A True-Blue Region Turns a Shade of Red

St. Mary's County commissioners President Thomas F. McKay, another recent convert to the GOP, said Democrats have moved too far away from traditional southern values of small government, individual responsibility, family and religion.

The ability of local Democrats to influence voter registration is further hindered by national perceptions about the two parties, said Kevin Igoe, a Republican consultant who lives in Calvert. Howard Dean's elevation to chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he said, was not helpful.

"When you attack the Republican Party as being a party of white Christians, a lot of people look at themselves and say, 'Aren't I a white Christian?' " he said, referring to controversial comments Dean made in June

Del. John L. Bohanan Jr. (D-St. Mary's), district director for Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D), acknowledged that the party "has a lot of work to do to make sure that new arriving residents recognize the traditional roots" of the party in Southern Maryland.

But Bohanan said he is also interested in the people who are choosing not to affiliate with either party, a group that has nearly doubled as a percentage of registered voters in his county since 1992.

Martin Fairclough, executive director of the nonprofit Patuxent Partnership, moved to the area a decade ago and counts himself among the independents. He does not subscribe to the view that because St. Mary's is a military town, people are automatically Republicans.

"You've got the Navy wives and husbands who simply vote Republican, period, end of story," he said. "But once people become part of the fabric of the community, it comes down to the individual" candidate.

During one of Duncan's visits to St. Mary's, Wood said he pulled him aside to share the county's perceptions. "I like Doug a lot, but I told him, 'People in Montgomery County have never seen a tax they don't like,' " Wood recalled. " 'Down here, we don't think like that.' "

Duncan responded, " 'That's not right,' " Wood said. "But that is right."

For both Duncan and O'Malley, he said, "It's not going to be easy."