Why Sandy Schrader?
Why did voters in Howard County's new Legislative District 13 pick three Democrats to be delegates and two Democrats for the County Council, but elect Republican Sandra B. Schrader to the Maryland Senate - instead of Democratic political institution C. Vernon Gray?
And since the 59 percent of Howard voters who went to the polls also backed Republican Robert L. Ehrlich for governor, why didn't those coattails help GOP candidates Bob Adams and Mary Beth Tung, who ran for delegate with Schrader?
The final election night tally showed Schrader with 731 more votes than Gray, though there are 1,329 District 13 absentee ballots uncounted, according to election board officials.
That means Gray is not mathematically eliminated, but he would need about 75 percent of those ballots to win - a highly unlikely outcome, observers said.
Gray has not conceded, however, and said yesterday, "We'll see what happens," when absentee ballots are counted. "We ran a positive campaign," he said.
Democrats Shane Pendergrass, Frank S. Turner and Neil Quinter won the three seats in the House of Delegates - with a gap of 2,000 votes between Quinter and Tung, the Republican with the highest total.
With nearly 11,000 more registered Democrats in the district than Republicans, Gray started with a big advantage, not to mention his pervasive name recognition as Howard County's longest-serving and first African-American elected official.
But the outcome of this close contest, like those for most major events, stems from a complex combination of circumstances.
One major piece was the Court of Appeals redistricting that removed District 13 from a portion of western Anne Arundel County and extended it west through Fulton all the way to Clarksville.
That meant Howard residents angry about Gray's support for huge, new mixed-use developments such as Emerson and Maple Lawn Farms would vote in the district.
"Vernon's never run down there before," while the delegates have, Turner said.
Unofficial precinct results show how badly that hurt Gray and helped Schrader. Three key precincts alone built Schrader a 1,591-vote margin.
At Gorman Crossing Elementary School, which is amid the construction of the Rouse Co.'s big Emerson mixed-use development, Schrader got 662 more votes than Gray - the largest single precinct margin in the district.
At the Schooley Mill Park precinct in Fulton, just west of the equally large Maple Lawn Farms project site, Schrader got 430 votes more than Gray.
Howard County
93 of 93 precincts reporting
County Executive
James N. Robey, Dem. (i) 52,802...........58
Steven H. Adler, GOP.......... 38,028...........42
Board Of Education
(nonpartisan)
Courtney Watson 48,606..............68
Barry Tevelow..........22,990..............32
1st Council District
Christopher Joseph Merdon, GOP (i) 12,245......66
Lynne Bergling, Dem. .................................6,325......34
2nd Council District
Dave Rakes, Dem. 8,917 60
Brian Harlin, GOP 5,864 40
3rd Council District
Guy Guzzone, Dem. 9,512 66
Diane Wilson, GOP 4,913 34
4th Council District
Ken Ulman, Dem. 11,100 59
Joan C. Lancos, GOP 7,854 41
5th Council District
Allan H. Kittleman, GOP (i) 15,974 72
Stephen Musselman, Dem. 6,193 28
State's Attorney
Timothy J. McCrone, Dem. 48,321 56
Robert Ryan Tousey, GOP 37,802 44
Circuit Court Clerk
Margaret D. Rappaport, GOP (i) 50,916 59
Leslie J. Cale, Dem. 35,581 41
Register of Wills
Kay K. Hartleb (i) 67,928
Orphans' Court Judge
(3 seats)
Joyce Pope, GOP (i)......................47,342........ 23
Charles M. Coles Jr., GOP (i).......41,278.........20
Sherae M. McNeal, Dem. (i)...........40,298........20
Paul L. Bush, Dem. ........................36,708........18
Eva-Mae Lloyd, GOP.......................36,260.......18
Sheriff
Charles M. Cave, Dem. (i).........47,753..........58
Edward Armanas, GOP............34,983...........42
(i) = incumbent