State Roundup, September 7, 2010

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EARLY VOTING: Maryland’s first try at early voting got off to a smooth start, reported The Sun’s Raven Hill.  The Washington Post’s Michael Laris and Hamil Harris wrote that poll workers outnumbered voters in Landover and Silver Spring. Despite his disapproval of early voting when he served as governor, Ehrlich intends to be one of those early voters, blogs the Post’s John Wagner. Patuxent Publishing’s Jay Thompson writes that Towson University’s early voting location saw a steady stream of voters.  The Capital’s Liam Farrell reports a brisk turnout in Annapolis. Crowds come out to vote in Prince George’s County, writes the Gazette’s Daniel Valentine.  Kevin Spradlin of the Cumberland Times-News also reports on a healthy turnout. Patuxent Publishing’s Alan McCombs says voters in Catonsville give early voting a thumbs up. WBAL has video of early voting. Turnout in Washington County started low, but election officials think the rate will increase as residents become familiar with the service, reports Dave McMillion for the Hagerstown Herald-Mail. And Ross Goldstein of the State Board of Elections discusses early voting with WBAL’s Anne Kramer.

ABSENTEE BALLOT: Robert Lang of WBAL Radio writes that with the primary election a week away, today is the deadline for Maryland voters to request an absentee ballot for the primary election by mail, fax or e-mail. You can download an absentee ballot on that site.

NASTY TIME: Carroll County Times Editor Jim Lee notes that campaigns tend to turn nasty at the end, remembering the 1998 “pink ballot” — a sample ballot from a Republican faction that used Ellen Sauerbrey’s authority line.

PG SAMPLE BALLOT FRACAS: PG County State’s Attorney candidate Angela Alsobrooks wants an investigation of a sample ballot mailed to county voters from “Citizens for Change” — a group that is not registered with the State Board of Elections — and with a picture of state Sen. Anthony Muse and other public officials who made no endorsements, blogs Adam Pagnucco of Maryland Politics Watch.  The Post’s Miranda Spivack reports that Muse is also filing a complaintWTOP also has the story.

PHONY ENDORSEMENTS: Attorney General Doug Gansler issued a statement that some campaign literature giving false endorsements from state and local officeholders has been circulated, according to this Associated Press story in the Salisbury Daily Times. 

DAMAGED SIGNS: Dozens of campaign signs were damaged in Pikesville and Owings Mills — most belonging to Baltimore County Council candidate Sherrie Becker, writes the Sun’s Peter Hermann.

FUNDRAISING MOMENTUM: Former Gov. Bob Ehrlich’s campaign says that a much higher fundraising total than Gov. Martin O’Malley in the last reporting period indicates new momentum for his race, writes The Sun’s Justin Fenton. WBAL has a video story on new fundraising momentum from Ehrlich and Baltimore city state’s attorney challenger Gregg Bernstein.

EHRLICH TV AD: Ehrlich’s first TV ad, promising “real leadership,” debuted, reports John Wagner of The Washington Post.  Ehrlich first shared the ad on Facebook, Wagner also writes. David Zurawik, The Baltimore Sun’s TV critic, says the ad is “smart.” Video of the ad is included in his column.  Ehrlich spent $153,000 on ads to run on WBAL and WJZ, reports the Sun’s Annie Linskey.  WBAL’s Robert Lang analyzes the commercial.  The O’Malley campaign calls the ad a distortion of the facts and full of empty promises, WBAL reports.  John Rydell of WBFF-TV has video of O’Malley’s response.

EHRLICH INTERVIEW: Brian Griffiths of Red Maryland interviews Ehrlich on the campaign, Maryland’s finances and health care.

MURPHY UPDATE: Republican gubernatorial hopeful Brian Murphy also debuted an ad over the holiday weekend, reports the Post’s John Wagner. Video for the ad appears in the story.  The ad debuted during Glenn Beck’s Friday show on Fox, blogs the Sun’s Julie Bykowicz. Murphy also was interviewed by WBAL-Radio’s Bruce Elliott. WBAL lists the various tracks on the right, which you can click on to hear the discussion. And despite Palin’s endorsement, Murphy’s fundraising remains modest, blogs Wagner.

