to the campaign or only raised as a result of family connections. On the other hand, Kelly has not been able to consolidate as much support against Lierman as it appeared she would early on, when she picked up the Apple Ballot and SEIU.
Lierman and Kelly are still the most likely new Delegates, but there are nine other challengers in the race and they are all making waves in their own ways. Hrant Jamgochian can try to leverage the Post endorsement into political victory. Mark Winston and Charlie Chester can still convince voters that their experience is what is needed. Scott Goldberg can make good use of his combination of personality and policy smarts to connect. Bill Farley has demonstrated at least through lawn signs (which cannot vote) a presence far beyond his political base of Somerset. One thing holding back the pack is a serious lack of resources compared to Kelly and Lierman.
Incumbents Bill Frick and Susan Lee are also working really hard to keep their seats, which seems pretty certain but it is never a bad thing to see incumbents work.
Full disclosure, I have volunteered for the incumbents and donated to Bill Frick.
Adam
It’s a pity that Hrant Jamgochian, Scott Goldberg and Mark Winston do not live in District 39 as all of them could very well win the open seat up there. Unfortunately for them, they are competing with Kyle Lierman and Ariana Kelly.
Our spies say that Lierman is running the best campaign. He has tons of outside money without resorting to big self-funded loans (as has Kelly), has good mail and has a sophisticated voter outreach operation. None of this is a surprise given the work he did for Barack Obama in 2008. If Lierman was not a candidate, he would be an excellent campaign manager. Kelly has two important advantages: her endorsements (including the Apple) and her status as the only female challenger. She also has enough money to compete with Lierman.
The fact that the Post did not go with Lierman helps Kelly, but the teachers have more critical races than this one to which to devote poll coverage. Since the mail is crazy in this district, that puts a premium on other ways to reach voters. Lierman’s skill set will help in that regard. I still see this as a two-way race, but one interesting new wrinkle is that Kelly has gone negative against Lierman. If the two of them start slugging it out, there is a tiny chance that another challenger could squeeze past them for the open seat.
5. District 19 Delegate Open Seat
Previous Rank: #7
Marc
You have to hand it to Bonnie Cullison. If she is half as convincing with District 19 voters as she must have been with the Post to get their endorsement, she should do well on September 14th. But that only works if she is out there hustling as much as the other candidates working for District 19’s two open seats including fellow Apple Ballot endorsee Jay Hutchins, fellow Post endorsee Sam Arora, as well as Hoan Dang and Vivian Scretchen.
The teachers will likely be out in force in District 19, which will benefit Jay Hutchins since he shares their endorsement. Sam Arora has plenty of money and work ethic, but it is probably time to start spending some of it on mail.
Full disclosure, I donated to Arora and have volunteered for him.
Adam
Ben Kramer is the only incumbent in the race and is certain to come back. That leaves two seats for three quality candidates: Sam Arora, Bonnie Cullison and Jay Hutchins.
Lots of sources in the district are picking Arora to finish second. He started early, has the most money, has been working the hardest and has performed well in candidate forums. He does not have the Apple Ballot, but he does have the Post endorsement, and this may be one district where the Post is as, or maybe even more, important than the Apple. Arora has been all over Leisure World and his signs sprouted first around the district, but Hutchins has nearly caught up in the sign war. Arora has problems: he started as a complete unknown, has little history in the district before running for office and some say his campaign has petered out a little bit. But most of our informants say that he has run the best campaign of any Delegate candidate and that could get him to Annapolis.
If Arora wins, Cullison and Hutchins will square off for the remaining seat. Cullison scored a huge win by getting the Post endorsement, and her supporters can point to that as a sign that she is not merely a creature of MCEA. Hutchins is hustling and is liked by nearly everyone who meets him. Cullison’s campaign gets low marks for execution and Hutchins has more money, but Cullison benefits from being the most viable woman in the race. Our sources are flipping coins on this one, but the Post could make the difference for Cullison in the end. The result could easily depend on absentees and provisionals.
More tomorrow!
