But that's only one reason. The other is that Carlson, at this late date, is still contemplating moving into the new District 14 and running for the state Senate -- depending, of course, on how the Court of Appeals redraws the district lines.

"I'm in the thinking process," Carlson said this week. Part of his current district is in the new District 14, at least as Gov. Parris Glendening drew it.

A year ago, when jockeying first began in the new District 14, which as drawn by Glendening was going to be wholly in Montgomery County for the first time, Carlson's name was in the mix of possible Senate candidates. But more recently, he seemed content to stay put, saying he and his new bride were happy with the Montgomery Village home Carlson had lived in for four years.

This week, however, Carlson said that he and his wife are more interested in buying a house that wasn't just his, and that District 14 is fertile territory for their house hunting.

Politically, of course, the picture in District 14 -- assuming it remains as Glendening envisioned -- has also changed. Football star Ray Schoenke is no longer planning to run for the Senate there, and Del. Dana Dembrow, who was, has been weakened by his confession that he struck his wife during a domestic dispute and is now likelier to seek re-election in District 20. The remaining Democratic candidates are Del. Tod Sher and businesswoman Rona Kramer.

"There's concern about the new Senate district and having a strong advocate for the county there," Carlson said. "I'm not sure that the alternatives would provide that. For me personally, I think I can fill that void. And I think it's an opportunity to make a bigger contribution [in the Senate than in the House]."

Unless the court says otherwise, he has until July 8 to decide.

-- Josh Kurtz

... and in Prince George's

Another legislative race that has been made uncertain by the court's redistricting ruling is in District 21, where Glendening had drawn four House incumbents into the same district, meaning that one would have to be sacrificed. So the sacrificial lamb, Del. John Giannetti, announced that he would take on veteran Senate incumbent Art Dorman instead.

Now, an early test of Giannetti's support will come Wednesday. He has scheduled a fund-raiser opposite one Dorman and the three other House incumbents -- Barbara Frush, Pauline Menes and Brian Moe -- have had on the calendar for months.

The District 21 team's fund-raiser takes place at a Bowie Baysox game, while Giannetti's -- billed as a 38th birthday party, a clever tactic against a candidate who is in his 70s and recently had debilitating back surgery -- is at a bar in Laurel.

-- Josh Kurtz

Taking on Willie Don?

A Republican may have emerged to run for state comptroller.

Augustus C. Alzona, a controversial Montgomery County Republican activist who has run unsuccessfully for the legislature and the school board, said Thursday he is "seriously considering" challenging Comptroller William Donald Schaefer (D) and may file the papers for his candidacy as early as today.

As The Gazette first reported last month, Maryland Republican leaders are considering not running any officially sanctioned candidates for comptroller or attorney general -- in part to focus all of their resources on the gubernatorial campaign of U.S. Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R-Dist. 2) of Timonium and in part because they do not believe the Democratic incumbents can be defeated.

It is not clear whether GOP leaders would be happy about an Alzona candidacy. A gun rights activist, Alzona was condemned by some members of his party earlier this year for circulating a flier in Annapolis showing pro-gun control legislators in Nazi storm trooper garb. Alzona, who is Filipino American, also has challenged the leaders in the Montgomery GOP by questioning their commitment to promoting the interests of minority Republicans.

An Alzona candidacy also might pose a dilemma for Ehrlich, who is trying to woo moderate Democrats and Baltimore business leaders who are aligned with Schaefer.

But Alzona, a CPA, said he would stress his professional credentials as a candidate for comptroller and try to steer away from controversy. He said he also would be realistic about his prospects.

"I realize I would be a sacrificial lamb," Alzona said. "I doubt if anybody can beat Don Schaefer, even if he is 80 years old. It's like Louis Goldstein or Strom Thurmond."

Alzona is also running for re-election to the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee in District 16.

-- Josh Kurtz

Making Time

Who'd have ever thought that the Gansler family of Chevy Chase would appear in Time magazine not once but twice? Montgomery's media-savvy State's Attorney Douglas F. Gansler appeared about two years ago in a story about his touted community prosecution program, but this week it was his wife's turn in the spotlight.

Laura Leedy Gansler, Harvard graduate, lawyer and former adjunct professor at American University, is garnering a whole bunch of publicity with her book, "Class Action," which she co-wrote with Newsweek's former White House correspondent Clara Bingham.

Aside from a mention in Time magazine's Short Takes section this week, the book has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, in Elle, Marie Claire and Glamour magazines and on NPR's "All Things Considered," said her proud husband, describing the book as "incredible."

