The Post has released its endorsements for County Council and they are a direct challenge to MCEA in two ways.
First, the Post has endorsed a rather different group of candidates than have the teachers. Compare their picks:
At-Large
Post: Marc Elrich, Nancy Floreen, Hans Riemer, Duchy Trachtenberg
Apple: Marc Elrich, George Leventhal, Hans Riemer, Becky Wagner
District 1
Post and Apple: Roger Berliner
District 2
Post: Royce Hanson
Apple: Craig Rice
Half the time, the Post has picked opposite from the teachers. The Post’s choices are constrained by the relatively small number of viable candidates, but when they had a real option, they chose it.
Second, the Post’s endorsements are remarkably early. In the last two cycles, their council picks were announced on September 1 and September 4. It appears that they are making early picks this time to allow their supported candidates to spread word of their backing and to throw in a couple extra editorials to hammer their message home. Make no mistake: the Post’s editorial board is not a disinterested observer; they want to be a real player in our elections. They have an ideological agenda against the public employee unions rooted in their operation of private schools and their own union-bashing history. Their attack on George Leventhal for “leading the charge” on “coddling the unions” reflects this.
Past elections in MoCo have been characterized by battles between developers and civic activists. This time, we will see the Post duke it out with MCEA. It will be an election like no other.