Strange Bedfellows

Kathy Szeliga, Republican Sen. Andy Harris’ chief of staff, said she will put her House of Delegates campaign on hiatus for about six weeks after her fundraiser Wednesday night.

Szeliga, who is running as a Republican, came under fire last week by Democrats who claimed her campaign violates personnel rules for legislative staff, which prohibit employees from running for office while employed by the General Assembly.

Szeliga has announced her intention to run for the House of Delegates in the 7th District. Since May, Sezeliga has raised more than $43,000 and has more than $34,000 cash on hand. Her Web site declares her intentions. It should be noted that Harris, who is running for Congress, is Szeliga’s campaign finance chair.

Democrats balked, saying Szeliga regularly meets with lobbyists as part of her job and could use her position to leverage campaign contributions — sometimes called pay-to-play. (more…)

Democratic state Sen. Jim Brochin, who represents the 42nd District, is known for his stamina when it comes door-to-door campaigning.

But I’m pretty sure even he has never tried what Jordan Hadfield and Todd Crandell did last weekend during the Blizzard of 2010.

Hadfield and Crandell, two Dundalk Democrats running for Senate and House of Delegates respectively, took door-to-door to the next level. The two candidates put out the word on Facebook and Twitter and their Web sites that they would be going out in the district shoveling out anyone who wanted it. (more…)

The county’s House and Senate delegations wasted no time setting its respective leadership for the rest of the 90-day General Assembly session.

Senators from the county’s eight districts met the first day of session Wednesday and elected Sens. Norman Stone and Kathy Klausmeier chairman and vice chairwoman.

The House delegation met Thursday morning and elected Dels. Eric Bromwell and Steve DeBoy chairman and vice chairman. Del. Jon Cardin was named secretary for the delegation.

County Executive Jim has been quiet about his political future since announcing in October that he was moving from his Reisterstown home of 40 years to Cockeysville in order to keep open the possibility of running for the state senate in the 7th District.

But reporter Alan Brody of the Gazette of Politics and Business reports that Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller told a ballroom of elected Democrats and party faithful that Democrats were going to take three to five senate seats from Republicans this year including the 7th District seat currently held by Sen. Andy Harris.

And Miller’s Democrat candidate is a certain outgoing county executive.

You can read Brody’s story here.

Joseph “Prince of Darkness” Steffen offers his take on Al Redmer’s entry last week (officially, anyway) into the 7th District Senate race, where he’ll square off in the GOP primary against two-term Republican Del. J.B. Jennings.

Two’s company and three’s a crowd as Steffen, the former staffer for Gov. Robert Ehrlich who was caught up in the whole political firing brouhaha, muses about the possible entry of  Republican former Del. Ken Holt, who has been named as a possible candidate for several races in 2006 and again in the coming 2010 election cycle.

“Still, the possibilities for a raucous 7th District primary campaign are rife and if, as is being chattered about, well-heeled former Delegate Ken Holt enters the race as a bit of a dark horse, the possibilities will be even rifer. (Rifer?),” writes Steffen on his political blog, Darkness Rising.

Sen. Larry Haines returned four days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. Haines, a five-term Republican who represents the 5th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 5th District includes parts of northern Baltimore County, including Parkton and Hunt Valley and Phoenix.

Both Busch and Miller returned five days’ salary and asked fellow legislators to also give up between one and five days’ pay at the same time 67,000 state employees were being furloughed for up to five days based on individual salary levels.

By law, the salaries of state lawmakers cannot be increased or decreased during their term.

More than 150 legislators participated in the voluntary furlough days, including 25 of 29 legislators who represent Baltimore County, according to lists released by the House of Delegates and state Senate.

The lists did not contain the number of days each legislator voluntarily gave up. State officials said such information was protected by law as a personnel matter. Patuxent Publishing Co., publisher of this Web site, is asking each legislator who represents the county to voluntarily release information on the furlough days taken in late 2008 and early 2009.

Haines provided a copy of a form dated Dec. 22, 2008 showing that he authorized four days pay totaling $483.36 to be withheld.

Del. Todd Schuler returned five days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. Schuler, a first-term Democrat who represents the 8th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 8th District includes Perry Hall, Parkville and Overlea. (more…)

Del. Pat McDonough returned five days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. McDonough, a two-term Republican who represents the 7th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 7th District includes Cockeysville, Honeygo and Middle River.

Both Busch and Miller returned five days’ salary and asked fellow legislators to also give up between one and five days’ pay at the same time 67,000 state employees were being furloughed for up to five days based on individual salary levels. (more…)

Two weeks ago I wrote that Al Redmer is close to announcing a return to  politics and is considering a run for the 7th District Senate seat held by Republican Sen. Andy Harris.

Redmer sent an e-mail to supporters Monday, alerting them to a “no-cost, campaign kick-off” event on Nov. 11.

But for what?

Redmer, a Republican former delegate and state insurance commissioner, won’t say.

I pointed out an e-mail he sent to supporters in which he asked them to hold off on donating money to candidates in the 7th District Senate race. In a post here two weeks ago, Redmer confirmed that he wrote the e-mail in which, in part, states, “Make no mistake, the Senate race in D7 is critical to the state and to the Republican party.”

Redmer wouldn’t budge.

“I want to preserve some of the mystery,” Redmer said.

Isn’t that kind of like the political equivalent of putting pasties on Blaze Starr?

Redmer laughed.

“Maybe,” he said.

Sen. Norman Stone returned four days of his $43,500 annual legislative salary late last year. Stone, an 11-term Democrat who represents the 6th District, released documents showing he participated in a furlough program requested by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

The 6th District includes Dundalk and Essex.

Both Busch and Miller returned five days’ salary and asked fellow legislators to also give up between one and five days’ pay at the same time 67,000 state employees were being furloughed for up to five days based on individual salary levels. (more…)