So Many Candidates, So Little Time to Score at Calvert Forum

With Election Day nearing, Calvert County voters, candidates and their supporters packed the Huntingtown High School auditorium Thursday night for what was billed as the county's last and biggest candidate forum.

More than 40 candidates, vying for an array of state and county offices, waited patiently as the moderator called them to the stage in groups and then grilled them on local issues.

The League of Women Voters of Calvert County, which organized the event, strictly enforced a one-minute limit on all answers and introductions. But with so many candidates -- all looking to score rhetorical points with potential voters -- the event lasted almost four hours.

"It's an important service for the community," said Robert Kelly, a Huntingtown voter and assistant Boy Scout master who had boys from Troop 903 help out at the forum. "The only way to understand and really know the candidates is to see them in person -- how they act, how they talk, how confident they are. Otherwise they're just another name in the paper."

In some races, the questions submitted by audience members on cards given to the moderator illuminated clear differences between candidates. In the competition for the northern Calvert state delegate seat, for example, the styles of Republican David F. Hale and Democrat Sue Kullen contrasted sharply.

Kullen, who was appointed to the seat two years ago, often answered questions with explanations of her approaches to legislation.

When asked about whether retirees should be exempted from certain taxes, Kullen talked about the need to balance the state budget and to weigh the needs of various constituents such as military families, teachers and retirees. By comparison, Hale responded, "No caveats, no qualifications. Yes, I would support that."

"I think sometimes candidates hide behind the complexity of issues," Hale said after the forum. "I'm not saying that's what Sue was doing, but the short answer is my style. There's a way even when the issue is complex to give clean, clear answers."

Kullen described her approach as collaborative. "I don't pretend I have all the answers," she said. "I want to work with communities to work toward an answer and seek input."

Although both have been campaigning for months, the forum last week was their first and perhaps only encounter in public. Both described their contest as generally cordial.

"We say hi every time we see each other," Hale said. "I can't speak for the state committees, but we haven't gone negative."

Kullen, however, noted a direct mailing sent by the Republican House Slate Committee displaying pictures of children and claiming that Kullen "failed our children" and "voted to hurt these kids."