Al Carr enters District 4 County Council contest as map changes shake up district Council races

Maryland House Delegate Al Carr (D - District 18) withdrew from his reelection race last evening, and filed to run for the Montgomery County Council District 4 seat. That move just before last night's filing deadline, and last-minute map changes, shook up district contests across the county, as well as the District 18 House race Carr exited.

The County Democratic Central Committee can appoint a Democrat to fill the empty ballot spot left by Carr in the District 18 race. But other seismic shifts on the election game board Friday will affect the 2022 Election through the July primary and beyond.

Carr brings name recognition and a lengthy resume in public service to the District 4 race. Prior to last night, Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart was the only high-profile elected official in the Democratic primary for that reshaped district, which now stretches from south Rockville to Stewart's home base. Carr served on the Kensington Town Council prior to his three terms in the House of Delegates. Amy Ginsburg, who is known for her leadership of the Friends of White Flint; Troy Murtha; and John F. Zittrauer are also running in the District 4 Democratic contest.

Stewart got off to a strong start in her first mayoral term, and political observers have expected her to be a formidable candidate for higher offices as a result. She couldn't entirely avoid controversy as leader of the most politically-active area of Montgomery County, the Takoma Junction uproar and her defense of a city screening of a documentary that many considered anti-Semitic chief among them. But executive experience is always a strong selling point in elections, and Stewart has spent seven years running a high-profile municipality, with all of the responsbilities that entails.

Carr has the advantage of having been engaged on neighborhood and pocketbook issues over a larger geographic area in recent years. His efforts to assist Maryland residents facing exorbitant EZ-Pass late fees, while cracking down on out-of-state toll scofflaws, made national news last year. Carr also introduced a bill to increase transparency at the increasingly-controversial Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County.

The lone Republican in the District 4 race, Cheryl Riley, only finds herself there now due to the new district map boundaries. Riley's sorting into District 4 now leaves District 1 without a Republican challenger to incumbent Andrew Friedson. If the County GOP Central Committee doesn't nominate a Republican, Friedson will be unopposed in the November election. An appointee will also be needed for the fourth spot in the Republican primary race for County Council At-Large.

There are Republicans in all the other Council district races, though. Dan Cuda is running in District 2, George Hernandez in District 3, Riley in District 4, Kate Woody in District 5, Viet Doan in District 6, and Harold Maldonado in District 7. If Doan were victorious in November, he would be the first Asian-American to be elected to the County Council.

District 4 now joins District 6 as the contests-to-watch for politics addicts. Just as the District 4 race includes two prominent elected officials, District 6 Democratic candidates include former County Planning Board commissioner Natali Fani-Gonzalez and former Maryland Delegate Maricé Morales. Both former public officials also have resumes beyond public service. Fani-Gonzalez worked for CASA de Maryland and SEIU Local 32BJ, and now is an executive with the Matea Group. Morales is an attorney with a law practice in Rockville, and also serves on the boards of Montgomery College and Emerge Maryland.

Another high-profile member of the community running as a Democrat in District 6 is Omar Lazo, owner of the popular Los Chorros restaurant in Wheaton. Lazo is also on the Board of Trustees of Montgomery College, as well as serving on the Board of the Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce, the Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee, the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Latino Democratic Club, and on the Board of the Fund for Montgomery. 

Kemp Mill resident Brit Siman-Tov was driven to enter the District 6 race this month by the Council's pandemic business closures and mask policies, and the councilmembers' brief flirtation with the idea of a vaccine mandate. Former WTEM 980 radio producer and personality and current podcaster Steve Solomon is also in the District 6 contest. Republican Doan and Democrats Christa Tichy, Mark Trullinger and Vicki Vergagni round out the candidates in District 6.

The new District 6 includes Aspen Hill, Forest Glen, Glenmont, Kemp Mill, Kensington Heights, parts of Rockville, and Wheaton.

Zbounce moving, B-12 Store opening at Montgomery Mall

Moon bounce play center Zbounce is getting bounced to a new spot inside Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this coming week. It will stay on Level 2, but move into a space across from Forever 21. 

