By Megan Poinski, MarylandReporter.com - Del. Joseph “Sonny” Minnick spent 16 years waiting on the sidelines before entering state politics.

His brother Daniel served four terms in the House of Delegates, and Sonny Minnick always helped with his campaign. He was intrigued with the inner workings of the House.

Read more: Minnick wants to keep fighting for small business, veterans

By Megan Poinski, MarylandReporter.com Both Sen. David Harrington and Del. Victor Ramirez feel that the next senator representing the 47th District should be someone who fights for the issues constituents of the Prince George’s County district hold dear.

The two Democrats, however, feel very differently about who is the best person to stand up for those residents in their constituency which hugs the District of Columbia line from Montgomery County to Cheverly.

Harrington 56, was appointed to the seat after Sen. Gwendolyn Britt died in 2008. He said his experience as a mayor of Bladensburg and member of the Prince George’s County Council make him the right person to continue in office. Ramirez, who has served two terms in the House of Delegates and initially sought appointment to the Senate seat, feels that Harrington has not shown the kind of leadership the people need to see.

Ramirez, 36, has lived in District 47 since he was a child. He said that he thinks that Harrington is out of sync with the district. In 2008, when Harrington was appointed, Ramirez said he would run for the seat and confirmed that decision as this year’s session finished up.

“There is a lack of leadership on issues, and a lack of honesty on issues,” Ramirez said. “I represent a progressive district, and I think the current appointed state senator is out of touch. We have to start holding people accountable, so I am running.”

When he was selected to fill the Senate seat three years ago, Harrington had spent six years on the Prince George’s County Council, as well as served as the mayor of Bladensburg. Even though this is his first run for the Senate, Harrington feels he is not at a disadvantage. Issues handled by the Senate are the same as those handled by County Council members – just on a broader scale.

“A campaign is a campaign,” Harrington said. “Being a senator is just as local as being a county commissioner. It’s about wearing down your shoes, meeting constituents, and getting to meet and greets.”

Harrington was not surprised to find himself with a challenger. Harrington said that constituents have seemed somewhat disappointed; with so many hotly contested races in Prince George’s County this year, many voters would have liked to return efficient incumbents to office.

“I asked voters if they would have preferred not to choose sides,” Harrington said. “But it was not my decision. I would have preferred to keep working with Delegate Ramirez.”

Differences clear, challenger says, but vague

Ramirez said that the divisions in the race between himself and Harrington are very clear. Harrington, he said, has been on the “wrong side” of several important issues in the county. Ramirez said that Harrington has crossed party lines too often.

Ramirez said that he believes in smart growth, while Harrington does not. Ramirez also stands opposed to casino gambling in Prince George’s County, while he said that Harrington has supported it. And, Ramirez said, Harrington walked away from an opportunity to address problems at the hospital.

“He hasn’t come up with solutions,” Ramirez said. “I have proposed legislation to address these problems.”

In his eight years in the House, Ramirez said he has been able to build a history of activism for his district, and people in his district have been very supportive. He has received endorsements from public safety unions, as well as the Service Employees International Union.

“We’ve finished the first leg of the marathon, and I am going to finish strong,” Ramirez said.

Harrington said that he also has a long history of getting things done for his constituents through his years of service at different levels of government. Harrington’s endorsements include the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, and the Maryland State Education Association.

Both have been endorsed by Equality Maryland, the political organization for gays and lesbians.

Progressive Maryland did not endorse either candidate because “our board could not come to consensus in that race,” said Rion Dennis, PM’s acting executive director. It takes a two-thirds vote of the large Progressive Maryland board to endose.

“They both have strong progressive records, and they both work with us very well,” Dennis said.

-August 30, 2010

By Stephen Tung, Capital News Service - Of the 11 U.S. senators elected to a first term in 2006, nine had more money in the bank for possible 2012 re-election bids than Maryland Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.

Only Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, with $141,661 on hand, had less than Cardin, who reported having $379,594 in the bank as of June 30, the most recent reporting deadline for the Federal Election Commission.

Read more: Running in place for 2012: Cardin fundraising slows after costly 2006

By Megan Poinski, MarylandReporter.com - (Fifth in a series of seven articles) In 2006, two-term Del. Nancy King and newcomer Saqib Ali were on the Democratic Party’s ticket for the three seats in the House of Delegates for Montgomery County District 39.

Four years later, the two Democrats are meeting again at the polls, but this time Ali is trying to knock King out of the Senate seat she was appointed to -- and Ali thought he should have.

Read more: King, Ali aggressively campaign for District 39 seat

By Zemen Habtemariam and Catherine Irwin  - On a nice day, people can be found at the National Harbor taking photos of a major statue depicting a man submerged in the sand with a panicked expression.
The statue, known as “The Awakening,” relocated to the Harbor from its former home at Hains Point and sits along the shore facing away from the Potomac River.

The Harbor, which is located in Oxon Hill, has undergone developments to become a growing attraction in Prince George’s County for tourism, business and other forms of commerce. It appears to be doing for Prince George’s what the Inner Harbor did for Baltimore when it first opened 30 years ago.

Read more: The state’s other ‘Harbor’ continues to lure tourist to Prince George's County