More News

Ruben vs. Raskin: Ready to rumble

Seasoned veteran and hopeful ‘underdog’ fight for state Senate seat

Friday, July 14, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Laurie DeWitt⁄The Gazette Jamie Raskin (second from left) talks with Bobby Gelfeld (far left) at a house party on Saturday in Takoma Park. Also pictured are Anthony Rubolo of Silver Spring, William Nicholson (cap) and his daughter, Elena, 11. Click here to enlarge this photo Zaid Hamid⁄Special to The Gazette State Sen. Ida G. Ruben (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring waves to the crowds lining the streets of Takoma Park during the July 4 parade.

Ida G. Ruben (D) of Silver Spring, who has represented District 20 — which includes Takoma Park and parts of Silver Spring — in the Senate for 19 years, faces competition from Takoma Park resident and American University law professor Jamie Raskin.

Ruben knows retaining her seat is not a given.

‘‘I’m very confident about the race, but I’m not overly confident,” she said, adding Raskin declared his candidacy in January and began campaigning while she was still in session. Ruben began campaigning seriously in June.

Campaigning and making themselves known is important because Raskin and Ruben are running a race where every vote counts, said Bethesda pollster G. Keith Haller. And with so many major races at the top of the ticket, local races may not be at the forefront of voters’ minds.

‘‘It’s a frenzied battle among the rabid political watchers,” Haller said, ‘‘but I don’t believe the race has been getting the attention of the average voter.”

District 20 is not large geographically, and the candidates are not likely to benefit from television ads, Haller said. But they could benefit from direct mailings, paraphernalia and holding highly visible events, he said. He estimated both campaigns could spend more than $250,000, a hefty sum for a state legislative race.

Ruben raised $98,687 between January 2005 and January 2006, and had a cash balance of $194,119 at that time, according to the State Board of Elections,. A pre-primary financial report is due Aug. 15. Ruben said she knows she needs to raise more money to campaign adequately.

‘‘Years ago, my first opponent spent a quarter-million of his own money,” she said. ‘‘I raised $120,000 and I thought that was excessive.”

Money, Ruben said, doesn’t go as far as it used to and ‘‘it’s hard to say [how much is needed.] I need to raise quite a bit.”

People don’t know how much it costs to run a campaign, Ruben said. ‘‘If you tell them, they’re shocked. People will call and say, ‘You should do this.’ I should. But I don’t think people realize how much it costs.”

Raskin said he has raised about $150,000, and raising money is tougher on a challenger. Ruben has served 31 years in the General Assembly and has name recognition, Raskin said, estimating about 90 percent of voters know who she is, while 50 percent to 60 percent know who he is. He has had to campaign hard to put himself and his positions before voters.

‘‘I started the race as an underdog, and I’m still an underdog,” Raskin said.

To help voters commit his name to memory, Raskin has employed creative techniques.

Takoma Park’s ice cream shop, Summer Delights, has named a flavor after him — Askin’ 4 Raskin — and on the Fourth of July, the store gave out free scoops. When he knocks on doors in the evenings and on weekends, he takes along treats to pacify barking dogs. The treats have a picture of his own dog, Zola, on the wrapper. His supporters have held house parties where he can meet District 20 residents.

‘‘I’m trying to keep it fun on the road,” he said.

Ruben’s campaign strategy has been similar. She’s going door-to-door and made an appearance in Takoma Park’s Independence Day parade, riding in the back of a Thunderbird convertible. Her supporters are also hosting coffees where she can talk with voters in a more intimate setting.

‘‘I’m very positive about it,” she said of her campaign. ‘‘District 20 and Montgomery County and the state are healthy and well and headed in the right direction, and I want to protect that.”

Both candidates have received a number of endorsements from organizations and prominent political figures. The Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association, Montgomery County Education Association, Service Employees International Union Local 500 and the Maryland and D.C. AFL-CIO have endorsed Ruben. U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D) of Baltimore, U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Dist. 5) of Mechanicsville, U.S. Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D-Dist. 4) of Mitchellville, former governor Parris N. Glendening and County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D) are among Ruben’s supporters.

Raskin has been endorsed by the College Democrats of America-Montgomery College chapter, Progressive Democrats of America and 21st Century Democrats. U.S. Senate candidate Kweisi Mfume, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley, Board of Education member and County Council candidate Valerie Ervin and former County Council and school board member Blair G. Ewing are among Raskin’s supporters.

‘‘It’s tremendously exciting. There are people who can’t remember a state Senate campaign,” Raskin said.

He’s hopeful. Change has swept across the Democratic party in Maryland following U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes’ (D) announcement of his retirement.

U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Dist. 3) of Pikesville and Mfume are hoping to take Sarbanes’ Senate spot, and Sarbanes’ son, John, is hoping to win a seat in the district vacated by Cardin. That movement has continued to trickle down: Five-term Del. Peter V.R. Franchot (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park is leaving his seat to run for state comptroller against incumbent William Donald Schaefer (D), and younger Democrats are coming forward with hopes of taking his place.

‘‘It seems like this is the year of sort of the next generation of Democrats,” Haller said. But also across the county, ‘‘the younger generation has woken up and said, ‘It’s our time.’”

But while a younger generation has stepped forward, the makeup of District 20, with its predominantly older generation of voters, favors Ruben, Haller said. Nearly 70 percent of the Democratic voters are 50 years old or older, he said.

However, ‘‘the Raskin camp may have been underestimated by the Ruben camp,” Haller said. Raskin took Sarbanes’ message about new leadership seriously.

And the district may be at a crossroads, perceptually, he said: If there are issues troubling people, and issues people feel haven’t been dealt with in Annapolis, they may be inclined to support change.

‘‘Combining those factors can cause someone like a Raskin to be more favorably viewed,” Haller said.

A line in the sand has been drawn, so to speak, Haller said, and the next couple of months will be intense. Since there are no Republican challengers, the winner of the primary will win the seat.

‘‘Wherever they go, they’re competing,” Haller said. ‘‘Each of them is trying to outmatch each other on volunteers and signs. ...Talk to any Democratic official and they’ll say it’s a war zone.”