Candidates for County Executive, Council Square Off at Forum

Campaign season was in full swing in Prince George's County last week as candidates held fundraisers and events countywide and two nonpartisan groups held candidate forums.

On Wednesday, the county's branch of the NAACP and several fraternities and sororities sponsored a forum.

In the county executive race, former state delegate Rushern L. Baker III debated Michael D. Herman , who is Executive Jack B. Johnson 's chief of staff. Herman told the audience that Johnson was visiting his ailing mother in South Carolina. Baker is challenging Johnson in the Sept. 12 Democratic primary.

Baker and Herman offered classic challenger and incumbent fare. Herman argued that county residents are better off than they were four years ago, thanks to Johnson. Baker responded that Johnson is ignoring important problems and said it's time for change.

"When you look at the success of this county since 2002, truly this has been one of the most remarkable periods in the county's history," Herman said.

"If we're going to solve the problems we face in Prince George's County, we first of all have to admit that we do have problems," Baker said.

They sparred over crime: Is it going up? Is it going down? Why? And they clashed over Baker's legislative role in disbanding the elected school board in 2002 in favor of an appointed board whose members serve four-year terms. Herman revved up the crowd, some of them school board candidates, by saying that Baker's effort had taken away residents' right to vote.

Baker said that he knew the decision wasn't popular but that it was necessary to avoid a state takeover and secure new state money for schools.

The forum also featured dozens of men and women who are running for the County Council or are vying for nine school board seats. The former includes three council members running unopposed: Camille Exum (D-Seat Pleasant), Tony Knotts (D-Temple Hills) and Chairman Thomas E. Dernoga (D-Laurel), who made a pitch to the crowd in favor of the incumbents who are facing opponents. "What you have is a team you need to keep together," he told the audience.

There was feisty debate among candidates challenging incumbent Marilynn Bland (D-Clinton), with Marvin M. Silver of Upper Marlboro telling the crowd that Bland represents a "weak link on the team" and needs to be replaced. Bland, who faces five challengers, responded that she was running on her record. "I'm not just a politician. I'm a public servant," she said.

The most crowd-pleasing line of the night might have belonged to Florence Hendershot . The candidate for County Council is running to replace her husband, Thomas R. Hendershot (D-New Carrollton), who is stepping down because of term limits. Asserting that county leadership needs more female voices, she said: "It has been my experience that men win the elections, and then they appoint women to carry out their policies."

The crowd rewarded her with resounding applause and cheers.