By Tim Craig and Lori Aratani
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, May 4, 2006
Del. Richard S. Madaleno Jr.'s (D) decision to run for the state Senate has set off a scramble to replace him as one of the three District 18 House members.
Madaleno, 40, is the only candidate who has indicated his intention to run for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Sharon M. Grosfeld in the district that includes Chevy Chase, Kensington and parts of Garrett Park.
"It was an excellent opportunity to move up to the Senate and take my unique skills to the Senate," said Madaleno, a first-term delegate who lives in Kensington.
Madaleno, whose been endorsed by Grosfeld, plans to run with Dels. Ana Sol Gutierrez and Jane E. Lawton on a slate. But there is a free-for-all for the third delegate seat from District 18.
According to party insiders, at least a half dozen Democrats are considering entering the race.
They include: Jeff Waldstreicher , a lawyer and precinct chair, Al Carr , a member of the Kensington City Council; Dana Beyer , a leader in Teachthefacts.org, an organization dedicated to teaching a progressive curriculum in county schools; Noah Grosfeld-Katz , Grosfeld's 21-year-old son; Oscar T. Ramirez , a Capitol Hill staff member for Rep. Al Green (D-Tex.), lawyer Daniel Farrington and Alan Banov , a member of the central committee.
Mahoney to Bow OutIn the end, lawyer John P. Mahoney apparently decided he couldn't put politics before his job.
Mahoney, the former president of the Maryland Young Democrats, announced last week that he is withdrawing from the delegate race in District 19.
Mahoney said an in e-mail to supporters that his law firm recently won a big federal contract that will require him to work hard over the next several months.
"This new client in the months ahead, in addition to preparing for the arrival of my family's third child in June, make it impossible for me to continue to run for the House of Delegates in the effective way that I would want to do so," Mahoney said.
It's the second time in the past two months that Mahoney, 36, has dropped out of a race.
Last year, he announced he would run for the Senate in District 19, which includes Leisure World and parts of Aspen Hill, Olney and Colesville.
Mahoney was targeting incumbent Sen. Leonard H. Teitelbaum , who decided not to seek reelection.
Mahoney's aggressive challenge to Teitelbaum offended the party establishment. And, in an effort to in part keep Mahoney from winning the nomination, Dels. Carol S. Petzold (D) and Adrienne A. Mandel (D) both entered the Senate race. In March, Mahoney dropped that effort and announced his bid for the House.
Mahoney said he plans to keep the money he raised for his two races in case he later decides to run for public office. As of January, he had $21,000 in the bank.
NOW Officer to RunDuchy Trachtenberg , president of the Maryland chapter of the National Organization for Women, will announce Monday that she is running for an at-large seat on the County Council.
Trachtenberg, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for the council four years ago, will immediately become one of the best-funded candidates for the nomination.
As of January, Trachtenberg had raised more than $210,000 and had more money in the bank then any of the incumbents seeking reelection.
Meanwhile, Hugh Bailey , an official with the county Department of Economic Development, announced Tuesday that he is also running in the Democratic primary for an at-large seat.
Bailey's announcement comes after being hailed as a hero.
On Easter Sunday, he was driving to church when he saw a car crash into a concrete barrier and catch fire at Muncaster Mill and Shady Grove roads.
After calling 911, Bailey leapt out of his car and pulled the man from his burning vehicle.
"As the fire intensified, Mr. Bailey, without regard for his own safety, then proceeded to the car and pulled the stunned victim from the burning vehicle," the fire department said in a statement.
The man, Jorge Contreras , was later charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend, who was found stabbed to deaththe previous day.
Parents Mark AbsenceMore than 100 parents and community members jammed the auditorium at Montgomery County public school headquarters Monday night for a public hearing on the fate of Seven Locks Elementary School -- the Potomac campus that has been the subject of much debate over the past few years.
But one person was conspicuously absent from the proceedings: schools chief Jerry D. Weast.
Weast, who last week further inflamed tensions in the community by recommending the school system push forward after all with plans to build a replacement campus for Seven Locks at Kendale Road or simply shut the campus down, was not in Rockville to hear the angry testimony from community members who vehemently oppose the plan.
Instead, board President Charles Haughey said that Weast was in downtown Washington at a reception at The Washington Post to celebrate the Montgomery County winner of the Agnes Meyer Teaching Award.
The announcement drew a cool reception from folks who had hoped to have the opportunity to give Weast a piece of their mind. While Weast was at the Post event, which included a cocktail reception and dinner, more than 62 people shared their views on the fate of Seven Locks Elementary.
"I wish I could have had the luxury like Dr. Weast to choose where I would be tonight,'' said parent Ari Storch . "What is sad is that I am here tonight, forced to defend my children from the impact of what appears to be political, partisan 'kindergarten games' being played by this school board and the county council."
Candidate ForumsCandidates for Montgomery County executive will discuss local issues in a forum from 6:30-9 p.m. Monday at Georgetown Preparatory School in the Haas Humanities Building/Figge Theater, 10900 Rockville Pike in North Bethesda. The event is sponsored by the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, which includes 36 schools in Montgomery.
Send information on upcoming candidate forums tomocoextra@washpost.com. Include a contact name and daytime phone number.
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