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Maryland U.S. Senate candidates show mutual disregard at Prince George’s Co. candidate forum – WTOP News
Maryland’s leading Democratic Senate candidates met in a public forum for the first time Sunday afternoon, broadly agreeing on a range of topics, including immigration policy, LGBTQ+ rights, education spending and economic priorities.
This article was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.
Maryland’s leading Democratic Senate candidates met in a public forum for the first time Sunday afternoon, broadly agreeing on a range of topics, including immigration policy, LGBTQ+ rights, education spending and economic priorities.
But the 90-minute discussion generated some surprising heat, as Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks took issue with U.S. Rep. David Trone’s frequent and not-so-subtle digs at “career politicians” and also pointed out that Trone, a wealthy businessman, has made campaign contributions to “dangerous Republicans” in the past.
A visibly irritated Alsobrooks said at one point that it was “so intellectually dishonest for a three-term member of Congress seeking political advancement” to criticize fellow politicians.
“Being in public service has been the greatest honor of my life,” she said.
After some sniping, the third candidate on the stage, businessman Juan Dominguez, who was situated between Trone and Alsobrooks, joked, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to move my seat because the debate is getting real.”
Sponsored by the Latino Democrats of Prince George’s County, the forum drew about 300 people to the auditorium at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, despite the rain and fog and the presence of a Washington Commanders football game just five miles away. Elizabeth Seton is a Catholic school in a part of Prince George’s where the Latino population has grown dramatically in recent years.
The candidates in the May 14 Democratic primary are vying to replace U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D), who is retiring in 2024 after three terms in the Senate and an extraordinary 58-year political career. Democrats are heavily favored to hold the seat in November 2024.
In some ways, it was a hometown crowd for Alsobrooks, who had dozens of supporters in attendance, including several who waved signs outside the school before the forum began. But Alsobrooks has had an uneasy relationship with some Latino leaders in Prince George’s County, who have complained about the lack of Latinos in key positions in county government and have accused her administration of ignoring their communities, and some of those tensions were plainly apparent at the forum.
When the event ended, Del. Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s), the senior Latino elected official in state government who was sitting in the second row, asserted that she would not endorse Alsobrooks in the 2024 Senate primary and said it was “too late” for the executive to be seeking Latino support now that she’s running statewide.
“It was very clear today what she has not done for the community in her first four years in office,” Peña-Melnyk said in an interview.
Alsobrooks sought to tout her record on issues of concern to Latino voters, citing cash cards that the county government handed out to residents during the pandemic, expanded health care services for Latino residents, along with affordable housing and business development initiatives targeted to heavily Latino neighborhoods. She frequently sought to make a connection with the audience by discussing her working class upbringing and the fact that she’s a single mother of a teenaged daughter and is also scrambling to care for her aging parents.
“The issues at your kitchen table are also at mine,” Alsobrooks said.
Alsobrooks has vacuumed up endorsements from political leaders across the state, starting with Gov. Wes Moore (D) — who benefited greatly from a strategically timed endorsement from Alsobrooks in his own campaign last year. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D), who will serve alongside the winner of next year’s Senate race, has also endorsed her — and her list of additional endorsements from current and former elected officials is about a mile long.
Alsobrooks has also made the case for her candidacy by noting that Maryland’s 10-member congressional delegation is all male and that the state has never elected a senator of color.
“We have too few in the United States Senate that live like you and look like you and think like all of you,” she said.
Trone, who has powered his campaign with millions of dollars from his own pocket, has sought to spotlight his progressive bonafides throughout the campaign, flooding the airwaves and Democrats’ mailboxes with ads about his support for civil liberties and his commitment to hiring ex-offenders and extending benefits to same-sex partners at his multibillion-dollar national liquor business, Total Wine and More. Trone’s discussions of criminal justice reform have come with jabs at Alsobrooks, who was Prince George’s County’s top prosecutor for eight years before becoming county executive in 2018.
Trone’s progressive agenda is also designed to blunt criticism that he gave donations totaling six figures to several state-level Republican politicians before he was elected to Congress, primarily in states where Total Wine and More is in business.
Trone on Sunday frequently described “career politicians” as short-sighted and incapable of proposing innovative solutions to the nation’s problems.
