Well, as of yesterday, the MDGOP primary race for nominee to attempt replacing the retiring midget, Barbara Mikulski, in the United States Senate just got a bit more interesting, didn’t it?
Former Ehrlich Administration attorney Chrys Kefalas is in the race. In fact, Kefalas was the first person I’m aware of who announced for the seat.
And, there is – of course – Richard Douglas to consider for a second or two. In fact, just today, Veterans Day, Douglas announced he’s been endorsed by Maryland National Guard’s Retired General Steven Blum. Imagine that.
And…last night, a story broke on Len Lazarick’s excellent site, MarylandReporter.com, Harford County Executive, Barry Glassman may jump in – and according to the poll Glassman commissioned, he currently leads Congressman Andy Harris’ shadow 19-11%
Andy Harris’ shadow?
I am speaking, of course, of MDGOP House Minority Whip, 7th Legislative District Delegate, Kathy Szeliga – former Andy Harris staffer and campaign manager and, most importantly, I guess, damned near full time shadow.
Szeliga, who became the Minority Whip in 2013 announced yesterday that she was running for to replace Mikulski as the next US Senator from Maryland. Or Marilyn. I can’t tell for sure…
(Marilyn, my Marilyn…)
What the Hell? Misspellings happen to us all. Hell, if you check this piece, I feel pretty confident you’ll find at last one or ten. But, still…
Now, what’s not nearly so much fun as an innocent misspelling are a few things that I think are going to haunt Szeliga throughout the whole of her quest to be the next US Senator from Marilyn.
One of those things is that, according to MD Legislative Watch, a crack bi-partisan outfit who compiles and keeps records of such things, in 2014, Szeliga voted with the Dem leadership in the MD House of Delegates 86% of the time. So much for that old “conservative stalwart” stuff, huh?
And, yeah-yeah-yeah, I know what a number of you are already thinking: “So what? How many of those votes are procedural?” Well, frankly, I don’t care. The process is a big part of what’s screwed up here in MD politics, isn’t it? That being the case, vote against “procedure” as often as is humanly possible…unless your main concern is your own political career and/or running for higher office – oh, wait. Never Mind.
But what could really come back and take a chunk out of Kathy Szeliga’s ass is her support for HB1513.
From late February 2014, HB1513 was an absolutely horrible piece of legislation designed to take over the Harford County GOP Central Committee by having members of the House of Delegates who represented the county in Annapolis virtually elect themselves to the Central Committee via legislation – while disallowing those elected to the committee by the voters (You know, those damned pesky voters!) from serving on any other elected office in the county. In the end, HB1513 went nowhere and was, in fact, condemned by the attendees at the MDGOP convention.
Although I think such an attempt at over-reach should be (and was) condemned by everyone, what I think Szeliga forgets is that the Liberty folks in the MDGOP (who fought HB1513 tooth and nail) are tireless and they do not forget. Ever. This is something the establishment types in the GOP such as Szeliga simply do not understand.
…But, I bet this is something she is likely going to be reminded about over the next few months.
Whatever, Kathy Szeliga’s entrance into the race to be the next US Senator from Marilyn promises to help keep things interesting…even if it at times takes the Minority Whip out of the House of Delegates on occasion during Governor Larry Hogan’s “Legacy Year” Session…
ADDENDUM: I just heard from Maryland Legislative Watch. The guy who compiles the votes assured me that none of the votes used in coming up with their percentages are procedural.