Saturday, January 26, 2013
Get caught up on headlines you might've missed in Montgomery County.
With more than a dozen websites across Montgomery County, Patch brings you news from every corner of our community. Catch up on headlines you might have missed this week, including a speed camera controversy in Chevy Chase, a push to ban fracking in Maryland and a retail race in Clarksburg. Frederick Woman Killed In Fatal Crash Near I-270S Shady Grove Exit GAITHERSBURG—A fatal accident on Interstate 270 southbound caused major delays Monday morning for commuters in the Gaithersburg-Rockville area. Read more on Gaithersburg Patch. Rockville Case Cited in Bid to Close Sex Law Loophole ROCKVILLE—Part-time school employees in Maryland have been able to engage in sexual relationships with students as young as 16 and avoid prosecution due to a…
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Takoma Park delegate asks to be called a "rumored" candidate during interview with journalist.
Takoma Park Del. Heather Mizeur (D-District 20) took a spin on her own rumor mill yesterday when she took time to remind this journalist that she's considering running for governor in 2014. With nearly 21 months until the election, what else is a maybe-contender for the state's highest seat supposed to do? The exchange took place during an interview at an event at Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville yesterday in support of proposed legislation which would require Maryland employers to provide workers with paid sick leave. "If you care to, put in there 'rumored gubernatorial candidate,'" said Mizeur as the interview concluded, jokingly suggesting how she might like to be referenced in a report noting her advocacy for the mandatory sick-leave…
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
If you haven't been invited to an official ball, there are plenty of other inaugural balls you might attend.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to attend just two official inaugural balls—the Commander-In-Chief’s Ball for members of the U.S. military and the Inaugural Ball. Both official balls are at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. The ticketing period for both events has closed. But, if you still want to get dressed up and dance the night away, there are a number of “unofficial” Inaugural Balls—ones that are sponsored by state parties or societies, non-profit organizations or other groups. While there won’t be a presidential visit, they can be a lot of fun. The Maryland Inaugural Ball is sponsored by the Maryland Democratic Party and a host of local unions and companies. It will be …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
It's a no-go for Franchot. Who should step in?
Comptroller Peter Franchot, who was expected to run for governor in 2014, announced Tuesday he would not seek the post. Franchot, whose criticism of Gov. Martin O’Malley led many to believe he would run, instead announced he would seek to retain his current position. But just because Franchot won’t run, doesn’t mean there won’t be a crowded primary field. Other Democrats who may seek the office include Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, Del. Heather Mizeur, Attorney General Doug Gansler and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. What Democrat would you like to see make a run for the state’s top office? Tell us why in comments.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
O'Malley's leadership PAC—and the possibility of him running for president in 2016—may get a boost from a fundraiser to be held in a private Chevy Chase home on Monday.
Obama has yet to be sworn in for his second term as president, but the 2016 presidential race already is underway. "[Prospective] candidates from both parties are wasting little time schmoozing potential super PAC [political action committee] funders," Politico reported last week. In Chevy Chase, MD, former South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges, a Democrat, will co-host a fundraiser for Gov. Martin O'Malley's leadership PAC on Monday evening, Dec. 10, at a private home, Politico reported. To attend the Chevy Chase fundraiser, the "suggested contribution" is $5,000 for a "host," $2,500 for a "sponsor" and $1,000 for a "guest," Politico reported. Hodges "also raised money earlier this year for the PAC fronted by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, …
Monday, December 3, 2012
The holiday visions in our heads probably still have more to do with sugar plums than Scrooge, so let's hold that thought for a few more days.
Montgomery County may have gotten a whole new political season for Christmas, considering what looked like an unofficial announcement last week. Below are the details, as well as the rest of the week's highlights in our continuing investigation into life in these 500 square miles. You'd think we would have gotten a call back considering the newsworthiness of the information, but we'll stick with the evidence we did get. According to an email sent to supporters, former county executive Doug Duncan is set to vie for that office again, after a six-year hiatus. “I am not seeking to return to the County Executive office simply because it is winnable—I am returning because I have so much energy for the job and know that Montgomery County is …
Friday, November 30, 2012
State attorney general gives the go ahead.
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Friday, November 30, 2012
By DANA AMIHERE Capital News Service An opinion released Thursday by the Maryland attorney general’s office said that same-sex couples can obtain marriage licenses as soon as Gov. Martin O’Malley “formally proclaims” the results of the November election, which he is expected to do on or about Dec. 6. The law, and therefore the licenses, will not be effective until Jan. 1. Attorney General Douglas Gansler answered other questions about the implementation of Maryland's same-sex marriage law in a 19-page opinion. Gansler and Chief Counsel Adam Snyder found that postdating the licenses’ effective date doesn’t impose an unconstitutional waiting period on same-sex couples because it’s the ceremony, not the license, that validates the marriage…
Despite pressure to reconsider, Montgomery's two-term county exec has not reversed his decision to step down in 2014.
Last year, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett went on the record saying that he would not seek a third term in office. In this fifth excerpt from a recent interview with Patch editors, Leggett (D) acknowledges that he has been “under a lot of pressure from people asking me to reconsider," but says he hasn't wavered from on his decision not to run "as of yet." Click here for Part 1 of the interview, in which Leggett discussed the ballot referendum on the Maryland "Dream Act," which would allow in-state tuition for certain illegal immigrants. Click here to watch Part 2, on his support for Maryland's historic same-sex marriage law. In Part 3, Leggett talks about the county's fiscal outlook. Part 4 covers Montgomery's projected …
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A wide-open field is beginning to form, including some familiar names.
In politics, the campaign season—and the speculation about the next election—never ends. It just stops for a brief intermission. We call that Election Day. With 2012 in the rear view and 2014 shaping up to be a wide-open race for Montgomery County Executive, candidates—and potential candidates—are gearing up. The early race hit a higher gear on Wednesday as Patch’s Sebastian Montes reported that Douglas M. Duncan, a Democrat, is telling supporters that he will run to reclaim the County Executive post he held from 1994 to 2006. Other familiar names could be on the primary ballot. County Councilman George L. Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park held a 50th birthday party fundraiser last week to support his run for County Executive, The …
One of Montgomery's dominant political figures set to return to the political stage after six years.
After months of strategizing, Douglas M. Duncan has told supporters he has decided to run for an unprecedented fourth term in Montgomery County's highest political office, marking his return to politics after a six year-hiatus. Duncan, 57, met privately yesterday morning with political advisers and supporters in Gaithersburg to discuss his run for county executive and weigh the results of a recent poll by Harrison Hickman, the pollster for Al Gore and John Edwards' presidential bids. At the end of the meeting, Duncan told attendees that he would be entering the 2014 race, according to an email sent yesterday afternoon to supporters. “I am not seeking to return to the County Executive office simply because it is winnable—I am returning …
Craig
12:04 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013
I'm cool with anyone outside the white-man triangulation of power. Progressive Maryland is run by Mike V. Miller (26 years in power), Michael Busch and Marty O'Malley. All those "old white men" that libs love to bash. Yet, they voted for these hacks like it was nobody's business. I say, let's get a lesbian white woman in there. Shake things up a bit. Or better yet, a transgendered, hispanic … more ›