Cardin Far Ahead in Senate Primary; Leggett Has Big Lead in Montgomery

But Johns Hopkins University political science professor Matthew Crenson said Democrats may have "ducked a big bullet" on the subject of race, because Mfume and Cardin have assiduously avoided the issue, focusing instead on the war in Iraq, the plight of the nation's uninsured and ethics reform in Washington.

When the two debated during the final days of an 18-month contest, the toughest swipe Mfume took at Cardin had to do not with race but with the special interest and lobbyist money invested in his campaign.

"The big worry of the Democrats and the big hope of the Republicans was that the [primary] campaign would become racially polarizing," Crenson said. "But it's been a fairly muted and mutually respectful campaign."

Democrats have planned a series of "unity" events for this week, and party leaders have pledged to bring Cardin and Mfume together onstage in an effort to help soothe any concerns about racial division. But the party will have to address primary results that show a ticket dominated by white men.

Unity may be tougher for those involved in some of the primary's more bitter contests, including the race for state comptroller, in which Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens and Montgomery Del. Peter Franchot both threw some hard punches at Schaefer.

Schaefer, who began his public life in 1955 on the Baltimore City Council, sought one more term. But his close ties to Ehrlich and controversial remarks on immigrants and women have not endeared him to the state's mostly liberal Democrats. Franchot focused his assault on Schaefer's unabashed praise of the Republican governor, claiming to be the only "real Democrat" in the contest. Owens emphasized Schaefer's age .

Schaefer was the only statewide official on the Democratic side who sought reelection. Gansler, the Montgomery County state's attorney, and Simms, a former Baltimore state's attorney, battled over the seat being vacated by veteran Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. (Montgomery County Council member Tom Perez's name appeared on the ballot, but the state's high court ruled him ineligible to compete for the post.)

Simms had signed on to be Duncan's lieutenant governor candidate, but when Duncan left the race, Simms and others, including those who believed the Baltimore region should not be without a candidate for attorney general, encouraged him to shift his target. He drew a number of high-profile supporters, but his campaign was hindered by a lack of money and a late start.

Gansler, by contrast, has been planning his campaign for years. He has a Web site filled with proposals on combating gangs and pursuing polluters, and he has raised almost $2 million. Frederick County State's Attorney Scott L. Rolle ran unopposed on the Republican side.

Two other vitriolic contests were centered in Prince George's County, where winning the nomination usually means election. Incumbents Wynn and Johnson faced aggressive challenges.

Wynn battled Edwards, who mounted a challenge from the left, accusing the seven-term incumbent of coddling business interests and knocking him for voting to support the Iraq war.

Edwards put Wynn on his heels at a caustic NAACP debate, which ended with a Wynn supporter being arrested on suspicion of striking an Edwards volunteer during a skirmish over campaign signs. Wynn campaigned as someone who could deliver projects to his district, rattling off a long list of improvements that were financed with federal aid.

Johnson, meanwhile, ran hard for a second term by emphasizing an economic boom and rising property tax revenue, which have brought added services and school construction money.

But Baker, who lost to Johnson in a five-man race four years ago, took after the incumbent, saying he ignored the county's rising crime problem and knocking a series of county contracts Johnson handed to friends and campaign supporters.

Nothing that dramatic occurred during the Montgomery county executive contest, which largely focused on the question of which candidate could be better trusted to ease traffic and check the efforts of developers.

Leggett said that he would do a better job of controlling growth and standing up to developers who have been generous to Silverman's campaign. Silverman, in turn, has cast himself as the more decisive leader and said he would be more aggressive in funding road projects and the proposed Purple Line.