Scott Shellenberger went to work Wednesday at his downtown Baltimore law firm one happy man, fielding congratulatory phone calls and starting to plot out his transition into the new state?s attorney role for Baltimore County.
Finally feeling confident that his lead over opponent Stephen Bailey was solid, Shellenberger attributed his victory to the support of County Executive Jim Smith, and the general good fortune of being a Democrat in a strong year for the party.
“It was certainly helpful that there was a D next to my name,” Shellenberger said. But now, after an 11-month campaign all geared toward election night, he said, “I have a lot of planning to do.”
In a phone call Wednesday morning, Bailey said Shellenberger was “very gracious and said I could take whatever time I needed” in deciding what to do following the loss. But in any case, he said, “I?m prepared to move on.”
“I?m disappointed, but I?m trying to keep it in perspective,” said Bailey, who waged a heated campaign in the closing weeks as allegations surfaced that Smith funneled $315,000 to Shellenberger. “He?ll do a good job in that office.”
Michael Kaminkow, an attorney who has cases in Baltimore County, said he doesn?t anticipate massive personnel changes in an office run, by all accounts, particularly well.
“They?re both very fine lawyers and I think each of them would have run the office efficiently,” Kaminkow said.
But he said “a major factor” in Shellenberger?s victory is the expectation among local attorneys that he will adapt some long-standing policies in the office, such as seeking the death penalty in nearly every qualified case.
“The other obvious reason was that it was a Democratic landslide,” Kaminkow said, but “I don?t think for a second that the office will be any more political than it was
before.”
Part of the Baltimore Examiner’s 2006 election coverage
