Daly Makes Bid For At-Large Council Seat Official — Dickerson resident Beth Daly made her attempt at grabbing a County Council at-large seat official Tuesday. Daly filed for election and will take on all four at-large incumbents — George Leventhal, Hans Riemer, Marc Elrich and Nancy Floreen — plus Olney resident Vivian Malloy.
“It is going to be a tough race against seasoned candidates, but I am seeing my message resonating with county voters who are tired of sitting in traffic, losing their green spaces and seeking their kids go to school in portable classrooms,” Daly said in a prepared release announcing her filing.
Daly serves on the Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board and said she is one of the original members of the Save Ten Mile Creek coalition, the group fighting against planned development it argues will threaten the region’s emergency water supply. She’s hoping her upcounty activism helps separate her from the incumbent at-large council members. Riemer, Elrich and Leventhal live in Takoma Park. Floreen lives in Garrett Park.
“It would benefit the Council to have more people who understand the upcounty,” Daly told us at a fundraiser for Emerge Maryland last week in Bethesda.
Daly, who’s relying on an all-volunteer campaign team of about 10 people, lived in Kensington and Bethesda before moving to Dickerson.
D-18 Delegate Field Gets More Crowded — Despite a unified ticket of incumbents in District 18, the House of Delegates race there saw two new candidates come into the fold earlier this month. The district, which covers parts of Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Kensington and Wheaton, now has seven delegate candidates for three seats.
Incumbents Al Carr, Jeff Waldstreicher and Ana Sol Gutierrez are all seeking re-election. Rick Kessler and Elizabeth Matory are in and now so is Natali Fani-Gonzalez and Emily Shetty.
Shetty is a Wheaton resident and lawyer working for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She’s also on the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and active in Montgomery County Young Democrats. Fani-Gonzalez started her career as a lobbyist for CASA de Maryland and now owns her own public relations shop that caters to civil rights organizations.
The Kensington resident says her focus is on economic justice, sustainable development, women rights, immigrant rights and quality education.
Cooper Launches Campaign App — D-16 candidate for delegate Jordan Cooper on Wednesday announced his campaign is launching a phone app that will let people know if they are in District 16 based on their location. The app, developed by Walter Johnson High School student Robert Mozayeni, will also let people contribute directly to Cooper’s campaign and get news and alerts leading up to the June 24 primary.
“I volunteered to design this App for Jordan Cooper because, with his emphasis on job opportunities for youth and funding for education, I believe he is the best candidate for both students and Millennials, and I want to give back and help him succeed in this June’s Democratic primary. Even though I can’t yet vote, I found a way to be a part of the campaign,” Mozayeni said in a press release.
News and Notes — Observer of local politics (and Town of Chevy Chase council member) David Lublin handicapped the D-16 delegate race and doesn’t give Cooper much of a chance. Lublin praised Cooper’s effort but predicted Marc Korman and Hrant Jamgochian will likely join incumbent Ariana Kelly in Annapolis next session. …A new Washington Post poll gives Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown a commanding lead over Attorney General (and Bethesda’s own) Doug Gansler in this year’s Democratic gubernatorial primary.
