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City Council 1st District
Roberto L. Marsili (R)
The facts: Ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1999; longtime neighborhood activist and gadfly; retired stone mason; lives in Little Italy; 72 years old.
The read: Irascible and a bit of a nut, but no dummy; he’s forever tackling some malfeasance or hypocrisy head on, and there are worse qualities to have in a council member.
James B. Kraft (D)
The facts: Filled state Sen. Perry Sfikas’ term representing the 46th District in Annapolis for a little more than five months after Sfikas stepped down in 2002; not endorsed by CP in the 2003 primary; longtime local Democratic functionary and community activist, primarily in Howard County, where he has run for office unsuccessfully before; graduated from the University of Baltimore Law School; works as an attorney; lives in Canton; age 55.
The read: The good news is that he’s an already established and connected part of the local and state political landscape; that’s also, potentially, the bad news for those concerned about his loyalty to his constituents vs. powerful waterfront interests.
Matt Clark (G)
www.mattclark.info
The facts: A community activist making his first run for elected office; does specialty woodworking for Mark Supik and Co.; lives in Fells Point; 35 years old.
The read: A political newcomer out to reform local government; his grass-roots campaign faces an uphill slog, but Green issues may resonate especially well in a district bounded by heavily developed waterfront.
If we were you . . .
Welcome to the machine: Kraft’s substantive connections to party power brokers and special interests before he even wins his first election in Baltimore City make him one to watch, and not necessarily in a good way. A vote for either Clark or Marsili could go towards an interesting (and potentially entertaining) tonic to the go-along tendencies of the council.
See Also: “Who’s on First,” Campaign Beat, Oct. 27
City Council 2nd District
Will Bauer (R)
www.bauerforpower.com
The facts: A political neophyte; owns Sapori D’Italia deli in Cockeysville; lives in Highlandtown; 30 years old.
The read: Another Baltimore City Republican also-ran (i.e., little or no experience, little or no serious campaigning, lots of fixer-upper rhetoric, few specific ideas).
Nicholas C. D’Adamo Jr. (D)
www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/pm_district1.htm
The facts: Incumbent city councilman in the old 1st District; has served on the council since 1987; defeated incumbent Councilwoman Lois Garey (D-1st) in the 2003 primary (not endorsed by CP); under federal investigation for possible ethics violations, along with other council incumbents; works as the director of community relations for the Maryland State Police; lives in Glenham-Belford; 46 years old.
The read: Not a smooth City Hall sharpie, but a hard-working representative, good with constituent services, and more likely to buck the will of the mayor than many of his peers. Close ties to Gov. Robert Ehrlich mean connections with the Republican establishment at the state level, for good or for ill—for ill when he endorsed Ehrlich for governor and subsequently lost his chairmanship of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, where he’d been doing a good job.
Lorenzo Gaztanaga (L)
www.md.lp.org/gaztanaga.html
The facts: Ran for City Council in the old 1st District in 1999; ran for lieutenant governor in 2002; Libertarian Party booster; works as a security guard; lives in Frankford; 55 years old.
The read: An unproven candidate espousing Libertarian ideas for Baltimore City.
If we were you . . .
Vote D’Adamo.
See Also: “Two for Two,” Campaign Beat, Sept. 1
City Council 3rd District
Carlos M. Torres (R)
The facts: A political neophyte; works as an assistant manager at a Pep Boys auto-parts store; lives in Hamilton; 39 years old.
The read: Has a few more interesting (and specific) ideas than the typical Baltimore City Republican also-ran, but still.
Robert W. Curran (D)
www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/pm_district3.htm
The facts: Incumbent city councilman in the old 3rd District; has served on the council since 1995; chair of the Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee; under federal investigation for possible ethics violations, along with other council incumbents; vice chair of the Baltimore Democratic Party; member of the executive committee of Maryland Democratic Party; son and brother of former councilmen, the brother of state Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr., and the uncle by marriage of Mayor Martin O’Malley; lives in Original Northwood; 54 years old.