“There’s no question that career politicians don’t have the life experience that we need to come up with new ideas,” he said, comparing veteran politicians to “an iceberg” that can’t be turned around easily.
During a discussion on abortion rights, Trone directly challenged Alsobrooks: “I’d love to hear what County Executive Alsobrooks has done on abortion proactively in Prince George’s County.” The format of the forum, however, did not provide her with an opportunity to directly respond.
The event was a coming-out party of sorts for Dominguez, a former business executive from Anne Arundel County who once held local office in New Jersey and has struggled to gain traction in the Democratic primary. Dominguez fought furiously with leaders of the Prince George’s Latino Democratic club to be included in the forum, after they sought to exclude him, due to his lack of fundraising, from an earlier event that had to be rescheduled. Dominguez, the son of Cuban émigrés, argued that the only Latino in the race needed to be included in the proceedings.
Displaying no evident nervousness at sharing a stage with more seasoned political leaders, Dominguez used Sunday’s forum to amplify a populist economic message, which included health care for all, a “Robin Hood tax” on the wealthy, and elimination of student debt. He said he supported the elimination of the filibuster in the Senate and also would support granting President Biden two extra appointments to the Supreme Court — and was as quick on his feet and as fluent on the issues as his opponents.
Dominguez has had a long corporate career, serving most recently as a vice president at Breezeline, a national cable TV and telecommunications company. He is a West Point graduate and Army veteran, serving in the Gulf War, and was an elected member of the borough council in Bogota, N.J., in the 1990s.
Dominguez used a few Spanish phrases during Sunday’s forum, and clearly sought a connection with the Latinos in the audience. But he was also quick to acknowledge the potential pioneering candidacy of one of his opponents.
“After I’m elected Maryland’s first Latino senator I will work to ensure that Angela is the next woman elected to the Senate,” he said.
Under questioning from reporters William J. Ford of Maryland Matters and Patricia Villone of CTV News, the three candidates generally agreed on a range of issues, including immigration reform; granting voting rights to undocumented immigrants and 16-year-olds; using the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan as a national model; securing abortion rights; passing national legislation to eliminate political gerrymandering; boosting federal funding for the Washington, D.C., Metro system; and mixing tough criminal sentences with attacking economic injustice and other root causes of crime.
Other Democrats seeking the Senate nomination were not invited. They are: businessman Marcellus Crews, freelance writer Brian Frydenborg, retired college lecturer Jerome Segal, a frequent candidate for office, IT professional Steve Seuferer, and A.J. Wildman, a frequent candidate.
Victor Ramirez, a former state senator from Prince George’s and president of the Latino Democratic club, called the event a success and said he hopes “it’s the beginning of a dialogue between the community and the candidates.” But he wasn’t sure if the club is going to endorse a candidate in the Senate primary.
“I think it’s healthy,” he said. “I think it makes the candidates think about issues they’ve never thought about before.”
Disclosure: The David and June Trone Family Foundation was a contributor to Maryland Matters in 2017 and 2018.
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There’s no change at the top of the latest Maryland high school boys basketball Top 25 rankings. Bullis School, DeMatha Catholic, Georgetown Prep, St. Frances Academy and Glenelg Country School maintain their positions in the Top 5.
Edmondson-Westside is the biggest mover this week, going from 24th to No. 21 after knocking off then-No. 21 Baltimore City College. Prince George’s Christian Academy debuts at No. 22, thanks to its win over then-No. 20 Clinton Grace Academy.
Previous rank: 1
The Bulldogs, who lost in the Signature Series final at the City of Palms Classic in Florida, will play at the Jordan Brand Holiday Classic starting Friday.
Previous rank: 2
The Stags will play at the Governor’s Challenge in Salisbury, Friday and Saturday.
Previous rank: 3
The Little Hoyas will play at the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in San Diego starting Thursday.
Previous rank: 4
The Panthers, who defeated No. 7 Our Lady of Mount Carmel in overtime, will play at the Jordan Brand Holiday Classic in New York, Saturday and Sunday.
Previous rank: 5
The Dragons will play at the Governor’s Challenge Saturday and Sunday.
