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Voters may rock the House – and Senate – on Tuesday

A few familiar names in the General Assembly are on the spot in tight races

Friday, Sept. 8, 2006

ANNAPOLIS — Two of the General Assembly’s most recognizable members — Senate President Pro Tem Ida G. Ruben and Sen. John A. Giannetti Jr. — could be former members after Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Or not.

In Montgomery County’s liberal District 20, Ruben is locked in a bitter re-election battle with American University professor Jamie Raskin, an attorney from Takoma Park. Just miles away in Prince George’s County’s District 21, Giannetti is battling former ambassador James C. Rosapepe in another rough-and-tumble primary fight.

‘‘Both of the races are too close to call,” said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach, who closely monitors and supports his Democratic incumbents.

While most voters are focused on the marquee statewide primaries this summer, a number of spirited campaigns are being waged for General Assembly seats across the state. The most talked-about races have involved Ruben of Silver Spring and Giannetti of Laurel, but the outcome of several other races for the House and the Senate in Prince George’s County will be closely monitored on Tuesday.

Ruben, a 30-year veteran of the legislature, could be in trouble, Miller said, and whether Giannetti can fend off Rosapepe is unclear.

Ruben is coming up against a national pushback against incumbents, and Raskin, a liberal activist, has galvanized a base of support that could be tough for her to overcome, Miller said.

‘‘Ida’s down right now, but it’s not over,” he said. Ruben’s brother died recently, he said, which ‘‘has cast a somber mood over the entire election.”

‘‘She’s worked very hard, but a lot of the activists in the district feel it’s time for a change in the district,” Miller said. ‘‘The mood around the country in anti-incumbent and that’s what is impacting her. She has some hard-hitting pieces to go out over the weekend, so we’ll see what happens.”

District 21

As for Giannetti, Miller said, he saw polling within the past few weeks that showed him down against Rosapepe, a former member of the House of Delegates, but that could turn around as Tuesday nears. Giannetti is sending Democratic households a mailing every day until Tuesday.

Giannetti is also known as an elbow-grease, shoe-leather politician whose door-knocking could carry the day. District 21 includes College Park, Laurel and a sliver of northwestern Anne Arundel County.

‘‘It’s been a very negative race, and I don’t know how voters will respond to that,” said Miller, who backs Giannetti.

Rosapepe has criticized Giannetti for opposing a ban on assault weapons and for supporting electricity deregulation six years ago. Some of Giannetti’s antics, such as holding tailgate parties with alcohol before University of Maryland football games and sending out a detailed e-mail about his honeymoon, have drawn criticism as well as snickers.

Giannetti claims Rosapepe is all negative all the time. ‘‘The guy has nothing to talk about,” he said, ‘‘because I’ve gotten all the major endorsements.”

Giannetti does have union support, and last week appeared at a College Park fundraiser with Miller and Prince George’s County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D). His campaign has produced its share of negativity, too, accusing Rosapepe of avoiding him at debates and refusing to release documents critical of his tenure as an ambassador, accusations Rosapepe denies. Rosapepe is backed by the mayors of College Park and Laurel and several members of both city councils.

The district’s incumbent delegates — Democrats Brian R. Moe of Laurel and Barbara A. Frush of Beltsville — have aligned themselves with Rosapepe in an effort to oust Giannetti, whom they have battled over the past four years. Ironically, the third member of the District 21 House team is Ben Barnes, an attorney from Laurel who worked for Miller in Annapolis and in his law office for several years before deciding to run for office.

Giannetti is fielding his own slate of candidates for the House.

College Park councilwoman and former federal prosecutor Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D) is running on her record of community activism. She is not on either slate, but earned a rare endorsement last month from former Prince George’s county executive Wayne K. Curry (D).

District 26

In southern Prince George’s County, there is a spirited Democratic primary to replace retiring Sen. Gloria G. Lawlah, the first woman elected to the Senate from Prince George’s, in District 26 between Del. Obie Patterson and the Rev. C. Anthony Muse, a former delegate.

Lawlah, Jack Johnson and the county teachers union are backing Patterson, while Muse, senior pastor at Upper Marlboro’s Ark of Safety Christian Church, has the backing of the police union and U.S. Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D-Dist. 4) of Mitchellville.

Campaign consultant Julius Henson, who is normally aligned with Wynn, is working for Patterson this year, while Wayne Clark, another noted consultant in Prince George’s County, is advising Muse.

District 23

In Bowie’s District 23, County Councilman Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Dist. 4) was tapped by retiring Sen. Leo E. Green (D-Dist. 23) of Bowie to succeed him. The district’s three delegates and most of the major unions have also backed Peters.

But Bobby Henry, a pastor at Landover’s Jericho City of Praise who came within striking distance of beating Green four years ago, is running a determined campaign against Peters.

District 11

In Baltimore County, Del. Robert A. Zirkin (D-Dist. 11) of Owings Mills is running for the Senate seat vacated by Paula C. Hollinger, who is running for Congress in the 3rd Congressional District. Zirkin faces a stiff and well-funded challenge from Scott Rifkin, a physician and brother of high-powered Annapolis lobbyist Alan M. Rifkin.

District 40

West Baltimore’s District 40 boasts another contested state Senate race as six Democrats and a Republican seek to succeed Sen. Ralph M. Hughes, who is retiring after four terms.

The Democratic field includes Dels. Salima Siler Marriott and Catherine E. Pugh, city Councilwoman Belinda K. Conaway, activist Tara Andrews and Lawrence A. Bell III, who ran against Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley (D) in 1999.

Pugh, a former city councilwoman, has won Hughes’ endorsement and Miller’s support. Marriott, backed by O’Malley, has been chairwoman of the Baltimore city House delegation for seven years and has won the endorsement of Sen. Verna L. Jones (D-Dist. 44) of Baltimore.

Other races

House races to watch on Tuesday include Howard County’s District 13, Montgomery County’s District 20 and Prince George’s District 47. The battle in District 13 revolves around Del. Neil F. Quinter (D) of Columbia fighting against a slate that includes his two fellow incumbents — Del. Frank S. Turner and Shane E. Pendergrass — and the third member of their team, Howard County Councilman Guy Guzzone of Columbia.

With Del. Peter V.R. Franchot running for comptroller, a free-for-all has been sparked in House District 20. House Ways and Means Committee Chairwoman Sheila E. Hixson’s seat is considered safe, but Del. Gareth E. Murray’s may not be. Democrats Heather Mizeur, domestic policy adviser for U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.); Tom Hucker, former executive director of Progressive Maryland; and Aaron Klein, a former economic adviser to U.S. Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes are all considered viable contenders.

In District 47, two incumbent Democrats are looking for a replacement for their colleague, Rosetta C. Parker of Hyattsville. Dels. Doyle L. Niemann of Mount Rainier and Victor R. Ramirez of Langley Park began campaigning with challenger Jolene Ivey, former press secretary for U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin who is married to Prince George’s State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey (D).

In Charles County’s District 28, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Thomas McLain Middleton (D-Dist. 28) of Waldorf is pushing a House slate of Dels. Murray D. Levy of La Plata, Sally Jameson of Bryantown and political newcomer Gregory Billups of Waldorf. Billups, an African-American businessman, was selected by Middleton to help diversify Charles County’s representation in Annapolis, but that decision has drawn a backlash from some Charles County Democrats who are backing Peter Murphy, a longtime party activist and Southern Maryland liaison for Sarbanes.

Staff Writers Judson Berger, Douglas Tallman and Alan Brody contributed to this report.