Baltimore City Judges Gale E. Rasin, John C. Themelis and Barry G. Williams have almost 40 times more money than their closest challenger, according to campaign finance reports released this week.
The three sitting judges raised a total of $119,870 from January to August of this year and have a total of $126,862 on hand.
By contrast, challengers Nicholas Del Pizzo, Emanuel Brown and Rodney Jones possess $3,303, $1,865 and less than $1,000, respectively.
Jones, who signed an affidavit saying he has raised less than $1,000, saidthe race was an uphill battle.
“That?s the way it looks,” he said. “I?m always ready to meet a challenge.”
Jones, a Baltimore defense attorney, said he?s running to change the status quo in the city.
“I want to be able to push the judicial system forward,” he said. “Have the state of affairs in the city gotten progressively better or progressively worse? Most people I?ve talked to have responded progressively worse. I want to change that.”
Rasin said she and the two other incumbent judges are raising funds to help get their names known in the community.
“It?s very difficult for anybody to even know who?s running,” she said. “We?re going to do some mailings. Mailings are incredibly expensive. That?s just to get our names out to the public.”
She said residents should vote for incumbent judges because they have been vetted by a thorough process that includes the approval of lawyers, bar associations, residents and the governor before they were appointed.
“Judges who are appointed and serving went though a rigorous process,” she said.
Even though they?ve raised more money than their challengers, the sitting judges are not expected to afford radio or billboard advertisements, Rasin said.
Baltimore Mayor Martin O?Malley, Gov. Robert Ehrlich, State?s Attorney Patricia Jessamy and Attorney General Joseph Curran have all endorsed the sitting judges, Rasin said.
Nevertheless, Del Pizzo said citizens are tired of crime in Baltimore and want new solutions.
2006 Fundraising tally
Judges Gale Rasin, John Themelis and Barry Williams (incumbents)
» Contributions: $119,870
» Cash on hand: $126,862
Nicholas Del Pizzo
» Contributions: $30,530
» Cashon hand: $3,303
Emanuel Brown
» Contributions: $5,570
» Cash on hand: $1,865
Rodney Jones
» Has collected less than $1,000
“I represent a more progressive Baltimore that doesn?t want 269 murders a year,” he said. “Judges need to be more aggressive and out in the community working for solutions.”
