With primary finished, now the game is on

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006

The most closely watched and expensive contest pits longtime Sen. Roy Dyson against St. Mary’s County Commission President Thomas F. McKay in a district that includes all of St. Mary’s, a large chunk of southern Calvert and a slice of eastern Charles.

Both campaigns will attempt to boost their coffers and polish their message in the coming weeks, but both candidates are already well known and it is unknown whether the canvassing will have an impact.

Dyson, a former congressman, got off to a fast start by holding two starkly different receptions this week. Several hundred supporters munched on hot dogs and burgers at a free picnic at Dorsey Park in Hollywood on Sunday, where Dyson (D-St. Mary’s, Calvert, Charles), seemed to relish the one-on-one interaction and relaxed atmosphere.

Dressed in a black polo shirt and black trousers, Dyson greeted guests as they entered the pavilion, talking about family rather than political topics. Supporters said it’s that type of attitude that draws people to work for Dyson and separates him from McKay.

‘‘I don’t think our senator should go to Annapolis representing the governor's platform,” said St. Mary’s County Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly Sr. (D). ‘‘A senator should go to Annapolis to represent his own constituents, and I think that’s what Roy does.”

Dyson is also scheduled to hold a $250-a-plate fundraiser Wednesday at Olde Breton Inn.

Maryland Republicans, including Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), believe McKay offers one of their best chances to pick up a seat in the Democrat-controlled Senate. McKay boasts more than three times as much campaign cash as Dyson and he could receive more financial help from the state’s GOP.

Both candidates are expected to take their message to the airwaves in the coming weeks.

But St. Mary’s College of Maryland political science professor Zach Messitte said few voters are undecided in that race because both families have such deep community roots.

‘‘While there are a lot of new people in St. Mary’s County ... most people know these guys personally and are well aware of their political records, so they have pretty firm feelings in their mind about what they think of them,” he said. ‘‘It’s not where there's one person who’s got to do a whole lot of catch-up. They both have strong bases and have well-known names and well-known families.”