Hardly a Conservative in the Bunch

The ratings are in. And, not surprisingly, Montgomery County has among the most liberal legislators in the Maryland General Assembly.

A group calling itself the Maryland Accountability Project has developed rankings based on how all 188 lawmakers voted on 25 bills last year. The organization, which says it is nonpartisan, then assigned a 0 to 100 "conservative rating" based on those votes. The higher the rating, the more conservative the voting record, according to the group.

Based on the rankings, all of Montgomery's senators and delegates, including the delegation's lone Republican, Jean B. Cryor (District 15), are fairly liberal.

But it is Montgomery County, after all, and distinctions among Democrats can matter.

Dels. Ana Sol Gutierrez (District 18), Brian J. Feldman (District 15), Adrienne A. Mandel (District 19), Karen S. Montgomery (District 14), Susan C. Lee (District 16) and Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (District 18) scored a 16, earning them the title of the most liberal members of the county's House delegation.

Del. Charles E. Barkley (District 39), who scored a 28, was rated as the most "conservative" House member from Montgomery -- although moderate is probably a more appropriate term.

House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve (District 17) and Cryor had the second-highest score, 24. Cryor' s ranking makes her the least conservative Republican in the General Assembly -- a trait that could help as she seeks reelection this year in an increasingly Democratic district.

In the Senate, P.J. Hogan (District 39) is ranked as the most moderate member from Montgomery County. Hogan, a former Republican who switched parties in 2000, scored a 28. Sen. Sharon M. Grosfeld (District 18), who scored 16, is ranked as the most liberal county senator.

Ratings for all General Assembly members and the votes used to assess their records can be found at http://www.marylandaccountabilityproject.org .

A Warning on Gay Rights

Former Takoma Park City Council member Heather R. Mizeur , a Democratic candidate for the House of Delegates, has put her party's leadership on notice that she and other gay and lesbian voters expect full marriage rights.

In a letter published in this week's Washington Blade, Mizeur scolded "some of the state's leading Democrats" for not taking a firm stance on the gay marriage issue.

"It seems the Democrats are simply afraid to take a stand on the issue,'" wrote Mizeur, a candidate in District 20, which includes parts of Takoma Park and Silver Spring. "This represents a cynical political strategy that dramatically underestimates the people of Maryland. "