With the political cycle in Maryland gearing up for the upcoming elections, a new group has formed which hopes to influence politicians to put environmental issues as their number one priority.

The Anne Arundel chapter of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters told The Capital that it will focus on both County Council and County Executive races. With the Chesapeake Bay experiencing such rough times, the group believes that environmental friendly candidates are needed to be part of the solution.

As the article points out, this is not the first group to take an environmental stand during elections. Back in 2006, “Blue Crab Candidates” were chosen. These candidates were picked because “if blue crabs could vote, they would pick those candidates.” This did not have a big effect on the outcome of the elections, though.

Maryland environmentalists may think that the environment, especially the Chesapeake Bay, should be a major part of the 2010 election, but other people have varying opinions. The unemployment rate, gambling, tuition hikes are among the hot issues. And Dan Nataf, a political science professor at Anne Arundel Community College, told The Capital he feels the Maryland League of Conservation Voters will have to “work hard to make headway against the dominant topic in this year’s election: the economy.”