7/14/06 Dozens of Montgomery County Officials and Community Leaders Endorse O’Malley-Brown

ROCKVILLE, MD (July 6, 2006) – More than three dozen Montgomery County elected officials and community leaders came out in force today to endorse Martin O’Malley and Anthony Brown for Governor and Lt. Governor in this year’s general election. Among those attending today’s event were members of the Maryland General Assembly, the Montgomery County Council, and a number executives from municipalities throughout Montgomery County.

“I am honored to the have the support of so many in Montgomery County, who know that Maryland can do better to reduce congestion and traffic,� said Martin O’Malley. “The Democratic Party in Maryland is unified, and together we will put the Governor’s office back on the side of Maryland’s hardworking families to improve the quality of life for all our among citizens.�

The endorsements strengthen the already substantial support that O’Malley and Brown have received from Montgomery County including the unequivocal support expressed by County Executive Doug Duncan.

Standing in Courthouse Square Park in Rockville with a number of his colleagues in the General Assembly, Senator Brian Frosh stated, “Maryland cannot afford another four years of Bob Ehrlich’s failed leadership and politics of division. Martin O’Malley and Anthony Brown will bring honesty, integrity and a true spirit of compromise back to the Governor’s Office to fight for Maryland families.�

The endorsement of more than three dozen elected officials and community leaders in the second largest democratic jurisdiction in Maryland is strong indicator of the broad support O’Malley and Brown enjoy statewide over Bob Ehrlich. According to a recent poll by the Washington Post, O’Malley leads Ehrlich statewide 16 points among likely voters statewide.

Congressman Chris Van Hollen, who was traveling today, released a statement stating, “I enthusiastically endorse Martin O’Malley and look forward to working hard to make him the next Governor of Maryland. The state of Maryland needs to chart a fresh new direction and Martin O’Malley is the right person for the job.�

Following the endorsement, O’Malley and Brown gathered with the Gartland family of Rockville around their kitchen table for the latest in a series of kitchen table talks they have had with Maryland families. The Gartlands shared their concerns and ideas about increased congestion and traffic, increased taxes and fees, increased gasoline and energy costs, and rising costs of college education.

Chris and Amy Gartland have three children. Chris Gartland is an IT project manager for Oracle Corporation and Amy Gartland is a teacher at St. John the Evangelist.

list of endorsers:

Federal:

    o Congressman Chris Van Hollen*, District 8
General Assembly:

    o Senator Jennie M. Forehand, District 17
    o Senator Brian E. Frosh, District 16
    o Senator Patrick .J. Hogan, District 39
    o Senator Ida G. Ruben*, District 20
    o Senator Leonard H. Teitelbaum, District 19
    o Delegate Charles E. Barkley, District 39
    o Delegate Kumar P. Barve, District 17
    o Delegate William A. Bronrott, District 16
    o Delegate Brian J. Feldman, District 15
    o Delegate Peter Franchot, District 20
    o Delegate Ana Sol Gutiérrez, District 18
    o Delegate Henry B.Heller*, District 19
    o Delegate Sheila E. Hixson, District 20
    o Delegate Nancy J. King, District 39
    o Delegate Jane E. Lawton, District 18
    o Delegate Susan C. Lee, District 6
    o Delegate Richard S. Madaleno, Jr., District 18
    o Delegate Adrienne A. Mandel*, District 19
    o Delegate Karen S. Montgomery*, District 14
    o Delegate Gareth E. Murray*, District 20
    o Delegate Carol S. Petzold, District 19
    o Delegate Luis R. S. Simmons, District 20
    o Delegate Joan F. Stern, District 39
    o Delegate Herman L. Taylor, Jr.*, District 14
    o Former Delegate John Hurson*
County Council:

    o County Councilman Phil Andrews
    o County Councilwoman Nancy Floreen*, At-Large
    o County Councilman George L. Leventhal, At-Large
    o County Councilman Tom Perez,
    o County Councilwoman Marilyn Praisner*, At-Large
    o County Councilman Steve Silverman*, At-Large
    o Former County Councilmember Blair Ewing
Courthouse (Row Officers):

    o State’s Attorney Douglas Gansler
    o John McCarthy, State’s Attorney Office
    o Sheriff Raymond Kight
    o Clerk of Circuit Court Molly Ruhl
    o Loretta Knight, Clerk of Court Office
    o Joe Griffin, Register of Wills
Municipalities:

    o Mayor Peter Fosselman, Kensington
    o Mayor Larry Giammo, Rockville
    o Mayor Sidney Katz, Gaithersburg
    o Mayor Kathryn H. Porter, Takoma Park
    o Mayor Carolyn Shawaker, Garrett Park
    o Councilman Alfred Carr*, Kensington
    o Councilman Bob Dorsey, Rockville
    o Councilman Mark Elrich, Takoma Park
    o Councilwoman Anne Robbins, Rockville
    o Former Mayor Steven Van Grack, Rockville
Montgomery County Board of Education:

    o Valerie Ervin
    o Patricia O’Neill
    o Nancy Navarro

Former County Executive Sid Kramer

Ike Leggett, Former County Council President and Former MD State Party Chairman

Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee


    o Karen Britto, Chairwoman
    o Tracey Terrell, Central Committee Member
    o Vivian Malloy, Candidate At-Large Democratic Central Committee

NOTE Due to prior commitments, those elected officials with asterisks will not be in attendance, but are allowing their name to be used in press releases and other media purposes.