The read: An old-school pol who doesn’t coast on his family name, Curran works hard and pays attention.
Bill Barry (G)
www.citizensforbillbarry.org
The facts: A newcomer to local politics; former labor organizer; director of labor studies at Community College of Baltimore County-Dundalk; lives in Lauraville; 62 years old.
The read: Smart and pissed off, with a full slate of ideas about how to tackle the city’s problems and a full head of frustration over the council’s lackluster performance.
If we were you . . .
Old-boy Curran’s no slouch, but a vote for Barry would go to one of the more impressive and seemingly levelheaded third-party candidates in any local race this season.
See Also: “3rd Watch,” Campaign Beat, Sept. 1
City Council 4th District
Armand F. Girard (R)
The facts: Past political experience includes a failed run for Baltimore City Republican Central Committee in 2002; lost to Bruce W. Fleming in the 2003 primary, but wound up on the general-election ticket after Fleming withdrew for health reasons; a former Baltimore City schoolteacher; lives in Bellona-Gittings; 66 years old.
The read: Another Baltimore City Republican also-ran.
Kenneth N. Harris Sr. (D)
www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/pm_district3.htm
The facts: Incumbent city councilman in the old 3rd District; has served on the council since 1999; not endorsed by CP in the 2003 primary; under federal investigation for possible ethics violations, along with other council incumbents; works as an executive for Comcast; lives in Bellona-Gittings; 41 years old.
The read: Popular in his district and with the mayor, but considered something of a show horse by his critics.
David G.S. Greene (G)
www.baltimoregreens.org/cands.php
The facts: Ran for City Council president in 1999; a peace activist who shares key positions with perennial candidate A. Robert Kaufman (including drug legalization and reforming car insurance in the city); retired from Towson University, where he taught physics; lives in Pen Lucy; 69 years old.
The read: An affable and sincere third-party eccentric.
If we were you . . .
Consider not ratifying the status quo by voting for Greene.
See Also: “Red on Green,” Campaign Beat, Oct. 6; "Better Late Than Never," Ballot Stuffing, Oct. 13.
City Council 5th District
Elliott Cahan (R)
The facts: Still on the ballot, but has dropped out of the race.
Rochelle “Rikki” Spector (D)
www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/pm_district5.htm
The facts: Incumbent councilwoman in the old 5th District; has served on the council since 1977, making her the self-appointed “dean” of the legislative body; CP offered no endorsement in the 2003 primary race; under federal investigation for possible ethics violations, along with other council incumbents; lives in Park Heights; 68 years old.
The read: Exemplifies entrenched incumbency.
Terrence T. Fitzgerald (G)
www.electdrfitzgerald.com
The facts: Political newcomer; physician who specializes in using acupuncture in addiction treatment; lives in Mount Washington; 55 years old.
The read: An intelligent, well-meaning citizen passionate about a few key issues.
If we were you . . .
. . . and we were dead set against slots at Pimlico, we’d vote for Dr. Fitzgerald. No slots at the district’s hallowed racecourse is his central platform plank, an issue on which Spector is more coy. We might vote for Fitzgerald anyway.
See Also: “Gambling on the Future,” Campaign Beat, Oct. 13
City Council 6th District
Melvin A. Bilal (R)
www.melvinbilalforcitycouncil.com
The facts: A former Democrat; ran for lieutenant governor as a Republican in 1986; graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School; works as an attorney; a longtime Howard County resident who recently moved to West Forest Park; 62 years old.
The read: Not another typical Baltimore City Republican also-ran—he’s African-American and a Muslim—though he offers few specific plans or ideas.
Stephanie Rawlings Blake (D)
www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/pm_district5.htm
The facts: Incumbent councilwoman in the old 5th District; has served on the council since 1995 (she was the youngest person ever elected to the council, at 25); endorsed by CP in the 2003 primary; vice president of the council; chairs the Budget and Appropriations Committee; under federal investigation for possible ethics violations, along with other council incumbents; daughter of the late Del. Howard “Pete” Rawlings; graduated from the University of Maryland Law School; works as an attorney for the city Office of the Public Defender; lives in Coldspring Newtown; 33 years old.
