Rarely before Doug Gansler?s initial appearance on the state?s political horizon have Maryland voters seen such a raw combination of unalloyed ambition, concrete achievement and potential for future public service.
Since firstbeing elected Montgomery County state?s attorney in 1998, the former federal prosecutor clearly has had his eyes on higher office, even as he has compiled an impressive record in Rockville of aggressive prosecution of gangs, drug dealers and, most notably, D.C. snipers Lee Boyd Malvo and John Muhammed.
Recommended Stories
Gansler?s brashness served Marylanders well when he demanded that the sniper duo be returned to Maryland for prosecution, even though a Virginia jury had given Muhammed the death penalty and Malvo a life sentence. Justice demanded that the two killers also face a jury of Marylanders, and Gansler made certain that happened.
Gansler promises to seek a RICO-like anti-gang statute and prosecution initiative, as well as aggressive efforts to ensure local and state officials in Maryland work seamlessly with federal anti-terror programs. Gansler also pledged to seek to tighten laws that currently allow excessive judicial discretion in criminal sentencing and to go after environmental offenders, especially with regard to the Chesapeake Bay.
Scott Rolle, Gansler?s Republican opponent, is the Frederick County state?s attorney and would also make a solid attorney general. But the decision of his campaign manager, Jason Shoemaker, to represent a client seeking to oust Gansler in the courts from the race on eligibility grounds speaks ill of his ability to run a campaign on the issues. He denies any connection to the suit but his affiliation with Shoemaker makes it impossible to deny.
Maryland desperately needs a revived two-party system, but in this particular race Democrat Gansler is clearly the best choice.
Part of the Baltimore Examiner’s 2006 Election Coverage
