Van Hollen

Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. won the governorship of Maryland yesterday, prying open the white- knuckled grip Democrats have held on the post since Spiro T. Agnew left office and reversing a 36-year losing streak for Republican gubernatorial candidates. Ehrlich, who ran a campaign fueled by a gregarious personality and a theme of change, beat Democrat Kathleen Kennedy Townsend by a clear if narrow margin, garnering most of his votes from suburban counties where Republicans have done well in the past.

KENSINGTON - The phone call comes into the campaign office of state Sen. Christopher Van Hollen Jr., a candidate for Congress in Montgomery County. The tipster dutifully reports that he and an associate have spotted a volunteer for Van Hollen's opponent, state Del. Mark K. Shriver, recruiting campaign interns in two congressional office buildings. Since overt campaign activity is broadly restricted in the halls of Congress, the caller thinks that this kernel of intelligence might provide some ammunition for the Van Hollen campaign, which tucks it away for possible use. In the ultra-competitive 8th District congressional race, the three main Democratic candidates routinely collect data on each other's activities with the help of legions of backers acting essentially as spies.

The 8th District congressional campaign of Christopher Van Hollen Jr. accused his Republican rival yesterday of using her U.S. House stationery for campaign purposes. During the weekend, Rep. Constance A. Morella distributed a campaign letter to the press with the words "House of Representatives" and a rendering of the Capitol at the top. The letter asked Van Hollen to join her in an agreement to keep their campaigns free of so-called "soft money" advertising funded by political party committees and other outside groups.

Gov. Martin O'Malley said Thursday night that two Maryland congressmen - one Democrat, one Republican - have asked him to make "substantial" changes in the state's proposed new political map. O'Malley spoke after back-to-back meetings in the State House with Rep. Christopher Van Hollen, a Montgomery County Democrat, and Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, a Western Maryland Republican. "Both of them had alternative suggestions," O'Malley said. "Both of them want to retain as many of their traditional citizens and neighborhoods as possible.

U.S. HOUSE Ruppersberger, Van Hollen win GOP retains majority in House; Md. Republicans Bentley and Morella defeated. KEY RACES Maryland 2nd Ruppersberger (D) 54% Bentley (R) 46% 96% reporting Maryland 8th Van Hollen 52% Morella 47% 98% reporting U.S. SENATE Dems' razor-thin edge in doubt GOP's Dole wins in N.C., Sununu triumphs in N.H.; Dems' Lautenberg takes N.J. seat. KEY RACES New Hampshire Sununu 51% Shaheen 47% 92% reporting New Jersey Lautenberg 54% Forrester 44% 97% LOCAL RACES Question P passes Plan trims 19-seat Baltimore City Council by four seats, establishes single-member districts.

Van Hollen resigns budget position over proposed cuts Sen. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. resigned his position as chairman of a Senate budget subcommittee yesterday to protest budget cuts being considered by the General Assembly. The Montgomery County Democrat, who is running for Congress, said he was uncomfortable with the size of the cuts that he would be asked to defend before the full Senate as a subcommittee chairman. He retains his position as vice chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee.

After losing to Carly Van Hollen of St. Paul's in the A Conference No. 1 singles finals last year and twice in the regular season this year, Bryn Mawr's Annie Wu entered yesterday's Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland championship finals at McDonogh prepared for anything. Wu, a sophomore, avenged her earlier losses to top-seeded Van Hollen by defeating her, 6-4, 6-4, to capture the title. "I just didn't think I was going to win today," Wu said. "I came in as the underdog, so she had all the pressure today."

Some state lawmakers want to more than double Maryland's cigarette tax as part of a continued effort to reduce smoking and to generate as much as $200 million in revenue. Under the legislation introduced last night by Sen. Christopher Van Hollen Jr., the cigarette tax would increase from 66 cents to $1.36, the first since legislators passed a 30-cent increase in 1999. But that tax increase was led by Gov. Parris N. Glendening, who promised not to push for further increases in the tobacco tax after that.

In Baltimore City Ehrlich-Townsend debate confirmed for Morgan State The two major party candidates for governor will debate for the first time Thursday evening at Morgan State University, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People confirmed yesterday. The NAACP is sponsoring the face-off between Republican Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Democrat Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. The debate has been scheduled for several weeks, but the NAACP had said this week that it might be postponed.