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Staff file photo by Graham Cullen McClement | |
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Some are still displeased with the first-term Frederick mayor's decision to endorse a Democrat in what was seen as a critical election for the GOP.
"Randy really hurt our efforts in 2010," Delegate Michael Hough, R-District 3B, said in an interview this past week. "I sort of hope, as a Republican, that somebody else will step up and run for mayor, so we have a strong candidate the Republicans can get behind."
Hough was referring to the election for state Senate between incumbent Alex Mooney and Ron Young, who was Frederick's mayor from 1974 to 1990. During that close race, McClement came out publicly in support of the Democrat, Young, instead of supporting his party's candidate.
Mooney lost by 1,044 votes, according to a state Board of Elections report.
Delegate Kathy Afzali is not committed to endorsing anyone this year because no other Republicans have come forward yet to seek the party's nomination in the primary, but she agreed with Hough's assessment.
"I think Randy made some enemies when he endorsed Ron Young," said Afzali, R-District 4A. "I think Randy ruffled some feathers and he's got some explaining to do. ... It would be funny for him to ask for our support after he threw us under the bus in the past."
Mooney should have received the mayor's support because of his pro-business platform, she said. It would have been different if they were talking about a local candidate, but because this was a seat in Annapolis, partisan politics mattered, according to Afzali.
"On the state level, I think Randy made a tactical error," she said. "Whether you liked Alex or not, we really needed his vote down here. We've had some really critical votes and we could have used his vote."
McClement dismissed his detractors in an interview Friday.
"Everybody has their opinion," the mayor said. "I'll tell you how I want to move forward and what I've done since I was elected mayor. ... The voters in the city can decide if what I've done are the best things for the city and if they want to vote for me."
Being mayor should not be about partisanship, he said. Issues of public safety, fixing roads and picking up trash are not Republican or Democratic, McClement said.
He defended his 2010 decision to endorse Young.
"That was my personal opinion at the time," McClement said. "I can only go by what Mr. Young was saying at the time and the direction he was looking to go to help this area. I believed those were ideologies I could support.
"Whether he has lived up to those is between me and him."
'A great resource'
McClement announced his re-election bid Monday to a few dozen supporters.
The 56-year-old former bagel shop owner said he was not running against anyone. Although there was an R next to his name, McClement made it clear he was running for the people of Frederick.
Absent were most elected Republicans who might be expected to support the mayor of Maryland's second most populous city.
State Sen. David Brinkley heaped praise on the mayor.
"We have a person who really wants to just be mayor, fill potholes, do a lot of things that we as citizens tend to take for granted," Brinkley said at the announcement. "Randy has been available for us from the delegation's perspective. ... He's been a great resource for us to go to, and I think he's done a great job."
McClement supported Brinkley in his unsuccessful bid to challenge former U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett in his re-election run last year.
Alderwoman Shelley Aloi also attended. But after the announcement, she said she was there only because she had been invited. She also attended Alderwoman Karen Young's announcement that she is running in the Democratic primary for mayor of Frederick.
Some have floated Aloi's name as a potential Republican challenger to McClement.
"I haven't made that decision," Aloi said Monday.
Other names have surfaced as potential Republican challengers. Hough called on former Mayor Jeff Holtzinger to consider another campaign.
"Jeff was a good mayor," Hough said. "He put in real reforms. ... There are a lot of credible Republican candidates to run."
Holtzinger said he has not made a decision on running again, but indicated he is lined up to meet the requirements should he attempt a return to office.
Voter registration numbers could mean an uphill battle for the Republican candidate. Recent election records show about 17,300 registered Democrats in the city, compared with roughly 10,800 Republicans.
The Democratic opponent could also create some challenges.
Besides Karen Young, Delegate Galen Clagett has announced he will seek the Democratic nomination.
Either of those candidates would be tough opponents for McClement, according to Hough.
"I have my doubts he can win," Hough said.
'Randy or whoever'
Steve Gottlieb will let Republican voters decide who they want to represent them in the general election, he said. The Frederick County Republican Central Committee chairman said he did not believe McClement should feel that, as the incumbent, he deserves a free pass in the primary.
Board of County Commissioners President Blaine Young, a Republican, has some real concerns about what this dissent could do to the party, he said. He is Ron Young's son, but even he did not support his father politically in 2010, Blaine Young said.
Michael Powell, a political science professor at Frederick Community College, said he was not surprised by the infighting over McClement's actions.
"The party likes for its candidates to support each other," Powell said. "It's one of those things, you know if you're going to do it, you're taking a chance that you'll meet some opposition."
Only time will tell whether fellow Republicans get behind McClement.
"At the end of the day, I'm a strong Republican," Hough said. "I'm going to support the Republican, Randy or whoever, but he's not a unifying person within the party."
Source: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyid=146978
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