Breaking News (Sort of): Jesse Bane (D) Enters Sheriff’s Race

 

This is no big surprise if you have been paying attention.  It has not been in the news yet but I am sure it will be soon.  Jesse Bane, a democrat from Fallston, has entered the sheriff’s race.  I know many people who are concerned about this because he is well liked by many people on both sides of the aisle.  He is a long time veteran of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and was very involved in previous democratic administrations.  He is also very involved in the Fallston community and will be difficult to beat.  Let’s say Golding wins the primary and goes up against Bane.  Is Golding going to still play the experience card?  He can’t.  Bane has been an officer longer than Golding.  What then is Golding going to use?  This could get ugly.  We have two policemen who have seen it all from the creation of the union to the Meadows scandal.  They both probably have a lot of dirt on each other as well.  Bane will be able to successfully link Golding to Meadows and can also say that the Republicans have been screwing around (literally) for too long.  We need to prepare ourselves for this seat going democrat.  I for one am not excited about Golding and have trouble seeing people rallying behind him.  He does have one advantage, the R next to his name.  Ehrlich and Steele will be on the ballots which will hopefully bring a higher than average number of R’s to the polls.  Ehrlich got 63,553 votes in Harford County last election.  KKT only received 21,246.  Democrats have a huge uphill battle when it comes to elections in HC.  However, if Bane can successfully peel off enough Republicans on the fence about the recent problems in the Sheriff’s office, he just may pull it off. 

When you sit back and think about it you have to ask, how different will a democratic sheriff really be.  A democrat will still submit a budget, catch criminals, and keep up the courts and the jail.  I think this race will become more and more about issues and who can run the most effective campaign.  Bane has probably sat back and watched the same things that I have seen and been commenting on and has decided that enough is enough.  If Bane were a Republican he would be the next sheriff.  Overcoming those Ehrlich numbers may be too much for any democrat running for a county-wide seat.  I am assuming that money will not be an issue for Bane.  I will be watching this race very closely.  We now have potentially 3 Republicans and 2 democrats in the race.  Anyone else want to run?

Updated Preliminary “A” List: Part II

 

#6 Dave Tritt: The last time I put Tritt on my list I upset someone high up in the Sheriff’s Office. Why? Because I am challenging the thinking of the GOBN. I'm sure I will hear from them again. Golding is a certified, card carrying member of the GOBN. He has the golf pictures on his website to prove it. He benefited from his connections and we have been reaping the “benefits” ever since. We have an inadequate Southern Precinct in the worst crime area of the county. That does not show the gangs that we are serious about their elimination. Just last week at the Harford Republican Club meeting Golding said, “Gangs have a right to exist.” Not in my county. He then said that democrats consider us (Republicans) a gang. I don't think he gets it. You can legalese your way around confronting the issue all you want but violent gangs do not have the right to exist. I have written about the southern end of the county before and I believe that Golding too has Dontcareitis. As long as Rt. 40 problems stay Rt. 40 problems we are all safe. If Paula Mullis's goal of fixing up Edgewood is to be realized I think we will need change in the Sheriff's Office.

Golding will play the experience card because it is the only card he has. He cannot run on his actions during the last 3 years. This is where his supporters list the 3 stock things he has done. Did he get a Southern Precinct? Did he increase recruiting numbers? Did he prevent gangs from establishing? I am sorry but I am just unimpressed with this man. He stumbled into a political office and he is still stumbling.

#7 34A Team: We have a rare opportunity to get rid of James. We all need to support Pate and Kohl as much as possible. I am starting to think that Jacobs will not have a real challenger. Someone may throw their hat in the ring but it will be token opposition. There are no real heavy hitters in the district other than James. I feel that James is just waiting for Nancy to retire and I do not see that happening any time soon. This District is as diverse as any in the state (unconstitutional as well). I think the only District as crazy as District 34 is District 7, both right here in good old Harford County (hmm, I wonder who they tried to screw in redistricting).