Hey... doesn't that Apple look familiar? Who else uses an Apple? Hmmm, maybe it will come to me...
Here's another ad in Leisure World News from District 19 House candidate Sam Arora. So where are the other D19 house contestants, not to mention the at-large council contenders?
The campaign of District 19 Delegate candidate Sam Arora has responded to our post on its poll, in which one of our spies claimed fellow candidate Bonnie Cullison was described as a "union boss" and a message of being willing to "stand up against labor unions who have bankrupted Montgomery County," was tested. Following is a message from Arora campaign manager Russ Rampersad.
MPW,
Thanks for your continued great coverage of MoCo politics. We wanted to shed some more light on your recent post about our campaign. Indeed, we’ve been in the field with a survey. But we never tested the phrase “union boss,” or anything even close to “stand up against labor unions who have bankrupted Montgomery County,” or any negative attack — either specifically, or implied — about any of our fellow candidates. We don’t think your spy was lying, but it’s unfortunate you assumed we were. So we’re releasing a question that seems to have caused some confusion.
We tested a series of candidate descriptions & messages. Respondents were asked how they felt about each description, on a scale of 0 to 10, where 10 means “very warm” and 0 means “very cool.” One of the descriptions was:
“A retired teacher and former President of the Montgomery County Education Association”
We tested other questions, of course, but this was the only one seemingly descriptive of Ms. Cullison, whom Sam holds in high regard, as we do all of the excellent candidates in District 19.
We appreciate this opportunity to set the record straight.
Russ Rampersad
Campaign Manager
Arora for Delegate
One of our spies reported receiving a poll call on behalf of District 19 Delegate candidate Sam Arora last night, and boy, was this one a doozy!
The caller identified the polling firm as Eastern Research from Florida. The caller began with demographic questions and asked the spy which Senate and House candidates he was supporting. The caller then proceeded to ask whether the spy was inclined to support certain candidates who were not named, but merely described. One candidate was described as “a teacher who was a union boss in Montgomery County.” That is obviously Bonnie Cullison, and the term “union boss” was not intended as flattery. Another candidate was described as having graduated at the top of his class in Columbia University, and still another was described as a staffer for Hillary Clinton. Both of these candidates are actually the same person – Sam Arora – who is apparently testing which of his biographical elements go over best with voters.
The caller asked the spy whether he was more or less likely to support a candidate who supported a liquor tax increase, making companies pay their fair share of taxes, rolling back the sales tax hike, lowering ICC tolls, shrinking class sizes, fighting global warming, supporting green jobs, giving tax breaks to people who support private schools and was willing to “stand up against labor unions who have bankrupted Montgomery County.”
Then the caller elaborated on Arora’s position on each of the above issues, asking the spy if those positions made him more or less likely to vote for Arora. According to the caller, one of Arora’s positions was that he was willing to “stand up against labor unions who have bankrupted Montgomery County.”
Finally, the caller asked, given that the spy now knew Arora’s positions, which three Delegate candidates the spy now supported.
We contacted the Arora campaign for comment. Arora’s campaign manager, Russ Rampersad, said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We would never use a phrase like ‘union boss’ or any of that. Sam has always supported workers and their right to unionize.” Rampersad pointed out that he had served as a consultant to many labor organizations like LIUNA, SEIU 1199 Washington State, SEIU 775, UFCW 21, UFCW International, AFSCME Council 5 MN, Ohio Education Association, Washington State Labor Council, Minnesota DFL, Los Angeles Labor Council - AFL-CIO, Minnesota Regional Labor Federation, National Education Association, California Teachers Association and others. But here’s the thing: our spy is not only extremely intelligent, but he is utterly non-aligned. Simply put, he has no reason to lie. We are willing to bet his recollection is fairly close to the truth.
This is not exactly a push poll since it is collecting data that may prove of use to Arora. But it’s interesting that he is testing an anti-union message, both broadly speaking and in specific reference to Bonnie Cullison, since Arora has been endorsed by Progressive Maryland.
