Frederick County Political Buzz

George Wenschhof

Maryland Senate President Mike Miller announces members to four of six committees. Frederick County state senator David Brinkley (R-District 4) was named to the powerful Budget and Taxation committee and newcomer Ron Young (D- District 3) was named to the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee.

Perhaps, Brinkley and Young could team up to lobby for more funding for school construction and school repair in Frederick County. If you want, or do not want wine sales to be allowed via shipment directly to the consumer, Young is on the committee that would consider this change.

Below, are the four committees as reported in the Baltimore Sun. The members of the Rules and Executive Nominations committees have not been announced.

* New to the committee
** New to the senate and the committee

Budget and Taxation
Edward J. Kasemeyer, Chair
Nathaniel J. McFadden, Vice-Chair
David R. Brinkley
*Richard F. Colburn (Moved from Education)
Ulysses Currie
James E. DeGrange, Sr.
George C. Edwards
Verna L. Jones
Nancy J. King
Richard S. Madaleno, Jr.
**Roger Manno
Douglas J.J. Peters
James N. Robey  

Education, Health and Environmental Affairs
Joan Carter Conway, Chair
Roy P. Dyson, Vice-Chair
**Joanne C. Benson
**Bill Ferguson
**J.B. Jennings
**Karen S. Montgomery
Paul G. Pinsky
Edward R. Reilly
James C. Rosapepe
*Bryan W. Simonaire (Moved from JPR)
**Ronald N. Young

Finance
Thomas M. Middleton, Chair
John C. Astle, Vice-Chair
Robert J. Garagiola
Barry Glassman
Delores G. Kelley
Allan H. Kittleman
Katherine A. Klausmeier
**James N. Mathias, Jr.
*C. Anthony Muse (moved from JPR)
E.J. Pipkin
Catherine E. Pugh

Judicial Proceedings
Brian E. Frosh, Chair
Lisa A. Gladden, Vice-Chair
James Brochin
**Joseph M. Getty
Jennie M. Forehand
Nancy Jacobs
Jamin B. (Jamie) Raskin
Norman R. Stone, Jr.
*Robert A. (Bobby) Zirkin (moved from B&T)
**Victor R. Ramirez
**Christopher B. Shank

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Voter Turnout Numbers released for Frederick County.

Overall turnout was 72,558 out of 137,698 registered voters - 52.69% down from 58.36% in 2006

Republicans out voted Democrats by 7,625 votes. A significant difference, as registered Republican voters were 57,958 and Democratic voters were 52,181 - a 5,777 difference.

Overall, Democratic voter turnout was 52%, down from 62% in 2006 and Republican turnout was 60%, down slightly from 61.71% in 2006.

*2006 numbers taken from Maryland Board of Elections.

Unaffiliated voter turnout was the lowest at 37% and represented about 12.5% of the overall vote.

I wrote earlier on how the early vote propelled Ron Young to victory in the district 3 state senate race. You can see where the early voter turnout numbers were the highest in district 3-a which is where Democrats also have the largest voter registration advantage in the county. The voter turnout in 3-a was 3,232 out of the overall early vote from all four districts, which totaled 5,812. As I pointed out earlier, the polling location was located in the City of Frederick which makes up the majority of district 3-a. Additional early voting polling locations should be added prior to the next election.

Some interesting statistics provided for election day voter turnout is as follows:

Women voters were the majority of the Democratic vote with 14,404 out of 24,725. Men were the majority of the Republican vote with 17,002 out of 32,583.

51% (34,280) of the turnout (66,740) was from voters who fell in the age range of 45-65. Republicans out voted Democrats in this age range by 4,304.

The total youth vote (18-24) was disappointing and was only 2,644 votes out of the total vote of 66,740.

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Democratic candidates fared poorly in Frederick County - the shellacking Democrats took in Frederick county was more painful than what Democrats experienced in Congress, with only two; delegate Galen Clagett (district 3-a) and state senator Ron Young (district 3) winning out of twenty local positions on the ballot.

To make matters even worse, Democrats did not even field a candidate in the top three paying positions on the ballot; Frederick County Sheriff, State's Attorney, and Register of Wills.

A glaring example of the work cut out for the local Democratic Central Committee. Not only were there only two winners, the two winners are both seventy years old. A positive for Frederick county voters in the near term as both are well qualified and experienced. They will be effective representatives in the state general assembly.

At the age of seventy, they are not the future for Frederick County Democrats. Their victories point out the current dearth of competitive Democratic candidates in Frederick County.

However, their victories do portray a strong lesson in political perseverance as Clagett returned to office after a sixteen year absence when he won in 2002 and Young, when he won this year after a twenty year absence. Both are considered business friendly and politically moderate in general, who also exhibit a social conscience. Perhaps, a valuable guide to future aspiring Democratic candidates.

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