Senator Nancy King was elected as a Delegate in 2002 after serving two terms on the Board of Education. When Senator P.J. Hogan resigned in 2007, the MoCo Democratic Central Committee appointed King to his seat over freshman Delegate Saqib Ali. Ali won his seat in 2006 by defeating incumbent Delegate Joan Stern and is now running against King for Senate. Here is how Progressive Maryland, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters and Equality Maryland have scored both candidates over the last term.
Progressive Maryland
Scores
Ali: 94% in 2007, 94% in 2008, 92% in 2009
King: 94% in 2007, 91% in 2008, 85% in 2009
Votes
Ali: 6-0 in 2007, 6-0 in 2008, 5-0 in 2009
King: 5-0 in 2007, 6-0 in 2008, 7-1 in 2009
Reasons for Scoring Against
Ali: None
King: Voted against electricity reregulation in 2009
Maryland League of Conservation Voters
Scores
Ali: 100% in 2007, 82% in 2008, 100% in 2009
King: 90% in 2007, 70% in 2008, 75% in 2009
Votes
Ali: 13-0 in 2007, 14-3 in 2008, 11-0 in 2009
King: 9-1 in 2007, 7-3 in 2008, 6-2 in 2009
Reasons for Scoring Against
Ali: Voted to delay a ban on phosphorous discharges into the Bay in 2008
King: Voted against tax incentives for high efficiency heating and cooling installation in 2007, voted against strengthening the Global Warming Solutions Act in 2008, voted against a fine on dish detergent manufacturers discharging phosphorous into the Bay in 2008, voted to weaken the Critical Areas Act Reform in 2008, voted to exempt utilities from forest preservation in 2009, voted against stormwater fees in 2009
Equality Maryland
Scores
Ali: 100% in 2008, 100% in 2009
King: 60% in 2008, 75% in 2009
Votes/Co-sponsorships
Ali: 3-0 in 2008, 6-0 in 2009
King: 2-1 in 2008, 3-1 in 2009
Reasons for Scoring Against
Ali: None
King: Did not co-sponsor gay marriage in 2008 or 2009
Average, All Groups
Score
Ali: 95.3%
King: 80.0%
Votes/Co-sponsorships
Ali: 64-3
King: 45-9
Our Take:
Ali has been running to King’s left since last summer, when he called her out on gay marriage, alcopops and combined reporting. But that’s not all. King voted for the slots amendment and Ali voted against it. (Curiously, both voted for the implementing bill.) King co-sponsored and voted for the private school-financing BOAST bill in 2008 but voted against it this year. Ali opposes it. Ali will no doubt seek out other votes to amplify their differences.
Still, King is not Rona Kramer. She is a political moderate who has been endorsed by MCEA, Progressive Maryland and the Sierra Club in the past. District 39 has a history of electing moderates like King and former Senator (and former Republican) P.J. Hogan. Ali’s politics are a good fit for super-liberal District 20, but we do not know if a very progressive message will sell quite as well in this district. Ali is a formidable campaigner who is sticking with his positions, so we’ll find out in a few months.