The read: A well-liked representative who nonetheless has yet to distinguish herself after nearly 10 years on the council.
If we were you . . .
Vote for Bilal, if only to inspire Rawlings Blake.
See Also: “The Contender,” Campaign Beat, Sept. 8
City Council 7th District
Owen B. Hanratty (R)
www.owenhanratty.com
The facts: Political newcomer; endorsed by CP in the 2003 primary (no other Republicans got back to us); lives in Medfield; 28 years old.
The read: Yet another Baltimore City Republican also-ran.
Belinda K. Conaway (D)
The facts: Making her first run for office; daughter of Circuit Court clerk and mayoral candidate Frank Conaway, step-daughter of city registrar of wills Mary Conaway; works as a counselor for Baltimore City schools; lives in Ashburton; 36 years old.
The read: Well-meaning and poised, but so far notable only for her family name.
If we were you . . .
Write in someone else?
See Also: “New Kids on the Block,” Campaign Beat, Sept. 8
City Council 8th District
Helen L. Holton (D)
www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/pm_district5.htm
The facts: Incumbent councilwoman in the old 5th District; has served on the council since 1995; defeated fellow incumbent Melvin Stukes (D-6th) in the 2003 Democratic primary (not endorsed by CP); chairs the Finance Committee; under federal investigation for possible ethics violations, along with other council incumbents; holds an MBA degree from Johns Hopkins University; works as a financial adviser with Mass Mutual; lives in West Hills; 44 years old.
The read: Has served her time on the council in respectable if somewhat unremarkable fashion.
Jacquiline “Jackie” Johnson (I)
The facts: Running for her first political office; education and community activist; Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now member; works at the Baltimore City Detention Center; lives in Edmondson Village; 58 years old.
The read: A passionate newcomer with plenty of grass-roots experience and connections; unseasoned but promising.
If we were you . . .
Vote Johnson and give the ACORN folks a council member—maybe then they’ll give it a rest.
See Also: “Of the People,” Campaign Beat, Oct. 13
City Council 9th District
Agnes Welch (D)
The facts: Incumbent councilwoman in the old 4th District; unopposed.
City Council 10th District
Joe Collins Jr. (R)
The facts: New to politics and the Republican Party, though his father, Joe Collins Sr., has run for local and state office as a Republican; owns Cross Street Automotive; lives in Brooklyn; 35 years old.
The read: Another Republican also-ran, albeit feistier than most.
Edward L. Reisinger (D)
www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/pm_district6.htm
The facts: Incumbent councilman in the old 6th District; has served on the council since 1997 (was also a member 1990-’92); chair of the Housing, Health, and Human Services Committee; not endorsed by CP in the 2003 primary; under federal investigation for possible ethics violations, along with other council incumbents; lives in Morrell Park; 54 years old.
The read: An old-school waterfront pol good with constituent services; earning a rep as the “vigilante” councilman (see “Street Violence,” Mobtown Beat, Oct. 13).
If we were you . . .
Collins is harder to write off than most of his local Republican peers, but vote Reisinger.
See Also: “No Debate,” Campaign Beat, Sept. 29
City Council 11th District
James Carlos Quigley (R)
The facts: A political novice, as far as we can tell; listed a dilapidated, shuttered bar he owns in Ridgley’s Delight as his official residence with the Board of Elections; 34 years old.
The read: Not your typical Baltimore City Republican also-ran, that’s for sure (see article cited below).
Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. (D)
www.keiffermitchell.com, www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/pm_district4.htm
The facts: Incumbent councilman in the old 4th District; has served on the council since 1995; endorsed by CP in the 2003 primary; chair of the Taxation Committee; under federal investigation for possible ethics violations, along with other council incumbents; scion of the Mitchell family, long prominent in civil rights and local politics; history teacher at Boys Latin School; lives in Bolton Hill; 36 years old.
The read: An energetic representative.
If we were you . . .
