Montgomery County Democrats Endorse Mitakidas as Candidate for 3rd Congressional Seat

The Montgomery County Democratic Party met last night and voted to endorse Jane Mitakidas as the Democratic Primary Candidate for the 3rd U.S. Congressional District to oppose the incumbent Republican, Mike Turner. David Esrati and Charles Sanders are also Democratic primary candidates for the 3rd Congressional seat.

I voted against the motion to endorse Mitakidas, not because I feel she will not be a good candidate and, if elected, a fine representative, but because I feel, unless there is some compelling reason to do so, the Party simply should not interfere in the Primary process.

In the Executive Committee meeting, prior to the vote, I asked whether the Selection Committee, by recommending Mitakidas, was signaling that the other two Democratic candidates were somehow unqualified. I was assured that all three primary candidates made good presentations to the Selection Committee and that the Committee felt that any of the three, if elected, would competently serve as representative, and would be a big improvement over Turner. The reason given as to why the Selection Committee recommended endorsing Mitakidas was that, in the Committee’s judgment, of the three, Jane Mitakidas would make the best candidate.

It seems to me that it is not appropriate for a committee of Montgomery County Democrats to attempt to influence Democrats in the county as to who might make the best candidate.  Shouldn’t Democratic primary voters make up their own minds?  What the Party should be doing, it seems to me, is promoting primaries as exercises in democracy.  The Party should be investing in the primary process as a grassroots means to find and develop leadership.  Instead, the actions of the Party, again and again, work to diminish or negate the opportunity provided by primaries.

The process by which candidates are endorsed by the Montgomery County Democratic Party, I feel, is long overdue for reconsideration. It is a topic I before have written about here. It is my intention at the next Executive Meeting, and the next Central Committee Meeting, to ask if any other Executive or Central Committee members would be interested in meeting together to study the matter.

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One Response to Montgomery County Democrats Endorse Mitakidas as Candidate for 3rd Congressional Seat

  1. David Esrati says:

    I question why the screening has to be held behind closed doors. None of the questions asked were anything that I wouldn’t say in front of one and all.
    As to Mitakides being the best candidate? Is that because she writes checks to her own campaign? Or did something change- because in 06 they told her to go away and ran Dick Chema, and just last month, they refused to endorse her.
    I agree, endorsing in primaries is a bad idea.
    However, the good news is, the district includes 3 other counties.

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