Those who know Cheryl C. Kagan and state Sen. Jennie M. Forehand say they know two things for certain: Kagan has been eyeing the District 17 Senate seat for at least five years, and Forehand and Kagan are no longer as friendly as they used to be.

Former Montgomery County Councilwoman Gail Ewing, who writes a monthly column for The Gazette of Politics and Business, said she knew both candidates when they were in the same camp.

"I think [Kagan] always wanted to be in the Senate because she thought she could get more done there," Ewing said. "And everything was pretty smooth, I guess you could say, but when Cheryl decided to run against Jennie, it became very tense — and I think it's stayed that way."

Forehand and Kagan are scuffling over how that relationship is defined as they fight for District 17's Democratic nomination in the Sept. 14 primary election. Forehand, 74, maintains the two had a relationship that extended beyond the State House when the two served together starting in the mid-90s.

But Kagan, 49, said there was no such relationship.

It's an argument that may frame the campaign going forward. Is Kagan a former protégé who believes she can do a better job now rather than wait until Forehand retires, or is Forehand misinterpreting their relationship?

The two served together for eight years starting in 1995 after Kagan was first elected as a delegate and Forehand was first elected to the Senate. Forehand also served as a delegate from 1978 through 1994. After two terms in the House, Kagan stepped down from her position because she said then and now that it is more about service than title.

"I never had this burning desire for a title of senator," Kagan said. "I have a passion for making a difference and helping people."

Now, Kagan says she is running because she is concerned about the state budget and believes she is better equipped to defend Montgomery County residents' tax dollars. Forehand said she believes her relationships in the State House will help her better serve District 17 residents.

As for their relationship, Forehand said the two were friends, in a general sense, until Kagan set her eyes on Forehand's seat back in 2005. That is when Kagan ran an exploratory campaign but dropped out because she said she wanted to focus on her work with several community organizations.

"[Kagan would] call and ask if I could grab her jacket and bring it to Annapolis on Monday, it was just a relationship like that," Forehand said. "Then something changed, I don't know what it was. Maybe I wasn't political enough."

Kagan agreed that the two spent a lot of time together when working, but said it was a professional relationship and nothing more. Kagan also asserted she had to fill a leadership vacuum during District 17 delegation meetings.

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"[Former District 17 delegate and senator] Mary Boergers was my mentor," Kagan said. "We each worked to our strengths and I coordinated the meetings, crafted the agenda and coordinated the follow up for pending issues and legislation affecting our district."

Del. Kumar Barve (D-Dist. 17) of Gaithersburg, a House incumbent who served with Kagan and Forehand, said he did not see it that way. He is supporting Forehand in this year's race.

"Actually, it was [former District 17 delegate] Mike Gordon who tended to lead the meetings, but they were pretty egalitarian," Barve said. "That's one thing I like about Jennie, she has always taken the attitude that we are equals."

Barve also spoke of their relationship as a group.

"We all got along really well together," he said. "I mean, did we get along 100 percent of the time? No, but 90 percent of the time it was great."

Stan Gildenhorn, former Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee chairman, said both candidates knew a potential face-off was imminent.

"They both understood that someday they would be rivals," Gildenhorn said. "I think that Cheryl made it obvious that she'd be running several years ago. I think they always regarded each other as potential rivals."

Gildenhorn supported Forehand in previous races and said he still thinks she would make a good senator, but this year he is supporting Kagan.

"I think it's important to have aggressive youthful members in the Senate," Gildenhorn said. "I think Jennie has performed well over the years, but I think it's time for new blood."

Ewing said Kagan was probably faced with a dilemma when deciding when she should run.

"The question becomes, do you wait for someone to retire, for some reason, or do you just go for it?" she said.

"[Kagan] just wanted to become a senator and she didn't think she could wait anymore," Ewing said. "I don't think it was anything against Jennie, but I don't think Jennie saw it that way."

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