James is a liberal and I just don’t like liberals. It would be an amazing thing to have an entirely Republican delegation in both the Senate and the House. We need to begin to change this state one seat at a time. A few other counties will hopefully take care of their dems this year and we need to take care of ours. The problem with James is that she blends in. She blends in with the conservatives when Busch lets her and stands with the dems when he can’t let her vote go. I find it quite unnerving that one of our elected representatives is controlled by Michael Busch. We should control our representatives. This is how the conversation goes:

James: Mr. Busch, can I vote with you guys today?

Busch: No, Mary. We can’t lose your seat up there in Hickville.

James: Ok, Mr. Busch. Maybe tomorrow?

Busch: Don’t think so. We have enough votes to override Satan’s veto. Keep acting like a conservative for now.

Let’s get someone in Annapolis who can stand up for what they believe in and not what they are told to believe in.

 

 

#8 District 7 House of Delegates Candidate from Harford County: With approximately 25% of the voters in District 7 living in Harford County, I think it is important that someone represent District 7 in Annapolis who is from Harford County. The state and county numbers for this district are very different. The 2002 State statistics show 27,292 Harford Countians living in District 7. However, the 2006 Harford County statistics show only 19,246. Why the disparity? I have no idea. I seriously doubt 8,000 people from District 7 have left Harford County in the last 4 years. Whatever the number is I feel that 25% justifies having one Delegate from Harford County. I think J.B. Jennings has an office in Joppatowne but I may be wrong. The funny thing about this one is that I do not feel poorly served by McDonough, Impallaria, or Jennings. I honestly do not know much about them and do not see them around here a whole lot. They were kind of thrust upon us and we are still adjusting to the fact that we have three districts representing us. I do not have any one person in mind who needs to be replaced. I have heard some rumblings about Impallaria being the weakest link. Whether that is true I will leave up to you all. I feel the numbers show that we should have one of the three seats.

 

#9 Harford Senators: If it is not broken, don’t fix it. When Senator Hooper hangs up his political boots he will be near impossible to replace. Glassman is showing that he is not a suitable replacement. I just pray that he stays healthy. I could see Bob Cassilly replacing Senator Hooper one day. I do not know what kind of relationship those two have if any. I think they are both honorable men and seem to not be afraid to speak their minds. I do not agree with Cassilly some of the time but I do respect him.

Senator Jacobs will be around for quite some time. She is unopposed at the moment and will be helping Pate and Kohl out. I have not heard one rumor about a challenger but my connections stop at the Susquehanna River. Cecil County could one day put forth a challenge to Jacobs but that will not come for at least another 4-8 years.

Senator Harris will one day run for House of Representatives. The rumors have this happening in two years. He has a ridiculous amount of money in his war chest and will be able to put on a good show against Gilchrest. I would be proud to have Andy Harris represent me in Congress. He is not a Harford Countian but he will do.

#10 Bill Christoforo: Bill is probably a member of the GOBN. He is very well connected. He will win not because of his connections but because his opponent, Harry Hopkins, is a party switcher and he actually has some good ideas. His campaign material says that he will work to repeal the Maryland inheritance tax, modernize the office, outreach to seniors making sure their estate documents are in order, and assist the needy with lawyers. Sounds good to me. You win.

Bill has been a decent leader of the party. I think we need to modernize the party and that has not happened. I would volunteer but I have more fun doing this. I do not see this race getting dirty or even that heated. We will see. When people run for these offices I always ask why. I question why offices like this are even elected positions. They are nothing more than popularity contests. It does not really even matter if they are a democrat or Republican. Bill wants a nice cushy job and he will get it

The Polls Have Closed; Official Results

As of about 9:00 PM on Friday, February 24, 2006, the final poll results are in. Anyone who tries to vote in the polls after they close is officially a democrat.

