Republicans continue District 33 dominance

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There is little doubt Republicans will continue to dominate District 33 after this year's elections, especially considering the fact that there is only one Democrat among the 11 candidates vying for the district's four General Assembly seats.

However, plenty of drama still surrounds who will be chosen by GOP voters in the upcoming primary, especially in a contentious Republican state Senate contest. And family arguments are always the ugliest.

The two front-runners in that three-person race, incumbent Sen. Ed Reilly of Crofton and Del. James King of Gambrills, are locked in a battle over who has the substance and style to properly represent their constituents.

Without a Democratic challenger, the winner of the primary will take the seat in Annapolis.

Reilly, a former county councilman appointed to the Senate in 2009, believes he already has established a conservative record of opposing tax and spending bills. He attacks King for engaging in some of the more social sides of General Assembly life and believes the delegate is trying to ingratiate himself with Democratic leaders by hosting them at his restaurant in Eastport after night sessions.

"He basically started to self-serve himself (when elected)," Reilly said.

For King's part, he says Reilly already has managed to alienate himself from the rest of the Senate with actions such as an abstention on whether to re-elect Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert, to the leadership post. King - who claims to always support Democratic House Speaker Michael E. Busch's reappointment in voice votes - said he saw Reilly "become completely ineffective over the course of a year."

"Politics is about personal relationships," King said. "I think it shows a clear lack of understanding how the process works."

To a large but not surprising extent, policy has taken a backseat to personality in the race. Reilly blasts King's votes for bills such as slot machines and an expensive health care expansion as evidence "James abandoned the Republican Party."

King counters by pointing to numerous fee hikes Reilly backed while on the council, stances the senator maintains were necessary to make sure the government could cover the cost of its services.

Inevitably, however, the conversation turns back to who can be trusted and who is distorting the record.

"(King) strikes a position so far to one side," Reilly said. "You have to be a critical listener and investigator to bring it back to reality."

A third candidate in the race is Brian Benjers, a Republican from Crofton who has been unavailable for comment.

District 33A

While King is trying to take Reilly's place, there are still plenty of Republican aspirants for the two House seats in District 33A, with five people in the primary.

Del. Tony McConkey, R-Severna Park, is running for a third term and is joined by several political veterans, including school board member Vic Bernson of Millersville, County Councilwoman Cathy Vitale of Severna Park and former delegate David Boschert of Crownsville.

"I have always won because I represent the district well," McConkey said. "We need a two-party system. I challenge the leadership."

Boschert is hoping to continue his efforts to redevelop the fallow state Crownsville Hospital Center property into a place for service organizations and to help pave the way for the anticipated growth associated with the federal Base Realignment and Closure process at Fort George G. Meade.

"We are not even preparing," he said. "We are talking."

Bernson said he has demonstrated "experienced leadership and transparency" as a member of the school board, and will advocate for less spending and stronger law enforcement.

"I'm going to tell you what I think and what I see," he said.

Like King, McConkey questioned Vitale's support of fee increases on the council, but she defended it as a way to make sure users pay for their services. She wants to shrink the state budget and also improve the health of businesses through policies such as tax breaks for avoiding layoffs.

"Government needs to go back to core services," Vitale said.

Sid Saab, a business owner from Crownsville, also is trying to get elected for the first time in a crowded field. He believes term limits are necessary in order to get different results from government and reinvigorate the private sector.

"I've been tested in the business world," he said. "We are losing our work force."

The two Republicans who win will face just one Democratic challenger in the Nov. 2 general election, Madonna Brennan of Gambrills.

District 33B

Reilly isn't the only incumbent from the area experiencing a primary challenger. Del. Bob Costa, a Republican from Deale, also is being tested early by Tom Angelis, a Davidsonville Republican and former director of the county Recreation and Parks Department.

Costa, a county firefighter, said he deserves a third term because of his "effectiveness and knowledge of the legislature." He cites accomplishments dealing with tax credits for the developmentally disabled and farming rights. He believes his knowledge of health care will be "vitally important" in the coming years.

Almost a dozen state laws may have to be changed following the passage of the national health care bill, and Costa said his Republican perspective will be valuable.

"I want to make sure we have a balanced debate," he said.

One of Angelis' top issues also is term limits, a proposition with little favor in the General Assembly. The candidate said a compromise could be grandfathering in incumbents and giving them two more terms before forced retirement.

"Two terms and I am out of here," he said. "The desire for it is overwhelming in the community."

Angelis criticized Costa's focus on health care as "myopic" and said the state has to do a better job holding local governments accountable for the money they spend, incentivizing private companies to reduce commutes with satellite offices, and encouraging senior citizens to volunteer.

"(Costa) hasn't addressed the other issues in his district," Angelis said.

With no Democrats running for the seat, either Costa or Angelis will be headed to Annapolis after the Sept. 14 primary.

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lfarrell@capitalgazette.com