District 12

Legislative District 12 is among the more dichotomous creations of the state officials who a few years ago redrew Maryland's political boundaries. Roughly half of the new 12th is in conservative southwest Baltimore County; the rest lies in more liberal east Howard County.Perhaps fittingly, the District 12 state Senate race features a clear choice between conservative Republican David P. Maier of Elkridge, a construction contractor, and liberal Democrat Edward Kasemeyer of Columbia, a lobbyist for the Montgomery County government.

If you have a spare $1.4 million -- are you listening Mega-Millions winners? -- you can buy the abandoned North Carolina village that portrayed Katniss Everdeen's hometown in "The Hunger Games" movie. Henry River Mill Village was built in the early 1900s as a planned community around a yarn factory, and after the mill closed, the 72-acre tract and its remaining buildings were bought by Wade Shepherd, according to an Associated Press story. He says fans have been swarming around the property to get a taste of District 12, and he's ready to sell.

State Sen. Nancy L. Murphy has raised about twice as much money as any other District 12 contender over the last nine months, but the incumbent says most of the money was spent in her aborted bid for Baltimore County executive.According to campaign finance reports, Ms. Murphy raised $97,931 from Nov. 2, 1993 to Aug. 9, but her treasurer estimates that about 75 percent was collected and spent for the executive race from which she withdrew June 24 to concentrate on retaining her Senate seat.

Following are the Democratic candidates in today's Baltimore primary election. The Sun's endorsements are highlighted. There is no Republican primary. MAYOR Phillip A. Brown Jr. Andrey Bundley Jill P. Carter Frank M. Conaway SHEILA DIXON A. Robert Kaufman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. Mike Schaefer CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT Kenneth N. Harris Sr. Stephanie Rawlings-Blake MICHAEL SARBANES Charles Ulysses Smith DISTRICT 1 Donald John Dewar III JAMES B. KRAFT Terry Jay McCready Marc E. Warren DISTRICT 2 Nicholas C. D'Adamo Jr. LAWRENCE JAMAAL MOSES DISTRICT 3 ROBERT W. CURRAN Norman E. Hall Michael L. Hamilton DISTRICT 4 Scherod Barnes Neil R. Bernstein Ryan M. Coleman Monica L. Gaines William "Bill" Goodin Reba Hawkins BILL HENRY Christopher Jack Hill Earl Levi Holt III DISTRICT 5 No contest DISTRICT 6 Ramona Moore Baker Sharon Green Middleton Deborah B. Ramsey ELIZABETH "LIZ" SMITH DISTRICT 7 Tony Asa BELINDA K. CONAWAY Marshall Toby Goodwin John Holmes DISTRICT 8 Benjamin Barnwell Sr. HELEN L. HOLTON Darryl Anthony Jefferson Sr. Andre Manigault Mahasa David Maurice Smallwood DISTRICT 9 MICHAEL EUGENE JOHNSON James Hugh Jones II Agnes Welch DISTRICT 10 Donnie Fair TERRY F. HICKEY Hunter L. Pruette Edward L. Reisinger DISTRICT 11 Karen Veronica Brown WILLIAM COLE Rita Collins Fred D. Mason III Adam S. Meister Nick Mosby Dana Owens Brandon Thornton Warren Zussman DISTRICT 12 Ertha Harris Frank William Richardson...

Del. Virginia M. Thomas ousted incumbent state Sen. Thomas M. Yeager, and Columbia resident Edward J. Kasemeyer apparently defeated three Baltimore County contenders, including the incumbent state senator, in Democratic primaries for General Assembly seats yesterday.Ms. Thomas, who charged that Mr. Yeager was ineffective, won a battle over leadership styles for the Democratic nomination in Senate District 13, defeating the three-term senator resoundingly, 64 percent to 36 percent. The district also includes a small portion of Prince George's County.

"Evening at Oakland," presented by the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at Oakland at 5430 Vantage Point Road.The event will feature concert pianist and composer Paul Sullivan.A recording artist, Mr. Sullivan has been the composer for Pilobolus Dance Theatre, ABC-TV and the Winter Olympics Committee.Light refreshments will be provided by event sponsors Renaissance Pastries and Bun Penny. Admission is $40. Advanced registration is required. Proceeds will benefit the Randy Sands Men's Shelter Project, an emergency and transitional housing program.

Republican state Senate candidate David P. Maier charged at a candidates forum last night that his Democratic opponent is a "professional politician" who doesn't have the same commitment District 12 residents that he does."

Democratic political activist James M. Kraft has decided to pursue his "initial desire" -- a run for state Senate instead of the House of Delegates seat for which he had geared his campaign for several months.Mr. Kraft said yesterday he decided to run for the Senate in District 12 -- which includes West Columbia, Elkridge and southwestern Baltimore County -- after Democratic Sen. Nancy L. Murphy recently announced her intention to run for Baltimore County executive rather than seek re-election.

