February 28, 2000
4th District: Incumbent Albert R. Wynn deserves the Democratic nomination over E. Richard Rosenthal, a record and film company executive from Silver Spring. Mr. Wynn's district is home to many federal employees, and he has championed their cause.
There is no Republican contest.
5th District: Rep. Steny H. Hoyer's work on behalf of his growing middle and Southern Maryland district seems headed toward a 10th term. A moderate-to-liberal Democrat with useful relationships in the Democratic House hierarchy, Mr. Hoyer is regarded as a strong candidate for an important leadership post, should Democrats win control of the House. He is our choice in the Democratic primary.
On the Republican side, we recommend Del. Thomas E. Hutchins, a well-regarded two-term Charles County legislator.
The other GOP contenders are Joseph T. Crawford and Charles L. Thompson.
7th District: Republicans should give their party's nomination to Kenneth Kondner, a medical supplies salesman who is making his fifth run for the House of Representatives. His tenacity is impressive in this overwhelmingly Democratic district.
Incumbent Rep. Elijah E. Cummings is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
8th District: No Democratic office-holder would risk challenging Rep. Constance Morella, whose quest for an eighth term is unopposed in the Republican primary in Montgomery County.
The Democrats' best candidate is a health care lobbyist, Terry L. Lierman, who is also a member of the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
The health and party activist brings his own considerable funds to the race. His first television commercials attacking Ms. Morella have already aired.
His primary rivals include Deborah A. Vollmer, a lawyer; K. Joyce Kimble, a teacher in Montgomery public schools for 30 years; Cyrus Homayounpour, a staffer for the continuing education trade association in Washington, and Lih Y. Young, a former government economist who runs for some office every election.
There are no primary contests in the 3rd District.