OFFICIAL RESULTS:
Craig vs. Helton
Craig 67%
Helton 33%
Total Votes 84

Craig vs. Jacobs
Craig 58%
Jacobs 42%
Total Votes 83

Craig vs. Hooper
Hooper 69%
Craig 31%
Total Votes 77

Wagner vs. Geppi
Geppi 80%
Wagner 20%
Total Votes 83

Wagner vs. First Person in the Phonebook
First Person 62%
Wagner 38%
Total Votes 55

Parrott vs. Stifler
Stifler 69%
Parrott 31%
Total Votes 75

Kohl vs. Pate
Kohl 51%
Pate 49%
Total Votes 51

Golding vs. Tritt
Golding 53%
Tritt 47%
Total Votes 70

James vs. Riley
Death 74%
James 13%
Riley 13%
Total Votes 46

David Craig maintained his two leads. He overcame an early lead by Jacobs. However, Hooper more than doubled Craig’s 24 votes. The Craig vs. Helton contest was the top vote getter with 84 votes cast. Some Helton fans must have found the site in the last few days or it could have been even uglier. Sorry guys, Ann will lose badly just like her husband has been doing for the past 50 years. I think Craig’s veto decision this week will decide how badly Ann loses. I think if he vetoes the comprehensive rezoning he will win 55/45. If he lets the rezoning live he will win 60/40. Politically speaking those wins are quite different.

There were a few surprises. The first surprise was the fact that 85 people voted. I know it is possible to vote from different computers so let’s say a quarter of the people voted twice; that is still 60 people. Thanks for participating!

Another surprise was the Wagner races. I’m sorry Mr. Wagner but your time is up. The rumor mills are turning and this will be a multi-horse race. Lawyers from Jarrettsville, Town Commissioners, former Councilmen, and possibly others are going to challenge you. And if they do not step up, I am going to call Anders Aaberg (the first person in the phonebook). You are on the wrong side of too many issues and Harford County has had enough.

Stifler’s race was a bit of a surprise. I am not surprised that she won, but I am surprised by how much. If I wanted to be real mean I could probably blame her supporters and their lack of familiarity with the internet. Donna has a web presence and Parrott does not. I know that fact is not something to base votes on but we do have one level of sophistication challenging another here. Parrott is going to have to do something drastic in this campaign in order to keep it close (a website would be a good start).

Chris Pate appears to have sufficient name recognition among the voters. That was a bit of a surprise. Then again maybe not. He was a member of the Central Committee before. Kohl and Pate will need to work together to beat James knowing full well that it might only be one of them in Annapolis next year.

In a very surprising race, Sheriff Golding beat Tritt by only four votes. I’m not really sure what to think of that. It appears that I am not alone when it comes to the questioning of Tom Golding’s performance. The agency has appeared to be floundering since the Meadow’s scandal, unable to jump back on track. I know I woke up and noticed when Derald Guess was murdered and it looks like a few other people did as well.

I hope you had fun with the polls. I will do more as people emerge in other races. Again, if there are any polls that you would like to see, send me a comment or email and I will do what I can.

Thanks again.

Early Poll Results: Four Days to Go

In possibly the most meaningless, un-scientific poll ever conducted we have some early results. Over 50 people have participated in the poll (I know some of you are Dem’s and like to vote early and often).

David Craig is ahead in 2 of the 3 races he is in. He pulled ahead of Nancy Jacobs in the last few days and is beating Ann Helton 70% to 30% (If anyone can explain that to me, send a comment). However, Bob “The Trash Man” Hooper is severely beating him. Again, I know this poll is just for fun but I think it does show what kind of man he is. He is genuine and very likable and also proof that some party-switchers can be true Republican Conservatives.

Robert Wagner is losing by 60% in both his races. This shows just how unlikable and beatable he is. It’s hard to get 2 people to agree on anything much less 50. Almost everyone who has taken the poll has agreed that Wagner needs to go. Most people do not know that some farmers lost as much as $20,000 during the whole agricultural land building code fiasco. No wonder these people are growing houses. Honestly, some of that egg falls on Craig’s face too. Although, I think Craig has introduced some legislation somewhere to address that situation. Someone please tell Geppi or someone to run. I have heard rumors from Doug Wilson to Captain Jim to Terry Hanley to Michael Geppi to David Carey. The first person in the phone book is beating him 88% to 13%. Enough said.

