Democrat Doug Gansler is the former Attorney General of Maryland and a past State's Attorney in his native Montgomery County. Given that resume, it's not surprising that crime has been a major focus of his campaign as the July 19, 2022 Democratic primary approaches. In a statement released this morning after a police detective was carjacked in Baltimore Tuesday night, Gansler says, "Maryland is in a state of lawlessness when people feel at liberty to carjack, shoot, or assassinate doctors, police officers, and people who are just minding their own business trying to get through their day."
Carjackings, often by armed robbers, have become a frequent occurrence in Montgomery County as well in the pandemic era. Drivers from Bethesda to Silver Spring and Gaithersburg have found themselves in the crosshairs of carjackers over the last two years. Even Potomac hasn't escaped the trend.
Gansler is tacking against the "defund the police" sentiment of some in his party. He sees a police shortage, and is promising to instead put "more and better-paid police officers on our streets." Gansler says he would balance a tougher stance on crime with funding for programs that address the root causes of lawbreaking. "We will...invest in the necessary resources to solve every murder and every carjacking while also fast-tracking funding for community infrastructure projects like youth recreation centers in high-crime areas," Gansler says in today's statement, which also accuses the state of having neglected the City of Baltimore "for too long."
In a crowded Democratic race, Gansler carries the advantage of having been elected to a statewide office before. He has been endorsed by more than 40 current and past attorneys general from across the country, and was named a 2022 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate. Gansler's path to victory would likely have to include a strong turnout in his home base of Montgomery County, Baltimore residents fed up with crime, and a sizable chunk of moderate Democrats in Southern Maryland and on the Eastern Shore. He could benefit from being the only candidate in his lane, which is relatively moderate and tough-on-crime, while the other candidates are vigorously competing to be seen as the most-progressive. The question remains, is that a winning lane in the Maryland Democratic Party circa 2022?
Also running for governor are Democrats Rushern Baker, Jon Baron, Peter Franchot, Ralph Jaffe, Ashwani Jain, John King, Wes Moore, Tom Perez, and Jerome M. Segal. Republicans Dan Cox, Robin Ficker, Kelly Schulz and Joe Werner will face off in their own July 19 primary. Libertarian David Lashar and Unaffiliated candidate Kyle Sefcik will take on the winners of the two major party primaries in the November general election.
Photo via Friends of Doug Gansler
8 comments:
So on oe hand he wants to be "law & order" in favor of SRO's then in front of a different audience he wants every police involved shooting to be brought in front of a grand jury.
Typical Democrat whose views are dictated by the audience of the moment.
Lol the lawlessness is created by democrat policies
HARD PASS.
Voters should be reminded of the infamous keg party debacle where old Dougie bought alcohol for a party and attended and imbibed. He's a total clown.
Agree every democrat city is lawless
@12:51 The two are not opposed or mutually exclusive. You can have more officers, greater resources while simultaneously calling them to account for their actions.
The right whines and cries and moans for more cops. The left responds and says, "Yes, we agree. Let's field more cops," to which the right kicks and screams and shrieks, "But you'd make them follow the rules and be responsible." Yes, yes we would.
The rest of society has to follow rules and the police are no different. Sure, it's a different set of rules for LEO --arrest, detention, use of force, and on and on-- but there are rules to govern police conduct, and it is abundantly fair that society expect, and be allowed via the grand jury process to confirm, police operate within those rules when LEO shoots someone. What conceivable explanation can you offer that supports not holding police to account for their actions? No one is forced to become a LEO. It is entirely voluntary. With joining must be the clear understanding of legal parameters outside of which they may not stray without fear of prosecution.
@12:20 Here's your hat. What's your hurry? Don't like it? Leave. That's what GOP/MAGA usually write in reply to the other side.
You say Democrats oversee lawless cities, yet skoff at a Democrat who wants to hire more police to reign in crime. You either don't know what you want or, more probably, are only happy when you complain.
The problem with 1:53 PM is the logic that escapes their argument due to the shallow look at Gansler's public statements. So now he's "crime focused" yet as MD AG for 8-years and then while running for governor picked up his kid at a Delaware party with underage drinking & drugs and did NOTHING.
As AG he wanted to extradite the sniper into MD with no death penalty, (which would have wasted lots of MD taxpayer dollars), when VA already convicted and gave one of them, (the adult), the death penalty.
The only thing Gansler is foced on is himself.
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