Politics Roundup: Gansler Says Hes Closing Gap In Polls, Key Endorsements

Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Doug Gansler (file photo)Gansler Releases Internal Poll That Shows He’s Closing The Gap – Gubernatorial hopeful Doug Gansler this week released an internal poll that his campaign claimed shows he’s closing the gap on Anthony Brown.

The poll, commissioned by Gansler’s campaign and done by The Mellman Group, shows the gap between Gansler and Brown for the Democratic nomination is now 9 percentage points, compared to 23 percentage points in a February poll by the same pollster.

A Washington Post poll had Brown with a 19-point lead over Gansler in February.

The Gansler poll released this week was based on a survey of 600 voters and had 31 percent favoring Brown, 22 percent favoring Gansler, 8 percent favoring Heather Mizuer and 40 percent undecided.

The Mellman Group the undecided number was significantly lower (29 percent) in February, what Gansler’s campaign said is a sign that people are unhappy with Brown’s roll in the implementation of the state’s failed healthcare exchange.

The state recently decided to ditch its exchange and implement a new one.

Berliner Gets Union Endorsement – A local education workers union has given its endorsement to incumbent District 1 Councilmember Roger Berliner, despite opponent Duchy Trachtenberg’s efforts to win labor support.

SEIU Local 500, which represents MCPS employees and Montgomery College professors, among others, sided with Berliner in a batch of County Council endorsements released this week.

Trachtenberg is working hard to repair relations with local unions after a falling out led to those unions targeting her in the 2010 primary, which she lost as an at-large Council incumbent. Trachtenberg has hired the former executive director of the county’s main employee union as her campaign director.

Korman Gets NARAL Pro-Choice Endorsement – In the likewise competitive District 16 House of Delegates race, candidate Marc Korman announced a key endorsement from the NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland PAC.

The group also gives out 100 percent ratings, a recent source of controversy in neighboring District 18. Korman is running against incumbents Ariana Kelly and Bill Frick, plus five other challengers for three seats in the June 24 Democratic primary.

Hrant Jamgochian, thought to be a leading contender along with Korman, recently picked up the key “Apple Ballot” endorsement of the Montgomery County Education Association. MCEA also put its support behind Frick and Kelly.

“We are very excited about Marc’s race for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 16 and are proud to issue our endorsement,” Erin Schurmann, a NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland PAC board member, said in a press release. “Marc has always been a strong activist for reproductive rights and health in District 16 and Montgomery County. We know that he will be a superb leader and effective advocate when elected and look forward to partnering with him.”

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