In other mall news, The B-12 Store will be opening soon downtstairs on Level 1. A variation on the new fad of IV bars, at The B-12 Store you can buy or be injected with a variety of vitamins and minerals. All doctors, nurses and other staff are licensed and certified to administer the injections, the chain advises. The B-12 Store is rapidly expanding at malls across the continental U.S., as well as in Puerto Rico.

Tom Hucker withdraws from Montgomery County Executive race to run for County Council At-Large

The Montgomery County Executive race saw a dramatic turn of events as the candidate filing deadline passed Friday night. According to the Maryland State Board of Elections, County Councilmember Tom Hucker (D - District 5) has withdrawn from the County Executive race, and has filed to run for County Council At-Large instead. Hucker was eligible to run for one more term in District 5, under the County term limits law.

Hucker's exit probably benefits incumbent executive Marc Elrich the most, as Hucker was - in relative terms - the closest aligned with Elrich on a Council that has an often-contentious relationship with the executive office. County Councilmember Hans Riemer may get a boost as well, from progressives who oppose Elrich and wanted someone new. Hucker's entry into the executive race never made much sense anyway, as he had a safe seat for one more term, and Elrich and Riemer were already blocking both of his ideological lanes in the Democratic primary.

Photo via Montgomery County Council

Second Montgomery County government facility burglarized in Rockville area in two weeks

A second Montgomery County government building in the MD 355 corridor has been burglarized in as many weeks in the Rockville area. Rockville City police responded to a break-in at the County's Shady Grove Transfer Station and Recycling Center at 16101 Frederick Road in Derwood at 11:30 PM Wednesday night, according to crime data. Two weeks prior, burglars broke into a County government office building further down MD 355 at 401 Hungerford Drive.

Strong-arm robbery at Rockville ATM machine

Rockville City police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery at a bank ATM machine along Rockville Pike on Wednesday afternoon. The robbery was reported in the 100 block of Halpine Road at 2:30 PM, according to crime data. There is a Capital One bank branch on that block. It has a standard ATM machine at the front, and drive-thru ATM machines on the side.

Homesense opening Rockville store (Photos)

Homesense is opening a store at the Montrose Crossing shopping center on Rockville Pike. The home goods retailer is part of the conglomerate that owns TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods and Sierra. Homesense carries furniture, lighting, decor, art, rugs, home office goods, everything you need to entertain, and even a broad line of hardware and home improvement tools and materials. The store takes over the A.C. Moore space near Bob's Discount Furniture at the rear of the property.

A sign has been attached to the storefront, and is already lit, even though the store is not ready to open yet. Montrose Crossing has rapidly become a one-stop shop for new or redecorating homeowners, with Value City Furniture, Bob's Discount Furniture, Home Depot Design Center, Target and now Homesense all on one site. Property owner Federal Realty has also been on a home decor streak at Bethesda Row, but here at Montrose Crossing, the furniture and decor are available at a much wider spectrum of price points. Homesense touts its prices as 20-60% below competitors, achieved by intercepting large order cancellations by other retailers, or buying up inventory from chains who are clearing shelves as seasons change.

Rockville armed carjacking suspect arrested in SE Washington, D.C.

Thomas Whiting

Montgomery County police announced Wednesday that the suspect in the April 6, 2022 armed carjacking on Congressional Lane in Rockville is now in custody in Washington, D.C. Thomas Whiting, 23, was allegedly driving the stolen red 2012 Toyota Corolla two days later on Anacostia Road S.E. Metropolitan Police officers recognized the vehicle as having been carjacked in Maryland, and conducted a traffic stop. After initially pulling over, Whiting allegedly then attempted to flee from officers, who apprehended him and noticed a black handgun in the center console of the Corolla.

Whiting, whose residential jurisdiction was not identified by County police, has been charged with motor vehicle theft, armed carjacking and the use of a firearm during a crime of violence. He also had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court on a previous illegal firearm possession charge. Whiting is being held in a D.C. jail. No plans for his extradition to Montgomery County have been immediately announced.