Endorsement

The Teachers Association of Baltimore County yesterday gave Charles A. Dutch Ruppersberger III his second major endorsement for county executive this week, helping him gain an early advantage for the Democratic nomination.Mr. Ruppersberger of Cockeysville, who represents the northern county in the County Council, won a county police union endorsement Tuesday.The teachers made no endorsement in the Republican race for executive between incumbent Roger B. Hayden and former county employee Donald Brewer, "due to the county executive's health," TABCO president Ray Suarez said.

Outgoing 5th District Councilwoman Carole B. Baker endorsed Democrat Linda Gilligan as her successor Wednesday and accused Gilligan's opponent, Diane R. Evans, of overstating her credentials and being "blinded" by party loyalty.Baker's written endorsement contrasts Gilligan's non-political, community background with Evans' long-standing Republican activism."Unlike her opponent, (Gilligan) will not be blinded by party labels or dogma but will act independently to serve the people," Baker said.

Anne Arundel County Sheriff George F. Johnson IV added to his list of Democratic endorsements this week by picking up the support of County Councilwoman Barbara D. Samorajczyk, an outspoken opponent on growth who had pondered her own run for the county's chief executive post. Samorajczyk, a Democrat and two-term council member who is prohibited from seeking a third term, made her announcement before a crowd of 50 people Wednesday at the Arundel Center, according to a Johnson campaign news release.

IN the weeks before the Sept. 15 primary and the general election on Nov. 3, The Sun will publish endorsements for political candidates on the editorial page.It is one of the most essential missions the editorial page undertakes -- and perhaps the one least understood.The practice is rooted in the original mission of this newspaper, which Arunah S. Abell described for readers who paid a penny to buy his first edition on May 17, 1837: "On political principles, and questions involving the interest or honor of the whole country, [the newspaper]

An endorsement in the District 31 Senate race by three environmental groups came under attack yesterday from seven North County activists, who complained about the influence of Silver Sands resident Mary Rosso.The group, during a press conference at the Riviera Beach Library, objected that last week's endorsement of incumbent Democrat Philip C.Jimeno over Republican John R. Leopold was "unfair" and "biased."Much of their criticism focused on the role played by Rosso in making the endorsement.

Two more important endorsements, including one from a large Dundalk-area Democratic club, have pushed County Councilman Charles A. Dutch Ruppersberger III's campaign for Baltimore County executive ahead of three major primary rivals.Already endorsed by the county police and teachers unions, Mr. Ruppersberger Friday night won the support of the Battle Grove Democratic Club, one of the largest clubs in the eastern county. Thursday night, he was endorsed by the Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO, an umbrella group for about 200 local unions with more than 125,000 members.

Campaign finance reports show Carroll builders supported incumbent Donald I. Dell in the county commissioner race, an endorsement the Republican denied before the Nov. 8 election.Even yesterday, after his campaign treasurer had filed a report showing the Carroll Chapter of the Home Builders Association of Maryland had given him $500, he said he didn't know he had received the endorsement."You know more about it than I do," he said. "I don't know who I got money from. A lot of the money went directly to [campaign treasurer]

In the vast and largely rural Third Councilmanic District of north Baltimore County, some familiar names will contest the seat being left open by county executive candidate C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger. The four Democratic hopefuls include Elwood H. Banister of Phoenix, until recently the county fire chief, and I. William Chase of Owings Mills, the district's representative on the county Planning Board. Mr. Banister was a career fire fighter but lacks broad government experience. Moreover, his candidacy appears based on little more than the hope of getting back at County Executive Roger Hayden, who pressed Mr. Banister to retire in April.

Democrat Ken Ulman has won the endorsement of Howard's county police for his county executive campaign, union officials said. The Howard County Police Association also chose four Democrats - Courtney Watson, Calvin Ball, Jen Terassa and Joshua Feldmark - and Republican Wayne Livesay to back in County Council races. Ulman called the support "a tremendous boost to our campaign," especially because it means concrete volunteer help from union members. Republican Christopher J. Merdon also campaigned for the endorsement, said union Secretary Dan Besseck, but the vote for Ulman was unanimous.

When is an endorsement not an endorsement?Annapolis Mayor Alfred A. Hopkins has backed four people for the three-seat District 30 House of Delegates race, although politicians are divided over whether one of the pledges of support was really an endorsement.Hopkins, a Democrat, has spoken favorably on several occasions of Republican Aris Allen, so favorably that newspapers reported the mayor's words as an endorsement when Allen announced his intention to run for the seat in April. Several officials, including the mayor's chief aide, also interpreted the mayor's words that way.However, in a mailer sent to all District 30 voters last week, Hopkins endorsed the three Democratic candidates for District 30 -- incumbent Delegates John C. Astle and Michael E. Busch and candidate Edie Segree, who call themselves "Team 30."