After Delays, Johnson Is Reelected; Wynn Appears to Lead in House Race

Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) was elected to a second term Tuesday, a result only clear yesterday afternoon as county workers were stymied by technological problems with voting machines and did not count nearly half of the ballots until midday yesterday.

Johnson, 57, fended off a tough challenge from former state delegate Rushern L. Baker III, who called Johnson just after 3 p.m. to concede. With all but two precincts reporting, Johnson led by 52 to 48 percent.

"The message that was sent was that the majority of citizens are very proud of my record, despite negativity that was put out," he said in an interview before addressing supporters at a late-afternoon victory party at his Largo headquarters. "People know me, and they know the type of person that I am."

Baker did not speak publicly yesterday, but in a statement, he thanked family and friends and said his race against Johnson was "simply worth fighting."

In the county's other high-profile race, Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D-Md.) appeared to hold off challenger Donna Edwards in her bid to replace him in the 4th District for the U.S. House. Edwards, however, said she was "outraged" with problems counting votes in Prince George's and wanted to the see the results of provisional vote counts in Montgomery. She did not concede.

Many elected officials and political observers said they were stunned at Johnson's relatively narrow margin of victory over Baker, who served in Annapolis for eight years but was relatively unknown even weeks ago. Johnson faces no Republican challenger in the November general election.

They said voters' willingness to back the surging challenger in a county that has historically reelected its incumbents with double-digit leads indicated widespread dissatisfaction with Johnson's handling of the county's years-long struggle to improve schools and reduce crime.

"Those become symbolic issues of the disaffection for voters, who were saying they wanted to see things solved," said Ronald Walters, a political scientist at the University of Maryland.

He predicted that a weakened Johnson would spend the next four years locked in a "great struggle" with a newly elected Board of Education and a County Council filled with ambitious members eyeing the county executive job.

"Generally, you get a year or two-year break," said M.H. Jim Estepp, who came in second to Johnson in the 2002 executive race. Estepp said he could feel jockeying beginning already for the next executive race. "What it means is somebody better get moving quickly and start solving these problems. Not put out press releases, not talk about it, but solve these problems."

Term limits will force Johnson, a former state's attorney, from office after he serves the second term. And he has told residents this would be his last political campaign.

Both camps said they were disappointed with the county's first experience with electronic balloting, though neither thought the problems had affected the outcome.