Congressional Candidate Denies Involvement in Alleged 'Push Poll'

(Updated 9:30 a.m. Nov. 23) Duchy Trachtenberg, a candidate in the 6th congressional district race, said neither she nor did anyone involved with her campaign authorize a "push poll" against opponents.

"I have never initiated a push poll," Trachtenberg told Patch. She was responding to allegations made in a post at Maryland Juice Sunday, Nov. 20. The blog covers state politics.

Citing an anonymous source, the blog post recounted an alleged push poll in which a live pollster's questions apparently promoted Trachtenberg, a Democrat and former Montgomery County Councilwoman, and criticized opponent Md. Sen. Rob Garagiola, (D, 15th district), who lives in Germantown.

But in an updated version of the post,  two other unnamed sources — a "neutral observer" and an "elected endorser" of Garagiola — said they questioned whether the tactic was truly a "push poll."

Trachtenberg, who lives in North Bethesda, said she hired a political strategist to conduct phone polls.

"We're running a congressional campaign," Trachtenberg told Patch. "We're using whatever tools available to create an effective campaign. Polls are one of those tools."

Trachtenberg said push polls were not part of that strategy.

Trachtenberg and Garagiola are among the candidates who are going after the newly reconfigured 6th congressional district held by 10-term U.S. Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, a Republican.

The field has become more crowded as another Democrat, John K. Delaney, has said he’s exploring the possibility entering the race. The Baltimore Sun reported former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan was considering supporting Delaney, who is a Potomac resident and chairman of Chevy Chase investment firm CapitalSource.

According to records from the Maryland State Board of Elections, four Republicans have filed as candidates the 6th district race — Robert Coblentz, of Washington County; Robin Ficker, of Montgomery County; Joseph T. Krysztoforski, of Baltimore County; and Brandon Orman Rippeon, of Frederick County.