Donna Stifler is easily beating Joanne Parrott which I feel is a genuine foreshadowing of events to come. It is not even close. Why is it that some politicians do not know when to hang it up? I guess that is the nature of being a politician. You’re a fighter, you’re tough, you’re tenacious, you’re eventually going to get beat. Part of me wants Parrott to stay in the race because I am one of the few who feel that no one deserves to go unopposed. Do I think Stifler is going to win? Absolutely. Does Stifler deserve to go unopposed? Absolutely not. That is why we have the system set up the way we do. I want the best to come forward and the primary system usually finds the best.

The Sheryl Davis-Kohl vs. Chris Pate race has been close the entire time. I am really just trying to find out how much name recognition Pate has. It seems that it is a toss up between the two. If Dulany-James stays in the Delegate race she will be tough to beat so ultimately the voters will need to choose between Pate or Davis-Kohl. I hope I am wrong and we can get both in.

For Sheriff it is quite a surprise. It is still a tie. We are dealing with two virtual no names. Neither have been elected before so most people don’t know Golding or Tritt from Adam. In the battle of the no names it will come down to money and the effective use of that money. I’m sure each candidate has some issues for the voters and money certainly helps reach them. The campaign finance reports show Golding with a huge advantage in the funds department.

84% of the 32 voters so far, chose death over James or Riley (ok, I’ll admit it; I was one of them)

Questions that need answers:
1.) Who is going to challenge Wagner? They need to be able to beat an anti-development Democrat.
2.) What issues could be used to beat Dulany-James? Keep in mind she has voted somewhat conservatively lately.
3.) What can Parrott do to keep it close?

Early Poll Results: One Week to Go

Right now we have David Craig ahead comfortably (I can’t figure out why, on a blog titled The Harford GOP, a Republican would be leading)

Bob Hooper is way ahead of David Craig. The Trash Man Reignith!

Nancy Jacobs has a comfortable lead over David Craig. Makes me wonder….

Michael Geppi is slaughtering Wagner.

Someone call the first person in the phonebook. He or she could be the next County Council President!

Donna Stifler is slightly ahead of Parrott.

Chris Pate is virtually tied with Davis-Kohl.

Most of the readers would rather die than vote for Mary Dulany-James or Dan Riley.

Golding is slightly ahead of Tritt for Sheriff.

KEEP SPREADING THE WORD! THANKS!

Harford County, Let’s Vote!

Let’s have some fun. We are going to have a one week election. Tell everyone you know to vote. The polls will close next Friday. Some of the elections will be fake and some will be real. To easily tell people to vote click on the email link at the bottom of this post and send them this link. Also, if there are any other polls that you think should be included, send me a comment. After you vote just hit backspace to vote on another race.

County Executive:

David Craig vs. Ann Helton
	David Craig
	Ann Helton
Free polls from Pollhost.com

David Craig vs. Bob Hooper
	David Craig
	Bob Hooper
Free polls from Pollhost.com

David Craig vs. Nancy Jacobs
	David Craig
	Nancy Jacobs
Free polls from Pollhost.com

County Council President:

Robert Wagner vs. Michael Geppi
	Robert Wagner
	Michael Geppi
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Robert Wagner vs. First Person in the Phone Book
	Robert Wagner
	First Person in the Phone Book
Free polls from Pollhost.com

House of Delegates 35A:

Joanne Parrott vs. Donna Stifler
	Joanne Parrott
	Donna Stifler
Free polls from Pollhost.com

House of Delegates 34A:

Sheryl Davis-Kohl vs. Chris Pate
	Sheryl Davis-Kohl
	Chris Pate
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Mary Dulany James vs. Dan Riley
	Mary Dulany James
	Dan Riley
	Oh God, take me now!!!
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Sheriff:

