At churches, backyard barbecues and community forums, Jack B. Johnson ran for Prince George's county executive in 2002 promising to bring "crime down and education up."
He told residents of trash-strewn streets that he would help turn their neighborhoods into "livable communities." The then-state's attorney pledged to rebuild a police force rocked by two federal investigations into use of excessive force. He presented himself as the candidate who could unite a sometimes fractious county leadership.
Well into his third year in office, and with the 2006 political season ready to begin, Johnson (D) remains in campaign mode, shaking churchgoers' hands, kissing supporters and sounding the same broad themes.
So what's changed?
"People are happy. That's what I hear when I go across this county," Johnson said recently. "The county is clean. Their property values are up. There are great things happening."
In some important respects, Prince George's fortunes have risen on Johnson's watch. Police are under a federal consent decree in which the county promises to closely monitor their conduct.
Once written off by developers and investors, the county is emerging as a desirable venue for retailers and builders. Two new Metro stations on the Blue Line and a town-center style shopping development in Largo have opened. Johnson has broken ground at M Square, a 120-acre research project run by the University of Maryland, and National Harbor, the $2 billion Potomac riverfront convention and resort complex.
Greater-than-expected tax revenue has produced a modest budget surplus. The county's bond rating, Wall Street's assessment of its financial health, has been upgraded.
Johnson's critics say he is more the beneficiary of these achievements than the architect -- that they are the fruits of work begun years earlier by others.
"Johnson is just stewing in [Wayne] Curry's juices," said Judy Robinson, a community activist, referring to Johnson's predecessor.
At the same time, detractors say, Johnson's record on the issues that defined his campaign has been mixed at best.
The county tops the state in most categories of violent crime. It has the highest car theft rate and the highest number of carjackings, according to data from Maryland's Uniform Crime Report. Prince George's has recorded 63 homicides this year, up from 40 at this time in 2004.