Elected to the Democratic State Central Committee were:District 5B:Dan K. MorhaimDistrict 6:Randall P. CogarWilliam J. Comotto Jr.Diane DeCarloEdmund C. Dotterweich Jr.Linda G. Woodard-HartDistrict 7:Joan M. AmmonJoseph M. LeshkoAnthony J. NarutowiczMarlene PianowskiEdward G. SchaferDistrict 8:David E. EvansJoseph FerraracciCharles B. Kropfelder Sr.Carol McEvoyEdward G. Shafer Jr.District 9:Carol Ann AllenJohn J. Appel Jr.John G. DisneyEmory Gross Jr.Steven...

The Maryland Republican Party has asked the state prosecutor's office to investigate whether Edward J. Kasemeyer, the Democratic candidate for state Senate in District 12, established residency in his district in time to run for office."

When Catonsville tow company operator Joe Hooe talks about his run for a House of Delegates seat in the district where Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. grew up, the motive is clear: to give Ehrlich some breathing room in the state legislature. Elect enough Republicans, the theory goes, and a re-elected Ehrlich could survive efforts by the General Assembly to override his vetoes. And for Republican hopefuls such as 38-year-old Hooe, one target is District 12, an odd-shaped piece of political real estate that's split in two and spread between Baltimore and Howard counties.

Howard County Democrats are eager to restart the discussion about whether retail giant Wal-Mart should pay more for employee health care in Maryland, judging from debates at two candidate forums this week for General Assembly candidates. County Executive James N. Robey, a Democratic candidate for the state Senate in District 13, raised the issue at both forums, one held by the North Laurel Civic Association Tuesday night and the second by the League of Women Voters at Howard Community College Wednesday, which also was televised.

The questions at the PFLAG [Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays] political forum for state legislative candidates in Owen Brown were a little different from the standard queries about controlling growth, traffic congestion and taxes. Some candidates were asked whether they favor legalizing medical marijuana, for example. Other questions dealt with the touchy issue of same-sex marriage. Only one of seven Republican candidates - delegate candidate Christopher Feldwick - attended the session from either District 12 or District 9A. Four of the six Democratic candidates from those two districts attended.

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. brought his hometown appeal and his hot GOP campaign rhetoric to steamy Arbutus on Thursday to help launch the Republican state Senate campaign of Richard I. Martel, Jr., a 48-year-old lawyer. He hopes to unseat veteran Democratic state Sen. Edward J. Kasemeyer in District 12, which covers parts of southwestern Baltimore County, and Elkridge and west Columbia in Howard. Also attending were GOP House of Delegates candidates Joe Hooe and Albert L. Nalley. They seek to replace Dels.

The Sun continues its endorsements for the Sept. 9 Baltimore primary election with races in east-side City Council districts 1, 12 and 13. District 1 ONE OF THE economic engines of Baltimore City, this district includes Butchers Hill, Canton, Fells Point, Highlandtown, Little Italy and Patterson Park. Development and quality-of-life issues are the hot topics across a constituency that is roughly half white, 25 percent black and 20 percent Hispanic. Longtime activist Angelo Solera gets the nod in the Democratic primary because he has proved he can effectively navigate the city's bureaucracies through his work as a community liaison for Baltimore HealthCare Access and for the city's Health Department, and his service on former Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke's committee for Hispanic affairs.

In what could be a major boost to Baltimore's fledgling Station North Arts District, a team of Washington developers is planning to build a $12 million apartment complex on a vacant, block-long lot just south of North Avenue. The Penn Loft Apartments on North Calvert Street between Lafayette Avenue and Lanvale Street would be five stories tall and contain between 100 and 125 loft-style rental units, according to a preliminary plan developers presented to the city's Design Advisory Panel yesterday.

Two of the General Assembly's top-ranking Republicans, Minority Leader Robert H. Kittleman and Minority Whip Robert L. Flanagan, appeared headed toward another four years in Annapolis after Howard County polls closed yesterday.With 28 of 33 precincts reporting, Kittleman and Flanagan each had 38 percent in solidly Republican District 14B in western Howard. Ellicott City Democratic Club President Bill Woodcock, the lone Democrat on the ballot, trailed with 24 percent.In an apparent upset, Democratic candidate John A. Giannetti Jr. had claimed victory over Republican Del. John S. Morgan in District 13B.With all nine precincts reporting, Giannetti had 58 percent to Morgan's 42 percent.

Two of the General Assembly's top-ranking Republicans, Minority Leader Robert H. Kittleman and Minority Whip Robert L. Flanagan, appeared headed toward another four years in Annapolis after Howard County polls closed yesterday.With 28 of 33 precincts reporting, Kittleman and Flanagan each had 38 percent in solidly Republican District 14B in western Howard. Ellicott City Democratic Club President Bill Woodcock, the lone Democrat on the ballot, trailed with 24 percent.In an apparent upset, Democratic candidate John A. Giannetti Jr. had claimed victory over Republican Del. John S. Morgan in District 13B.With all nine precincts reporting, Giannetti had 58 percent to Morgan's 42 percent.

About 50 campaign signs belonging to state Del. Elizabeth Bobo were stolen from front lawns across District 12B over the weekend, prompting one Columbia resident to call Howard County police and several others to contact the Democrat's campaign to offer contributions.The signs -- which read "Our Delegate Liz Bobo: We Trust Her" -- apparently were removed overnight Saturday."They disappear in the middle of the night," said Bobo, a former Howard County executive who, with less than a week before Election Day, hasn't decided whether she will replace the placards.