R. Tom Golding vs. Dave Tritt
	R. Tom Golding
	Dave Tritt
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Youthful Vigor Arising

I guess I have made it pretty clear that I am excited about the September primary. I do not feel it is too early to be talking about these things. I am excited about the candidates that have stepped forward so far. Last night at the County Council meeting I heard about a potential challenger for Wagner. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. I will keep that one to myself for a while but let’s say he can get the job done. If we have a three or more horse race, Wagner is certainly done for. Wagner is currently positioning himself against the farmers and true conservatives like myself. Enough about Wagner.

You might ask, “Why are you so excited about the primary?” Here’s why. I see a changing of the guard coming soon. Senator Hooper, Senator Jacobs, and Senator Harris will not be in the State Senate for much longer. I give Senator Hooper one more term; Senator Jacobs one or two more terms; Senator Harris two more years until he challenges Gilchrest. We need to take a good look at our party at this point. Who are the potential candidates to carry the torch after our senators leave the stage? This is what gets me excited. Look at the current candidates for state and county positions. Donna Stifler, Chris Pate, Chris Biggs, Dave Tritt, J.B. Jennings, Chad Shrodes, Jason Gallian, and others. They are all fairly young and for the most part (minus J.B.), inexperienced. I personally do not view this as a bad thing. I see a youthful energy emerging in our party. This is what excites me.

There is no reason for these people to seek these positions for any other reason than their belief that they can do a better job.

I can see the torch of leadership passing on to this “next generation.” The question is whether others will see their youth and vigor as a positive. To me, folks like Roni Chenowith, Sheriff Golding, Robert Wagner, and Joanne Parrott are all part of a group that we need to seriously evaluate. With Cassilly, Stepp, Miller, and hopefully Guthrie leaving the County Council we need to look and see what direction we want to go. I am sure Paula Mullis is a nice lady and I really respect what she has done with the Republican Women’s Club, but does she meet what we need at this time. Sheriff Golding has served honorably for 30+ years but is it time to pass the torch? Roni Chenowith’s roughness downright scares me at times and I have written enough about Wagner and Parrott. It is hard for some to see past these candidates to the bigger picture. Harford County’s population is about to explode. Let’s say 70,000 people move here over the next 10 years. Not all of them will be Republicans. We need to begin to strengthen our party now before they arrive. I strongly feel that moving the party in a more youthful direction would be a good strategic and strengthening move.

Harford County Preliminary “A” List

This could be the earliest voter guide ever created. It will continue to grow as I get more familiar with who is running for what and what it is they stand for. I have met several candidates and have been impressed with some and not so impressed with others. I am human and I do have my “hit list” of candidates that I strongly feel should be rejected. Eventually I will add them to the list with an explanation as to why I feel the voters should not vote for them. But for now, their absence will suffice. Since our great county is divided in three districts (34, 35, and 7) I will make sure I am clear about who these people represent and what office they are running for.

Candidate #1: State Senator Bob Hooper District 35 (Bel Air, North Fallston, Jarrettsville, Forest Hill, Street, Whiteford, and more)

Senator Hooper has been a man dedicated to the people for as long as I can remember. I am proud of Senator Hooper and his strong convictions. He abstained from voting for the slots bill which was good enough for me. I know people who live in the Park Heights area and they do not want another addiction coming into their community. I personally wanted slots until I met with community leaders in Pimlico and Park Heights. They do not want it in their backyard. Just like most of us do not want a homeless shelter or a half-way house in our neighborhood. We all know that slots can be addictive and the city does not need another thing to be addicted to. I view Senator Hooper as one of the bright lights in Maryland politics, a real straight shooter. I hope he remains well and is able to continue to serve us. It would be a great loss to our county to lose someone like Bob Hooper.