WHERE’S THE OUTRAGE?: The Sun’s opinion-makers point out that last week’s indictment of prominent and powerful Sen. Ulysses Currie was once again met with little outrage, especially from Democrats in Annapolis. 

NO SHOW: Casey Clark still is on the Democratic ballot for Maryland’s 6th District U.S. House seat held by GOPer Roscoe Bartlett, but he hasn’t been heard or seen since April, Andrew Schotz of the Herald-Mail.

KRATOVIL ON BIZ: 1st District U.S. Rep. Frank Kratovil talks with small business owners, who continue to struggle, Liz Holland reports for the Salisbury Daily Times.

REDISTRICTING: Whoever wins the gubernatorial election will wield control over the redistricting pen — and how the state will be governed in the future, says an editorial in the Sun. 

HOCO EXEC: Democrat Howard County Executive Ken Ullman raised 20 times more cash in August than his Republican opponent, challenger Trent Kittleman, reports the Sun’s Larry Carson.

WEST COLUMBIA DEMS: A standing-room-only crowd heard Democratic candidates in several area races debate, Larry Carson writes for the Sun. 

NO MUSLIMS APPLY: Jewish groups in Maryland received over $1 million in federal grants to protect them from terrorism this year, while Baltimore-area Muslim organizations, which had gotten grants before, did not apply, Barbara Pash reports for MarylandReporter.com.

VETERAN LAWMAKERS: Despite his 20 years in the House of Delegates, Del. Jim Proctor, now 74, continues to think of himself as the educator he was. And 40 years ago, Del. Joe Vallario cut his teeth as a young lawyer representing clients in Annapolis, where he caught the bug to practice lawmaking as well. Megan Poinski profiles both veterans in the last part of a series for MarylandReporter.com.

PG COUNTY: The Post’s Robert McCartney writes about how PG County government might see a total change after the primary. 

PG LABORING: The Post’s Aaron Davis and Miranda Spivack write that PG County candidates used a Labor Day parade to put on their own spectacle of jostling for support.

LEGGETT RACE: Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, who has no primary challenger and a strongly Democratic constituency, is starting a victory lap, writes the Post’s Michael Laris.

ARUNDEL JUDGES: The Anne Arundel Circuit Court election may be decided with the primary. The Capital’s Scott Daugherty profiles the candidates.

CAPITAL ENDORSEMENTS: The endorsements  in The Capital offer voters guidance in the upcoming elections, writes editor and publisher Tom Marquardt.

FREDERICK LT GOV HOPEFULS: The Frederick News Post’s Meg Tully interviews two lieutenant governor candidates living in Frederick County: Green Party candidate Ken Eidel and Constitution Party candidate Michael Hargadon.

HAGERSTOWN AREA CANDIDATES: State Senate candidates from the Hagerstown area respond to a series of questions posed by the Herald-Mail here and here.  Andrew Schotz breaks down who is running for what in Washington County

CAMPBELL ENDORSED: Ehrlich has endorsed Republican comptroller candidate William Campbell, writes John Wagner in the Post.

BALTO COUNTY EXEC: The Sun’s Arthur Hirsch breaks down the differences between the votes county exec candidates Joe Bartenfelder and Kevin Kamenetz cast as council members. Kamenetz has spent four times as much on advertising as Bartenfelder, Hirsch also blogs.

DISTRICT 1C: The Cumberland Times-News’ Kevin Spradlin looks at the two candidates who will go head-to-head to be the next delegate representing District 1C in the general election: Republican incumbent LeRoy Myers and Democrat challenger Ron Lohr.

DISTRICT 30: Paul Foer at Annapolis Capital Punishment has a rundown of politics and fundraisers in District 30. 

MOCO ENDORSEMENTS: Adam Pagnucco of Maryland Politics Watch posts the endorsements of all Montgomery County candidates from 14 influential groups.

NO FOES: For a quintet of Harford County elected officials, the 2010 election season came and went quickly after no challengers stepped forward to oppose them on the ballot. The Dagger’s Brian Goodman talks with them.

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