Previous rank: 6
The Cavaliers will play at the Governor’s Challenge Friday and Saturday.
Previous rank: 7
The Cougars, who lost to DeMatha Catholic and St. Frances Academy, will play at the Mid Penn Bank Classic in Pennsylvania Friday and Saturday.
Previous rank: 8
The Gaels will play at the Junior Orange Bowl Classic in Florida starting Friday.
Previous rank: 9
The Warriors will play at the Governor’s Challenge Saturday and Sunday.
Previous rank: 10
The Lions will play at the Governor’s Challenge Friday and Saturday.
Previous rank: 11
The Bengals have scored 90 or more points four times.
Previous rank: 12
The Patriots, who dropped close decisions to No. 5 Glenelg Country School and No. 6 Archbishop Spalding, will play at the Benedictine Capital City Classic in Virginia starting Friday.
Previous rank: 13
The Lions rebounded from loss to SIdwell Friends School (D.C.) with victories over Mount Zion Prep-Blue team and New Hope Academy.
Previous rank: 15
The Dons, who’ve won three straight, will play at the Blue Jay Christmas Classic in New Orleans starting Friday.
Previous rank: 16
The Eagles will play at the Benedictine Capital City Classic starting Friday.
Previous rank: 14
The Mustangs, who went winless at the City of Palms Classic in Florida, will play Archbishop Wood (Pa.) at the Governor’s Challenge Monday..
Previous rank: 17
The Eagles will play at the Severna Park Winter Jam Tournament Thursday and Friday.
Previous rank: 18
The Lions have lost two of their last three decisions.
Previous rank: 19
The Crusaders knocked off District of Columbia No. 3 St. John’s College.
Previous rank: 22
The Pumas will host the Lou Wilson Holiday Tournament, Friday and Saturday.
Previous rank: 24
The Red Storm, who defeated then-No. 21 Baltimore City College, will play at the Governor’s Challenge Thursday and Friday.
Previous rank: Not ranked
The Flyers, who defeated then-No. 20 Clinton Grace Christian, will play at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina starting Friday.
Previous rank: 21
The Black Knights, who dropped decisions to then-No. 24 Edmondson-Westside and West Catholic Prep (Pa.) will play at the Governor’s Challenge, Friday and Saturday.
Previous rank: 23
The Seahawks will play at the Governor’s Challenge, Friday and Saturday.
Previous rank: 25
The Hubs will play at the Skip Fowler Memorial Tournament in West Virginia, Friday and Saturday.
We are fools for Christ’s sake.
So believed the apostle Paul when he penned a letter to the Corinthian church. And so, too, believed Maryland’s pioneering clown ministry.
This niche style of Christian outreach is as outrageous as it is earnest, and traces some of its roots back to Columbia. It’s perhaps a legacy that James Rouse never imagined when he founded the Howard County town, with its distinctive urban plan, efficient use of land and commitment to diversity. Rouse included a series of interfaith centers intended to bring people of different beliefs under one roof. The model inspired one local pastor at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church to pursue his own experiment blending liturgy with laughter.
These days, Rev. Floyd Shaffer is remembered by some as the “clown father” of modern Christian clowning. Though liturgical clowning already had a history in Europe, Shaffer spent his time in Columbia in the 1970s dabbling in clown ministry and eventually became known as a leader of the movement in the United States. He died three years ago, his wife Marlene Shaffer confirmed.
Even though the whimsical ministry’s heyday was in the 1980s and ’90s, some Christians continue to answer the call to clown. And the practice has captivated new audiences on TikTok and YouTube.
Earlier this year, the Columbia Maryland Archives put together an online exhibit about the town’s nondenominational clown ministry, called Faith and Fantasy, which Shaffer founded in 1974. Archivist Erin Berry said staffers were inspired after stumbling across a popular YouTube channel’s episode on Christian clowning.
Shaffer’s idea for a clown ministry came to him in 1964 on a beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The pastor was in town for a Bible study and leafing through some books when he stumbled across the etymology of the word clown. He connected it with Jesus’ command to be a servant.
That same year, Lutheran church leaders were getting creative with clowns — and it wasn’t going over well.
The National Lutheran Council produced the short film “Parable,” which depicted Jesus as a white-faced clown and the world as a circus.
