A disinterested voter base, coupled with a shortage of top-of-the-ticket races in Maryland’s Sept. 14 primary, is likely to produce new faces on the Montgomery County Council, according to political observers and even some incumbents looking to keep their seats.
With County Executive Ike Leggett expected to coast to re-election, four at-large council seats have garnered the most attention among Montgomery political junkies in a year lacking electoral drama.
Councilwoman Valerie Ervin, D-Silver Spring, who faces no challenger in the Democratic primary, predicted, “There could be some upsets.”
“There is a lot of nervousness out there among people who are actually running,” she added. “We know this is a low-turnout election. Are people really going to care enough to vote for council members? Challengers may not have to mobilize as many people to win this time around.”
Judging from fundraising totals and name recognition, Hans Riemer, a voter outreach coordinator during President Obama’s campaign, and Becky Wagner, executive director of Interfaith Works, are considered the most likely to oust a sitting council member. Both received the endorsement of the Montgomery County Education Association, which carries significant weight with the more than 20,000 school employees — among the surest bets to show up at the polls. School is closed for the primary and general elections.
One council staffer, who asked to remain anonymous when talking about his bosses, described the mood among council incumbents more frankly.
“All the at-large incumbents are being nice to each other because they don’t know for sure who’s on the bottom,” he said. “Honestly, there’s a very real possibility that one of them will be knocked off; so they are treading carefully and basically just going after challengers.”
Voters will choose four candidates for the at-large seats from their party primaries and five to face off for district posts in November. The Democratic primary is tantamount to the general election in the liberal stronghold.
Regardless, there will be new blood on the council.
State Del. Craig Rice and former county Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson are largely viewed as the top contenders to replace Councilman Mike Knapp, not seeking re-election, in the upcounty district. At-large Councilmen Marc Elrich and George Leventhal are considered safe.
Knapp said the “conventional wisdom” is that Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg, D-at large, Council President Nancy Floreen and Riemer are fighting for the final two at-large spots. He called it a “fairly long shot” that Riemer would knock off either.
“You would literally have to convince everyone to vote for the same new person,” he said, referring to the likelihood that challengers split votes.
Early voting
Montgomery County will open five early voting centers from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 3 to 9, excluding Sunday. Early voting centers are located at:
» Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center, 14625 Bauer Drive, Rockville
» Germantown Recreation Center, 18905 Kingsview Road, Germantown
» Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center, 14906 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville
» County Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe St., Rockville
» Silver Spring Civic Building, 8525 Fenton St., Silver Spring
