Steve Abrams is excited about Republican prospects in November. Abrams, chair of the county party, points to what he calls a united party and credible candidates in all seats up for election, and predicts some victories. In the last election, County Councilmember Howard Denis and State Delegate Jean Cryor were the only Republicans who won in Montgomery County. Both have districts which include Potomac.
“This is not the Montgomery County Republican Party you used to know,” he said at a meeting of the Chevy Chase Women’s Republican club at the Potomac Community Center.
Abrams took shots at prominent Democrats and spent several minutes explaining his tongue-in-cheek theory that John Kerry and Osama Bin Laden are actually the same person.
Candidates from many of the offices which will be voted on in November made an appearance to meet with the club.
Alisa Pipkin, wife of E.J. Pipkin spoke about her husband’s campaign. E.J. Pipkin is a freshman State senator from Queen Anne’s County running against Barbara Mikulski for U.S. Senate.
The candidate himself was making an appearance somewhere else the night of the meeting. “You will see him, he is going out on the road as much as possible,” Alisa Pipkin said.
Pipkin declared her husband to be pro-business and anti-tax, and asked the club members to get involved and help campaign for him. “Put on bumper stickers, do meet-and-greets, hold coffees,” she said.
Chuck Floyd is running against freshman congressman Chris Van Hollen for the 8th congressional district seat.
“We are going to win through grassroots,” Floyd said. Floyd staked out a position against gay marriage and pro-Isreal.
He also called for additional job training programs. “Right now, in Montgomery County, if you don’t want to go to college, there’s no solution for you,” Floyd said.
Floyd also claimed that he will be better able to represent the district because he is a member of the majority party. “My opponent is so partisan, he cannot work with the Republican majority on Capitol Hill,” Floyd said.
Sharon Cox, president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, also spoke before the club. The Board of Education is technically a non-partisan race. Her opponent will be Tommy Le. “I’m the stealth Republican candidate,” Cox told the audience.
Cox touted the changes the board has made while she has been on it. She noted changes to the curriculum and the elimination of social promotion as two items which she feels are positive. “We’re putting our money and our resources where kids need them most,” Cox said.
Abrams, besides being the party chair, is also running for the District 2 seat on the Board of Education against incumbent Walter Lange. Abrams had been on the Board of Education before and was on it when the Board hired Superintendent Jerry Weast.
Abrams praised Weast, but thinks something is missing. “He’s a better Superintendent when there’s a dynamic tension on the board,” Abrams said. “[Weast needs] someone who is strong enough to stand up to him.”