The following is a transcript of a message left on an answering machine in District 17 last week.
Hi, my name is Andrew, and I’m with the Jennie Forehand for Senate campaign, with Delegates Barve, Gilchrist and Simmons. We’ll be in your neighborhood this week, so please be on the watch for us. We hope we can count on your support for the upcoming primary election on September 14th. If you have any questions or comments, please visit our website at www.jennieforehand.com. Thanks and have a nice day.
The caller ID for this message was “Friends of Rob Ga 13012179054.” That is the phone number of Senator Rob Garagiola’s campaign.
Garagiola is the Deputy Majority Leader and the Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. In the latter role, his job is to protect and expand the Democratic presence in the Senate. Since he has no opponent and has oodles of money, it is no surprise that he would devote his considerable energy to help Democratic incumbents like Forehand as well as to seize or retain open seats and knock off a few vulnerable Republicans.
This is the first tangible sign of on-the-ground help for Forehand from the leadership in Annapolis.