The only televised debate between the two attorney general candidates turned into their most contentious showdown yet.
Republican Scott Rolle repeatedly attacked Democrat Douglas Gansler on the death penalty and the environment, finally getting Gansler to fire back at him near the end of the 30-minute debate on Maryland Public Television.
Frederick County State?s Attorney Rolle attempted to paint himself as tougher on crime than Montgomery County State?s Attorney Gansler.
“I think it?s important to walk the walk rather than talk the talk,” Rolle said.
“I obtained the longest sentence in Maryland history for a child molester: 450 years. We have filed the notice to seek the death penalty three times in Frederick County. My opponent has never filed a notice to seek the death penalty.”
Gansler has said in the past that he supports the death penalty, but local prosecutors ? not the attorney general ? are charged with whether to seek capital punishment.
“There?s nobody who has been tougher on crime than I have in Montgomery County,” he said.
Gansler said if elected, he would conduct an “environmental audit” where staff would search every waterway in the state to root out pollution and polluters.
Rolle said such an idea is unrealistic, and he proposes doubling or tripling the number of prosecutors charged with protecting the environment.
“To do an environmental audit, mile by mile, would take over 60 years, and it can?t be done,” Rolle said.