The film’s 1964 debut at the New York World’s Fair roiled event organizers, some of whom resigned in protest. One “disgruntled minister threatened to riddle the screen with shotgun holes if the film was shown,” the Library of Congress noted when it announced that it had selected “Parable” for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2012.
Six years later, Shaffer debuted as a clown minister for the opening day of Abiding Savior’s vacation Bible school, according to a news article preserved in Columbia’s archives.
“I don’t think that something that’s so controversial — I don’t know what other word to use — as clowning ministry could flourish in another place other than Columbia,” Berry said. “You could just try what you wanted to try.”
Other leaders within Columbia’s interfaith centers encouraged Shaffer to keep at it, said 86-year-old Marge Goethe. Her husband, Rev. Jerry Goethe, the pastor for Kittamaqundi Community Church, suggested to Shaffer that he teach a class on clown ministry. Together, the two men designed a seven-week course that covered theology, the history of clowning, skits and games to encourage playfulness.
Many local residents, including Marge Goethe, enrolled in the classes, embraced clown ministry and set out to visit children’s hospitals, retirement homes and domestic violence shelters. She learned how to silently deliver sermons with gestures and humor, but never mockery. Goethe used lipstick to draw a red circle — a symbol of the liturgical clown — on her cheek.
Goethe developed her clown persona and named him Harry, after a man she knew as a child who lived on the streets. He was a reminder that she could either be the kind of person who brushed him off or helped him out.
Howard County’s clown ministry eventually grew to include as many as 300 clowns, The Baltimore Sun reported in 1994. Members of the Faith and Fantasy ministry went on to teach clown ministry around the country and internationally.
Not every audience loved the routine.
During a worship service at a Virginia college’s youth convention, Goethe and other clown ministers offered to draw the mark of the clown on people’s cheeks.
“What is that, the mark of the devil?” one man asked.
Goethe couldn’t reply while she was in character.
“All I had to do was accept what he was feeling at the time and hope it changed at some point,” Goethe said.
Goethe still attends Kittamaqundi services and performs clown ministry. When people ask her about the decades she spent cheering up strangers, she worries she won’t find the right words to explain how rich clown ministry turned out to be.
“I did more good for people being silent,” Goethe said.
Shaffer eventually moved to Ohio and authored several books with titles such as “If I Were A Clown” and “Clown Ministry.” He produced instructional videos on clown ministry that lately have found a rapt audience on the internet.
Jen Bryant realized she had a personal connection with clown ministry while putting together an episode on the subject for her YouTube channel, Fundie Fridays, which features cultural commentary on aspects of fundamentalist Christianity in the United States. The Missouri resident’s grandfather, a Catholic, performed for a time as a clown minister under the name “George-o.”
Every community seems to have its subcultures, Bryant said, and she found that was also true for clowns. There are classical clowns like Joseph Grimaldi, a Regency-era entertainer who introduced the white face makeup. There are dark clowns like Juggalos, a nickname for fans of the hip-hop group Insane Clown Posse. And there are scary clowns like Pennywise, the shapeshifting antagonist in Stephen King’s 1986 horror novel “It.”
At first, Christian clowns sounded like a meme to Bryant. The full story, she said, turned out to be “way more interesting.”
Bryant and her husband James Bryant ordered copies of Shaffer’s books and collected a variety of research on clown ministry for their episode, which posted in April. The hourlong segment earned an “overwhelmingly positive” response from their audience, many of whom are in the midst of deconstructing their faith and understanding of Christianity, Bryant said.
“Everyone just thought this was just the most pleasant little novelty,” James Bryant said.
Maybe Christian clowns are even the original deconstructors.
“They’re people who went, ‘faith wasn’t working exactly how we wanted it to, so we broke it down and changed it,’” he said. “It worked. It has a legacy.”
Appearing in a video on Kittamaqundi’s YouTube page, Shaffer said clown ministry gives people a new way to live out and enjoy theology, “instead of being so glum and gloomy and solemn, as much of the church has become.”
Many Bible stories defy rational thought and that’s sort of the point, Floyd said in the video.
Scripture, Floyd noted, often suggests that God has a sense of humor.
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