For Candidate Mahoney, A Refuge in House Race

If elected to the state Senate, Lenett said he will push for a statewide ban on assault weapons.

High Praise for Sarbanes Staffer

There is little doubt about who U.S. Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes supports in the race for a District 20 state House seat.

At an event Monday to announce greater federal support for the proposed Silver Spring transit center, Sarbanes went out of his way to recognize -- and repeatedly name -- one of his staff members, Aaron Klein .

Klein works on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs as an aide to Sarbanes, the panel's ranking Democrat. He's also a candidate for delegate in District 20, which includes parts of Silver Spring and Takoma Park.

Statewide leaders often give lukewarm support to local candidates. But Sarbanes appears to be actively promoting Klein's campaign.

"I want to acknowledge the terrific work of Aaron Klein," Sarbanes said at the end of his speech. "Aaron went to school in Silver Spring. He now lives in Silver Spring, and he takes the Metro from this transit center every day. . . . I want to commend him for all his work and really giving back to the Silver Spring community."

Later that night, Sarbanes was the guest of honor at Klein's campaign kickoff event at Ceviche Restaurant in Silver Spring.

The District 20 race could turn into the battle of the Capitol Hill staffers. Heather R. Mizeur , who works for U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), is also a candidate.

Lights . . . Camera . . . Duncan

County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D) and his staff appear to be increasingly eager for the perfect photo op as Duncan's campaign for governor heats up.

At Monday's announcement of $24 million in federal funding for the Silver Spring transit center project, David Weaver, Montgomery County's director of public information, acted as if he were Duncan's personal image consultant.

Before Duncan and other elected officials showed up at the podium, a half-dozen television cameras were fixed on a backdrop of trees and train tracks.

But Weaver, who is Duncan's official spokesman for county business, orchestrated a slight shift in camera positions so Duncan could make his announcement as buses and Metro cars rolled behind him.

Weaver's keen eye for a good picture was also on display last month during Duncan's capital budget announcement, which included more money for school construction.

Duncan announced his plan while standing on a bluff overlooking the site of the new Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville.

A few minutes before Duncan took the stage, Weaver was spotted trying to personally unscrew a dusty sign that partly obstructed the view of construction equipment.

A nearby construction worker quickly came to Weaver's aid and removed the sign.