Race vs. Party
Steele Catches the Eye of Frustrated Black Democrats In Prince George's, but Will They Cross Over?

By Ann E. Marimow and Ovetta Wiggins
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Looking out on a crowd of hundreds of fellow Democrats gathered in Upper Marlboro, retiring Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes predicted that Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin would win his Senate seat on "a tidal wave of votes" from Prince George's County.

Cardin's Republican rival, Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, is hoping to limit that to a trickle as he sets out to persuade black voters in Maryland's most reliably Democratic county to look beyond party in choosing their senator.

In a state where nearly 30 percent of residents are black, Steele and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) are trying to tap into frustration with the Democratic Party, which some African Americans believe has taken such a loyal voting bloc for granted.

That makes Prince George's a pivotal battleground in the Senate contest, where the two major party camps are marshaling volunteers and bringing in prominent surrogates to connect with voters.

Steele is using his hometown ties to the county and popular black figures, including hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and boxing promoter Don King, who brought his flamboyant style to the ticket yesterday in Largo. Cardin has rallied with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in College Park and campaigned Sunday with his party's last presidential nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry, meeting with black business owners in Upper Marlboro.

Elected officials supporting Cardin concede that Steele is an attractive candidate who is forcing black Democrats to pause and at least consider his candidacy. Even the most high-profile party leaders have acknowledged the potential of Steele's entreaty. "We've got a fight on our hands," said Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D-Md.). "This is a serious challenge."

Steele, the first African American elected statewide, has the advantage of being better known in Prince George's than a congressman from Baltimore. To a person, voters interviewed last week in the county could identify Steele's signature puppy campaign commercial or come up with family trivia, such as his sister's past marriage to Mike Tyson.

But four years ago, Steele's presence on the Republican gubernatorial ticket didn't give Ehrlich the anticipated boost in Prince George's: Ehrlich received just 23 percent of the vote in Steele's home jurisdiction and took 6,000 fewer votes than the Republican nominee in 1998.

This time, Steele said he is aiming for 25 percent of the black vote statewide and seeking as much as 40 percent of the overall vote in Prince George's.

Although Democrats interviewed last week said they were intrigued by Steele, many said they would not part with their party in next month's election because of broader issues such as the Iraq war and the balance of power in Congress.

Standing outside the Largo post office last week, Ola Belle Burley, 75, said she voted for Democrat Kweisi Mfume in September's primary with the hope of sending a second African American to the U.S. Senate to join Obama. Mfume finished second to Cardin but won nearly 70 percent of the vote in Prince George's.

Between Cardin and Steele, Burley, a staunch Democrat, said that she would go with her party's ultimate choice. "I feel more comfortable with him."

The decision has not been so simple for Kerby Parker of Mitchellville. The 46-year-old father of twin boys smiles easily, but his face still tightens with anguish when he talks about Democratic contender Kathleen Kennedy Townsend's decision not to pick a black running mate in 2002. As an African American and a loyal Democrat, Parker said, "It left a sour taste in your mouth. You're thinking, how could you insult us like that?"

To Parker, who owns his own consulting firm and wears a wireless earpiece even when he's having his hair trimmed, Steele comes across as refined, articulate and generally "presents well." He contributed a few hundred dollars for a chance to meet Steele at a local golf club fundraiser.

"It was fun to play with the idea, but when the dust settles, you do a gut check," Parker said. And neither Steele nor the lingering resentment Parker feels from four years ago has given him enough of a reason to cross over. He doesn't believe Steele, as one senator, could stand up to Republican leaders.

Steele has routinely steered clear of mentioning his political affiliation, and he has strong appeal with some socially conservative Democrats, such as Kindra Gaskin and Kelli Edwards, because of his position on issues such as abortion. Both women voted for the Ehrlich-Steele ticket in 2002.

"He holds the same values that I hold," said Edwards, a physical therapist who stays home to raise her six children. Edwards said she is registered as a Democrat to have a voice in her local government, but when it comes to national politics, she said, she considers herself an independent.

At his Branch Avenue headquarters in Temple Hills, Steele's campaign has assembled 300 volunteers, who each week make more than 3,500 phone calls and knock on more than 800 doors, spokesman Doug Heye said. But the lieutenant governor's campaign in Prince George's started long before he announced his candidacy, with routine visits to churches and community groups and networking with small-business owners. The attention he paid to municipalities has won him the endorsement of one elected Democrat, Seat Pleasant Mayor Eugene Grant.

His economic buzzwords -- creating "legacy wealth" and "opportunity" -- have resonated with local business leaders such as Democrat Mike Little, a founding member of the Prince George's Black Chamber of Commerce, who is also a booster for Wynn.

"It's not Republicanism I'm supporting. I'm supporting Michael Steele and what I know him to stand for," said Little, who runs a federal contracting firm. He also acknowledged the appeal of having a local in the Senate.

A few miles away in New Carrollton, the windowless basement of an office building serves as the hub for the Democrats' coordinated effort for Cardin and Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley. A change in state law that allows voters this year to apply for absentee ballots without giving a reason has provided both major parties with a new opportunity.

Democrats have their eye on engaging infrequent voters, who participate in presidential elections but not in off-year contests. The party has sent thousands of absentee applications to these "drop-off" voters, who are disproportionately found in Prince George's and Baltimore City, and is following up with a series of phone calls from the New Carrollton center.

"Democrats Ben Cardin and Martin O'Malley need you to fill out your vote-by-mail application," volunteers read from a script every night from 5 to 9 p.m. while others fan out to knock on doors throughout Prince George's.

By mid-October, the party will know which voters have requested absentee ballots and will begin another round of calls to try to ensure votes are cast. The absentee efforts by both parties appear to be making a difference. The State Board of Elections has received 80,000 requests for ballots. In the last gubernatorial election, 60,000 people voted absentee.

At the Democratic gathering in Upper Marlboro last week, Cardin and O'Malley won enthusiastic backing from the Prince George's political establishment. But in the audience, some were willing to articulate the challenge Steele presents.

Del. Melony G. Griffith (D-Prince George's), who is solidly with Cardin, has grown accustomed to conflicted Democrats pleading with her to "help me not vote for Steele."

The problem, she said, is this: With the affluence, education and demographic dominance African Americans have achieved in Prince George's, there are those who believe it is time to have representation that reflects the county.

"For some, Michael Steele represents that possibility," she said.