Waldstreicher ‘Surprised’ By Campaign Money Talk – District 18 Del. Jeff Waldstreicher and his two fellow incumbents face plenty of competition in June.
On Thursday, Waldstreicher said he was surprised that some of his opponents were touting impressive campaign fundraising numbers.
The message seemingly was aimed at Rick Kessler, a Forest Glen government relations consultant and former Congressional staffer who raised the most money in the field and has the second most cash on hand ($68,782), according to finance reports.
District 18 includes parts of Bethesda, Chevy Chase, North Bethesda, Silver Spring and Garrett Park, Kensington and Wheaton.
Waldstreicher boasted a district-leading campaign chest of $113,873 when 2013 annual reports came out, but he wasn’t focusing on those numbers on Thursday:
Our re-election campaign is in full swing! Of course, you may have heard that some new faces have entered our race, which I fully welcome. The democratic process is indeed an important and healthy one. One thing that did surprise me, however, was that some of these new faces entered the race touting their fundraising numbers.
Well, I have some numbers to report, also. Two of them, in fact:
(301) 221-2696 — my personal cell
(301) 858-3130 — my direct line in Annapolis
As your Maryland State Delegate, I am here for you and happy to help. Neighborhood needs road or pedestrian improvements? Happy to help. Pepco out (again)? Happy to help. Looking for scholarships for the University System of Maryland? Happy to help.
Even as I work aggressively here in Annapolis to dramatically increase our minimum wage (which I was proud to vote for last week!) and pass universal preschool, constituent service remains the core of my job. And so when you need me, please don’t hesitate to use the numbers above. I’m not one for touting, but my office does pride itself on being responsive, accessible, and friendly. As always, I am…
Cooper Releases Campaign Video – District 16 delegate candidate Jordan Cooper on Thursday released a campaign video, with a shout-out to the video maker and friend who made it for him for free. The video is on Cooper’s site:
Campaign videos are expensive, but as with many things in this campaign, I have been fortunate that friends old and new have been willing to offer their services as in-kind contributions.
So today, I want to give a special thanks to Kim Foley, who contributed her time and talent to make this video possible. Kim is a video professional with decades of experience in high-level business, television, and political video production.
In the video, Cooper focuses on the economy, schools and transportation infrastructure.
“I was born, raised and educated right here in Bethesda, Maryland,” Cooper says. “More importantly, I have the experience and track record of public service to move us forward.”
Korman Pushes Democratic Credentials – In an email to supporters on Wednesday, District 16 delegate candidate and Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee member Marc Korman highlighted his Democratic bona fides:
One of the most common questions voters ask when I meet them is if I am a Democrat. I proudly smile and give an emphatic yes. …
Before going to law school, I spent five years on Capitol Hill working for Democratic members of Congress. For most of that time, Democrats were in the minority and there was a Republican President, so we had to fight extra hard to support our Democratic ideals. I have also spent countless hours volunteering for Democratic candidates at every level of government, ranging from city council races all the way to cold trips to New Hampshire for presidential campaigns.
Because of my commitment to the Democratic Party, I have been endorsed by several former Maryland and Montgomery County Democratic Party Chairs including Terry Lierman, Susie Turnbull, Stan Gildenhorn, and Dan Adcock. No political party is perfect, but I am proud to stand with these Democratic leaders in support of Democratic principles such as social justice, sensible investment in education and infrastructure, universal healthcare, choice, environmental stewardship, and dignity and opportunity for all.
Korman and opponent Hrant Jamgochian were widely viewed as the frontrunners to replace Delegates Susan Lee (running for State Senate) and Bill Frick, who was running for attorney general. But Frick’s last-day decision to run for re-election in District 16 might have muddled the picture.
News and Notes – Rachel Gumpert, who served as full-time campaign manager for Jamgochian, has left the campaign for another job. Full-time campaign managers are rare in House races. …Read Bethesda Magazine reporter Lou Peck’s story on how some feel Bethesda resident and State Sen. Brian Frosh is “losing to a name” in his attorney general’s race. That name is Jon Cardin, a state delegate who is the nephew of well known U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin. …We’ve heard a lot over the past few weeks about a phone poll being conducted in Bethesda and Chevy Chase on the District 16 delegates race. We hear the poll was paid for by Jamgochian’s campaign.
Photo via Jeff Waldstreicher