Vote Mitchell.
See Also: “The Invisible Man,” Campaign Beat, Oct. 6.
City Council 12th District
Dale Warren Hargrave (R)
The facts: Unopposed in the 2003 primary; a neighborhood activist in Greenmount West, where he lives.
The read: Another Baltimore City Republican also-ran.
Bernard C. “Jack” Young (D)
www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/pm_district2.htm
The facts: Incumbent councilman in the old 2nd District; appointed to council in 1996 to replace Anthony Ambridge, who left to head up the city’s real-estate office; defeated fellow incumbent Pamela Carter (D-2nd) in the 2003 primary (not endorsed by CP); chairs the Executive Appointments Committee; under federal investigation for possible ethics violations, along with other council incumbents; associated with the powerful Eastside Democratic Organization; works as a radiology manager at Johns Hopkins Hospital; lives in the Gay Street neighborhood; 50 years old.
The read: Firmly established on the local political landscape, Young’s not a reformer (too loyal to the mayor and to EDO for that), but he’s not a layabout, either.
Paul H. Dibos (G)
www.dibos4bmore.org
The facts: New to politics; an architect with the firm Hord Coplan Macht; holds an master’s in architecture from UCLA; lives in Charles Village; 42 years old.
The read: An idealistic Green who places the party’s ecological/sociological concerns at the forefront by emphasizing “sustainable development” as a potential solution to some of Baltimore’s inner-city ills.
If we were you . . .
Young is a canny pol and his district could do a lot worse, but consider giving Dibos a shot.
See Also: “Poll Boast,” Campaign Beat, Oct. 6
City Council 13th District
Joe DiMatteo (R)
The facts: New to politics; community activist; retired from the Army; owns a coffee service; lives in Belair-Edison; 53 years old.
The read: A well-meaning Republican also-ran.
Paula Johnson Branch (D)
www.baltimorecitycouncil.com/pm_district2.htm
The facts: Incumbent councilwoman in the old 2nd District; has served on the council since 1991; not endorsed by CP in the 2003 primary; chairs the Urban Affairs Committee; under federal investigation for possible ethics violations, along with other council incumbents; associated with the Eastside Democratic Organization; works as the director of child-care licensing for the state; lives in Berea; 54 years old.
The read: A longtime local Democratic Party water carrier who this past term has earned both praise and criticism for her handling of the East Baltimore Biotechology Park project in her district.
Glenn Lowell Ross (G)
www.baltimoregreens.org/glennross/index.html
The facts: A longtime East Baltimore community activist; past president of the McElderry Park Community Association and a member of many other community groups; named “Best Community Activist” in CP’s 2001 Best of Baltimore issue; a former state corrections officer on disability retirement; does pro bono work for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and various community groups; lives in McElderry Park; 54 years old.
The read: A longtime local activist with grass-roots credentials unparalleled in this election.
If we were you . . .
Vote Ross.
See Also: “What Are the Odds,” Campaign Beat, Sept. 15
City Council 14th District
Mary Pat Clarke (D)
www.baltimoregreens.org/election04/hoenig/hoenig.html
The facts: A former city councilwoman and City Council president (the first woman ever elected council president, in 1987); served on the council for 16 years, eight of them as president; ran for mayor unsuccessfully in 1995; retired college English teacher; lives in Tuscany-Canterbury; 63 years old.
The read: An experienced and extremely popular local pol, this time around running on her own home turf, not city-wide. Her ties to local developers, including her husband, J. Joseph Clarke, may give skeptical voters pause.
Myles B. Hoenig (G)
The facts: Past co-chair of the Baltimore City Green Party; environmental and community activist; president of the Waverly Improvement Association; works as a Baltimore City school ESL teacher; lives in Waverly; 49 years old
The read: The highest profile and perhaps the best qualified Green Party candidate of the current political season. Too bad he’s up against a gifted and much-loved veteran politician.
If we were you . . .
Vote Clarke.
See Also: “Conflict of Interests,” Campaign Beat, Oct. 20
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