Don Praisner

Don Praisner (D-Silver Spring) defeated Mark Fennel (R-Silver Spring) by a margin of 2-to-1 in yesterday's special election to fill the vacant District 4 seat on the Montgomery County Council. Praisner, widower of the late Councilwoman Marilyn Praiser, received 66.11 percent of the vote to Fennel's 33.62 percent.

Voter turnout was 10.64 percent, according to the Montgomery County Board of Elections.

On Friday, we reported that Montgomery County Council candidate Mark Fennel (R-Silver Spring) released a statement accusing his opponent Don Praisner (D-Silver Spring) and the Montgomery County Board of Elections of a coordinated effort to distribute what his campaign deemed "an unnecessary 4-page letter to 90,000 plus voters in council District 4 to try to stimulate voter turnout for Don Praisner."

The issue revolves around the original Montgomery County Board of Elections sample ballots, which included the candidates' names, but not party affiliation.

The county board of elections began distributing mailings to District 4 residents on Friday, where they identified Praisner as a Democrat and Fennel as a Republican.

Marjorie Roher, a spokesperson for the county board of elections, denied any political maneuvering, saying, "We are a bipartisan group. I cannot imagine that there was any discussion with one candidate over the other."

Mark Fennel (R-Silver Spring), the GOP nominee to replace the late Marilyn Praisner (D) on the Montgomery County Council, District 4, issued a statement yesterday objecting to the distribution of what his campaign called "an unnecessary 4-page letter to 90,000 plus voters in council District 4 to try to stimulate voter turnout for Don Praisner," his Democratic opponent in Tuesday's special election.

The issue revolves around the Montgomery County Board of Elections sample ballots, which include the candidates' names, but not party affiliation.

Today, the county board of elections began distributing the mailings to District 4 residents, which Fennel called "a political waste of the taxpayers' money."

The county is heavily Democratic-likely the main reason why Fennel voiced his concern.

The results of yesterday’s special primary election to fill the vacant District 4 seat on the Montgomery County Council remain unofficial, as absentee and provisional ballots have yet to be counted.

According to Marjorie Roher, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Board of Elections, an initial canvass of absentee ballots is scheduled to begin tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., while provisional ballots will be counted on April 21. The board plans to certify the results on April 25, after performing a second canvass of absentee ballots that morning.

Don Praisner (D-Silver Spring) and Mark Fennel (R-Silver Spring) are the unofficial winners of today’s special primary election to fill the open District 4 seat on the Montgomery County Council.

With all 45 precincts reporting, Praisner received 3288 votes in the Democratic contest, compared to 2940 for Nancy Navarro. Steve Kanstoroom and Pat Ryan followed with 804 and 402 votes, respectively.

On the Republican side, Fennel earned 898 votes, while John McKinnis tallied 771. Robert Patton followed with 114 votes, followed by Thomas Hardman with 96 votes.

If his 348 vote lead holds up, Praisner is favored to win the May 13 special election in this heavily Democratic district.

Nancy Navarro and Don PraisnerSILVER SPRING — Nancy Navarro and Don Praisner, the leading Democratic candidates in today’s special primary election to fill the vacant District 4 seat on the Montgomery County Council, campaigned within steps of each other at the massive Leisure World retirement community in Silver Spring, today.

“We always know that turnout will be low for a special election, but turnout is at its highest here,” said Navarro, who worked the crowd as voters came to the polls.

Praisner said of Leisure World’s electoral bounty: “It’s where the voters are.”

The District 4 seat was left open after the Feb. 1 death of Praisner’s wife, Marilyn, who was first elected to the council in 1990.

ROCKVILLE-- Just as voters prepare to go to the polls to select nominees for the vacant District 4 seat on the Montgomery County Council, the majority of the candidates participated in traditional get-out-the-vote efforts, from phone-banking to door-to-door campaigning.

On the Democratic side, Nancy Navarro, Don Praisner and Pat Ryan of Silver Spring, along with Steve Kanstoroom of Ashton, are vying for their party's nomination.

Nancy Navarro (D-Silver Spring) has served on the Montgomery County Board of Education (BOE) since 2004; the latter two years as board president.

Today, Navarro is a candidate in the race to fill the open District 4 seat on the Montgomery County Council.  She will compete against her three Democratic opponents, Don Praisner (D-Silver Spring), the husband of the deceased councilwoman Marilyn Praisner, Pat Ryan (D-Silver Spring), a federal consultant, and activist Steve Kanstoroom (D-Ashton) in Tuesday’s special primary election.

Speaking with PolitickerMD.com, Navarro’s campaign manager, David Moon, said Navarro was the “only one of the candidates willing to look at the changes going on in the county and make a decision not just based on ideology.”

Pat Ryan (D-Silver Spring) admits that he is the “dark horse candidate” in the race to fill the vacant District 4 seat on the Montgomery County Council.

The federal consultant is one of four Democratic candidates competing in Tuesday’s special primary election. The other candidates are Don Praisner (D-Silver Spring), the husband of the deceased councilwoman Marilyn Praisner, Nancy Navarro (D-Silver Spring), the president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, and activist Steve Kanstoroom (D-Ashton).

Navarro and Praisner are considered the favorites at this point.

Ryan, who previously worked on Capitol Hill and with the Department of Veterans Affairs, said he would bring a “combination of political experience and knowledge of the district” to Montgomery County, which “the other candidates don’t have.”

When Marilyn Praisner (D) passed away on Feb. 1 she left a legacy of service and dedication to the people of Montgomery County. The fourth district councilwoman had served since 1990; the longest serving woman in the council’s history. Her death left a deep hole in the council, one that her husband, Don Praisner (D-Silver Spring), hopes to fill.

“My wife and I shared ideas and had discussions about the important issues facing the district,” Praisner told PolitickerMD.com.

Praisner is one of four Democratic candidates competing in Tuesday’s special primary election to fill the vacant seat. Other candidates include Nancy Navarro (D-Silver Spring), the president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, activist Steve Kanstoroom (D-Ashton), and Patrick Ryan (D-Silver Spring), a lawyer and management consultant.

“I know the council, I know the system,” Praisner said when asked why he should be elected.

“I have experience,” he added.

A resident of Montgomery County since 1947, Praisner served for 30 years as an analyst, manager, and recruiter for the CIA. His civic involvement includes work as the vice president of the Calverton Citizens Association, and time as the Democratic Precinct Chair for Precinct 05-12.