Candidate #2: State Senator Nancy Jacobs District 34A (Joppa, Edgewood, Aberdeen, Havre de Grace, Northern Cecil County, and more)

Senator Jacobs is a staunch conservative. She is someone that you either like or you don’t. She is avidly pro-life, pro-gun, pro-death penalty, and pro-family. She may go uncontested in the upcoming election which could be very dangerous for Mr. Guthrie and Mrs. James. If a heavy hitter like Nancy is able to throw her weight around District 34A, some Dem’s heads may roll. Nancy has been invincible since her thumping of Art Helton. She has a lot of money in the bank and I honestly cannot think of any reason for someone to challenge her. A pro-choice, anti-death penalty, anti-gun candidate would get absolutely wiped because of the Cecil County vote. Nancy is sitting pretty and that is good news for the good guys.

Candidate #3: Donna Stifler: House of Delegates District 35A (North Fallston, Jarrettsville, Street, Forest Hill, and more)

I personally feel that there is a need for change in Harford County’s representation in the House of Delegates. I would prefer that Barry Glassman (who will probably be the top vote getter again) and Donna Stifler be the two representatives for the northern part of the county. I don’t care for Joanne Parrott. I have never seen her around when a camera was not present. I know she has her “old dog” supporters. You know what they say about old dogs. You can’t teach them new tricks. The old faithful will continue to vote for Parrott and Glassman. I just hope there is enough support for Stifler to knock off Parrott. I know for sure that I will be working hard behind the scenes for her. Here is one example of why I do not care for Joanne. A friend of mine asked what she thought about abortion. Now that is a question that is going to gain or lose you a vote, so just answer it. Instead she pulls a politician’s classic and says, “How do you feel about it?” Just stand up for what you believe in unless you don’t know what you believe in. That is why I support Donna Stifler. It is clear that she has convictions and strong morals. So when people ask me who I support for House of Delegates in 35A I am going to say, “Who do you support in 35A?” Just kidding. I am going to say, “I support Donna Stifler.”

Candidate #4: Dave Tritt, Sheriff

Dave Tritt is a father of eight children and is stepping into the political arena for the first time. The Aegis recently called the sheriff’s race the most important election this fall. I almost agree with them (for the first time ever). Honestly, I did not know who our sheriff was until about a year ago when Derald Guess was murdered. I was not impressed with Golding back then when he attempted to play down the tragedy by saying that gang activity was in its infancy. Come on man. A family man was just shot in the head in a gang initiation. That is not infancy. Edgewood has been a mess for a long time and I just recently found out that they do not have a juvenile holding cell. When a juvenile is picked up an officer has to wait with them until they are picked up. The southern precinct is completely inadequate for the needs of that area. I blame Golding for this. The man has been completely silent for the past three years. I really think it might be time for a change. The Harford County Deputy Sheriff’s Union recently elected Fred Visnaw as their new president. It will be very interesting to see if he is a “yes man” for the administration. I have a gut feeling that he will not be. This might be a good thing for Dave. I spoke with Dave at a County Council meeting and he was very impressive. The question that remains is whether a man from the outside can gain enough support to carry the day. I feel it is time to bring in someone from the outside to breath some new life into the office.

Candidate #5: Chris Pate: House of Delegates District 34A

Chris Pate seems to be a very nice guy. He is one of those people who reek of intelligence. The few times I have met him, I have certainly been his intellectual inferior. He is a lawyer at some big law firm downtown. He was previously a member of the Harford County Republican Central Committee but for some reason bowed out of politics for a time. If I remember correctly he was a favorite of Nancy Jacobs and David Craig to fill the vacancy left by Boutin. Apparently some other politics got in the way at the Central Committee preventing Pate from being appointed. With the support of Jacobs behind him, he is certainly a formidable foe for James. I look forward to seeing the two Havre de Grace natives duke it out this summer. As I mentioned above, if Nancy goes unopposed, watch out sister (Sister James that is).

Candidate #6: Anyone but Wagner, County Council President
COMING SOON!!

Candidate #7: Paula Mullis or Chris Biggs (Anyone but Guthrie), County Council District A
COMING SOON!!