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Political Notes: Biden to Raise Money for Hoyer PAC; Gansler Backs Madaleno

By Josh Kurtz

On April 9, when the 188 members of the Maryland General Assembly are sweating through the final hours of their 90-day legislative session, the Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation are scheduled to be at a fundraiser in Potomac with former Vice President Joseph R. Biden.

The event is being sponsored by the Hoyer Majority Fund, a fundraising entity set up by U.S. House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) to help the Democrats take control of the House this November. The fundraiser will parcel out cash to Hoyer’s personal campaign fund and to AMERIPAC, his political action committee of longstanding.

“The urgency of stopping the Trump agenda grows every day!” says an invitation for the fundraiser.

Biden

Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden

It is being held at the home of Tammy Darvish, a businesswoman and Democratic activist, and Hamid Fallahi, an engineer. Darvish and Terry Lierman, the former state Democratic chairman and one-time Hoyer chief of staff, are the co-chairmen for the event.

Ticket prices for the evening event start at $1,000 and go up from there.

The host committee for the fundraiser, which is still in formation, includes retired banker Alexander R.M. Boyle and his wife Betty; Cherrie W. Doggett, who owns a parking business; Victor H. Fazio Jr., a former congressman from California who is now a lawyer and lobbyist with Akin Gump; Barbara Goldberg Goldman, the Montgomery County businesswoman and affordable housing activist; Joel Jankowsky, a senior partner at Akin Gump; Ken Michael, the Prince George’s County developer; James Muldoon, an executive at Metcor, a defense contractor; and Raj and Bharti Shah, founders of a health information company.

Gansler Backs Madaleno for Governor

Former state Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler became the first 2014 Democratic candidate for governor to express a preference in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary, endorsing state Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Monday night at an event in Kensington.

“Rich is one of the smartest, most effective legislators in Annapolis,” Gansler said in a tweet. “There is no doubt in my mind that he will make a great Governor of Maryland!”

Gansler, the runner-up in the 2014 Democratic primary, had pondered running for governor again this cycle, but decided to remain on the sidelines. In 2014, when most of the state Democratic establishment lined up behind then-Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, Madaleno backed Gansler.

It seems unlikely, sources said, that Brown, who is now a member of Congress, or the third Democrat who ran for governor four years ago, former Del. Heather R. Mizeur, will endorse anyone in the June 26 gubernatorial primary.

Although some Montgomery County leaders, including County Executive Isiah Leggett, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and state Attorney General Brian E. Frosh, have endorsed Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III for governor, Madaleno has racked up an impressive list of local supporters in the past few weeks, led by U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin – an old friend of Gansler’s.

Madaleno also recently got his first major labor endorsement, winning support from the Baltimore Washington Laborers’ District Council, an affiliate of the Laborers’ International Union of North America. Many unions have cast their lot with former NAACP president Benjamin T. Jealous.

 

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Political Notes: Biden to Raise Money for Hoyer PAC; Gansler Backs Madaleno