The 400-page book, released this week by Doubleday, is an account of the first sexual harassment class action lawsuit filed in the 1970s by women working in an iron mine in Minnesota.

The publicity propelled the book from its Amazon.com rank of 2,894 on Wednesday morning to 1,043 Thursday morning.

-- Manju Subramanya

Not that kind of senator

The owner of an Arlington, Va., travel agency was convicted May 30 in federal court of fraudulently using the names of retired members of Congress to obtain heavily discounted tickets totaling $440,000 for her clients.

Judith L. Miller, 50, forged the signatures of former congressmen Bob Livingston, Robert Smith, Frank Riggs and Sidney Yates on official congressional travel authorization documents, giving her tickets at 70 percent off between August 1998 and March 2000.

The fraud came to light after United Airlines smelled a rat and checked with the House of Representatives. Two other airlines -- American Airlines and US Airways -- were duped as well.

Miller faces a maximum of five years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine when she's sentenced Aug. 9.

You may ask why we're interested in Miller's saga.

Our antennas perked up because of this little detail:

A U.S. Airways employee testified during the trial that Miller threatened the airlines when confronted with the allegations. She told them that her brother, who she said was a senator, would sue the airlines, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office in Alexandria.

Miller's brother, it turns out, is Maryland Senate President Mike Miller.

Insiders tell us that Judith Miller was simply trying to intimidate the airlines by using her brother's name.

We were also told that Mike Miller did not make any telephone calls for his sister. Nor did he call us back for comment.

-- Manju Subramanya

Money man, Part I

Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D) raked in approximately $50,000 on Saturday, courtesy of Rep. Steny H. Hoyer and his Southern Maryland connections.

Hoyer hosted the fund-raiser at his waterfront Mechanicsville home where business leaders and elected officials ponied up $1,000 and more per couple to eat finger foods and have drinks with Townsend while admiring the view of the Patuxent River.

Former St. Mary's County Sen. J. Frank Raley, a staunch Hoyer supporter, Townsend ally and political insider, described the event as "a good Southern Maryland crowd."

Raley has close ties to Townsend's family. In 1960, he was the St. Mary's County chairman of the committee to elect John F. Kennedy president, and he also lent his support to Townsend's father, Robert F. Kennedy, throughout his political career.

"We had blue skies, the Patuxent River and some people willing to spend some money," said Raley, who owns an insurance company in Lexington Park. "[Townsend] did very well ... From a business standpoint she is better for the big picture than her opponent."

-- Thomas Dennison

Money man, Part II

Speaking of Hoyer and $50,000, Baltimore County Executive C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D) reaped the benefits of a similar fund-raiser Tuesday.

This time, Hoyer helped raise $50,000, but it was for Ruppersberger's congressional campaign. Ruppersberger faces feisty former congresswoman, Helen Delich Bentley (R), for the seat that Republican Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. of Timonium is giving up to run for governor. The Second District race, like the one in the Eighth District, is seen nationally as an opportunity for Democrats to wrest control of the House from the Republicans in November.

The Ruppersberger event, held at the National Democratic Club in downtown Washington, D.C., attracted Reps. Charlie Stenholm (D-Texas), David Price (D-N.C.), Charlie Gonzales (D-Texas), Baron Hill (D-Ind.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). Other supporters included the American Bankers Association, the Credit Union National Association and the National Treasury Employees Union.

Besides raising money for fellow Democrats, Hoyer is raising money for his own re-election bid tonight at Newton White Mansion in Mitchellville.

-- Thomas Dennison

Timing, ain't it a kick?

State schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick received an award Wednesday for her "keen appreciation of the value of public relations" and for exemplifying "through [her] professional or public life the essence, principle and spirit of public relations."

Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert Ehrlich may have a different opinion: The award was announced two days after Grasmick, a Democrat, spurned an offer to run as Ehrlich's No. 2.

That move earned a headline in The Washington Post that read "Md. School Chief's Spurning of GOP Does Double Damage to Candidate's Image."

Worse, her rejection followed a week of news articles about her icy relations with Gov. Parris N. Glendening and the potential falling-out with gubernatorial candidate Townsend.

Grasmick's award is the second given by the Maryland chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, and praised the public's involvement in the state's Visionary Panel for Schools. A donation will be made to the nonprofit Hearing and Speech Agency in Grasmick's name.

The first award went to state Comptroller William Donald Schaefer (D), the former governor, whose least utterance can attract media attention.

-- Eric Kelderman