Re Election

Betterton Mayor Carolyn Sorge, who was appointed to the post two years ago, won re-election Saturday by more than a 2-to-1 margin, handily defeating her predecessor, Frank S. Puleo.Mrs. Sorge, a teacher and Betterton native, received 113 votes to 49 for Mr. Puleo, a retired Pennsylvania highway worker who was elected mayor of the Kent County town four years ago.Nearly three-quarters of the town's 204 registered voters turned out for the election Saturday, Mrs. Sorge said yesterday.she said.

Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. made his intentions official yesterday, filing to run for re-election three days before the deadline. Accompanied by his chief of staff and campaign director, Smith filled out a candidate's form and spoke his name into a tape recorder at the county Board of Elections in Catonsville. "I've created a partnership with the people of Baltimore County, and I'm looking forward to continuing that partnership," Smith said outside the office's glass doors.

Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani headlined a fund-raiser yesterday for Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., the governor's first such event since taking office. During a buffet breakfast at the Center Club downtown, Giuliani helped Ehrlich raise $800,000 for his expected re-election bid in 2006. John Reith, Ehrlich's campaign finance director, said 200 people - including a who's who of state business leaders - paid $4,000 each to get a picture taken with the former mayor and receive an autographed copy of his book, Leadership.

Nixing the notion that his sights are set on the governor's mansion, Baltimore County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger told a group of 100 business and political leaders yesterday he intends to seek a second term in Towson."

Finally, some good political news for the governor -- a marquee re-election endorsement.Former Montgomery County congressman Michael D. Barnes will captain Gov. Parris N. Glendening's 1998 statewide re-election team.The governor said he was "very pleased" that Barnes had agreed to serve as chairman of his re-election committee: Marylanders for Glendening.More than the post he has taken, Barnes' public support represents an eye-catching vote of confidence for a struggling governor who, most recently, failed to get the early endorsement of several state senators.

If ever a Maryland politician has had carte blanche to say or do what he wants, it's William Donald Schaefer. So when the 83-year-old former Maryland governor and Baltimore mayor, known for his cantankerous moments, chooses not to say yet whether he's running for re-election as state comptroller, it's no surprise. But, his aides say, his fundraiser last night at Martin's West in Woodlawn was a clear indication that he's moving in that direction. About 500 people attended, paying either $1,000 for an early-evening VIP meeting with the comptroller or $250 for the party.

CLENDENIN, W.Va. - After a recent fire that destroyed several businesses in this dot-on-a-map community in central West Virginia, the local congresswoman, Republican Shelley Moore Capito, came and offered to help "give this town an economic kick in the rear." Capito talks like that, and when she does she sounds a lot like President Bush. For both, projecting a straight-talking, no-frills style is a big reason they fared well in the 2000 election in a state dominated by Democrats. Now, Capito is fighting a tough re-election battle that political analysts say will not only help determine whether Republicans retain their slim majority in the House, but also test the important political waters of West Virginia for the president.

Phillip D. Bissett is tired. Sick and tired, the Republican Anne Arundel County delegate says with much frustration, of hearing about the tough fight for re-election he's got ahead of him next month.As one of three incumbents seeking re-election in the District 30 race, Bissett says he has proved himself over and over by supporting strict drunken-driving laws, harsh penalties for child abusers and more money for school construction. He is the senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee and chairman of the county delegation.

First-term City Councilwoman Lisa Joi Stancil said yesterday that she will not seek re-election in September's Democratic primary, claiming she has grown disillusioned with her ability to effect change as a council member. Last month, Stancil was preparing to campaign for re-election in the new 14th District, a race that has attracted several challengers, including council veteran Mary Pat Clarke. "There are going to be a lot of people who are going to be disappointed," said Stancil, a lawyer who ran unsuccessfully for state's attorney last year against Patricia C. Jessamy.

State Sen. Clarence M. Mitchell IV told supporters last night that he intends to run for re-election, despite the redistricting plan being pushed by the governor that he views as illegal and would pose a potentially difficult challenge against another incumbent senator. "What happened to that map that you saw was a total betrayal of the Democratic Party of the state of Maryland," Mitchell said. "I'm running for re-election from the 44th District whatever it may look like." Mitchell's remarks were made at his annual holiday party, attended by dozens of supporters, including city police officers and other city and state politicians, at the Baja Beach Club in downtown Baltimore.