Marilyn 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.

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.

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.

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.

In 2006, Mark Fennel (R-Silver Spring) spoke out against what he called waste and mismanagement in local government. That message propelled the marketing analyst to the GOP nomination for the District 4 seat on the Montgomery County Council. In the general election, however, Fennel was soundly defeated by Democratic incumbent Marilyn Praisner, who passed away February 1. Now, Fennel is once again seeking the Republican nomination for the same position in a special primary election, which will be held April 15. The general election is scheduled for May 13.

“I am the only person running today that previously expressed interest in the campaign,” Fennel told PolitickerMD.com.

If elected, Fennel said he would work to “curtail the vicious pattern of uncontrolled spending,” saying Montgomery County faces a “financial crisis.”

Long-serving Montgomery County Councilmember Marilyn Praisner passed away today due to heart surgery complications after many months of health problems. She was 66.

Praisner had served on the council since 1990 and recently completed a term as president. She retains the title of longest serving woman in the council’s history. Prior to the council, she sat on the Montgomery Board of Education.

A former analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency, Praisner graduated from Douglass College at Rutgers University.

Surviving are her husband Donald, three children and four grandchildren.