The Glover Report

COIL's Stacie Smith speaks with Baltimore State's Attorney Pat Jessamy regarding the rights of area seniors after a recent Town Hall Meeting (8.26.10)

Two Weeks Out from MD Primary …
Who’s Still Standing? Pt. I

By Doni Glover, www.bmorenews.com

(BALTIMORE – September 2, 2010) – The next two weeks, clearly, are the championship rounds: it’s where all of the dress rehearsals finally get to come to fruition. On Tuesday, September 14, 2010, some candidates in Maryland and Washington, DC will win – maybe even for the first time; and some will lose.

BMORENEWS.com and its special correspondents, including Bobby Marvin (HueVoices.com) and long-time journalist Haki Ammi, have attempted to bring some clarity to some of the key races in this year’s statewide election in Maryland and the District.

Washington, DC may elect a new mayor in the person of Councilman Vincent Gray. Mayor Adrian Fenty apparently has some public relations challenges with members of the African American community that could cause him not to see re-election.  

At the end of the day in that and all other races, it’s up to the voters. Hence, whomever can get the most votes out of the people voting wins. By the way, voter turnout can be a critical factor for any close races; rain, for example, can often slow voting in certain parts.

Our MD Poli10 coverage began back in January as former Prince George’s County Executive Wayne Curry kicked the New Year off with a birthday party that attracted some 3,000 plus people in attendance.

For a few months, people wondered if Curry would make a run for Governor of Maryland. He would ultimately decide not to and promptly returned to civilian life.

In any event, September 14^th primary often symbolizes victory for Democrats in a 2-to-1 Democratic state. Further, Baltimore is a 9-to-1 Democratic town.

On that note, the 14^th also marks the beginning of O’Malley vs Ehrlich II, the rematch. Can the Republican former Governor Robert Ehrlich take back the throne? Or, will Gov. Martin O’Malley retain the State House? That remains to be seen.

What’s sure to be exciting is any series of debates that are likely to occur. Personally, I’d like to hear some discussion of business opportunities for minorities, ie black folks. I’d also like to hear some good news on the funding of our public schools. And if I had to choose a third priority, it would be health care. Del. Dan Morhaim, M.D. was recently on The Huckabee TV Show and did a stellar job explaining some of the key elements of “ObamaCare”. While we have covered Pres. Barack Obama’s intentions to address major health issues specifically regarding the African American community, I’d simply like to hear more about helping to reduce medical costs to Marylanders – including the cost of prescriptions.

Locally, three races have captivated my imagination this election season: The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office; the Baltimore County Exec; and the 4^th Councilmanic District.

With 15 years under her belt, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Pat Jessamy faces opposition from Defense Attorney Greg Bernstein. Last week, Bernstein’s campaign came under fire for what many, including University of Baltimore Law Professor Larry Gibson, thought was a tasteless piece of negative advertising; one of his ads featured the Dawson Family in East Baltimore where a clip of the Dawson tragedy was used without the family’s permission.

Also, while Bernstein has gathered up much more money than Jessamy, she does have the support of people like former Baltimore Mayor and former City State’s Attorney Kurt L. Schmoke.  As for the Baltimore County Exec race which seems primarily between two Democrats – Kevin Kamenetz and Joe Bartenfelder, Kamenetz seems to hold the fundraising advantage.

However, last Friday, Bartenfelder could be seen campaigning with long-time Council chum Ken Oliver.

Oliver, the first African American on the County Council, seems to have the toughest opposition from Bethel AME Church member Leronia Josey.