Kuzemchak runs for reelection

George Wenschhof

I enjoyed talking with Donna Kuzemchak the other day over coffee.  The former two-term Democratic alderman is running for reelection, after losing in the 2009 general election.

The City of Frederick will hold their primary election on September 10 and general election on November 5, 2013.  The deadline for candidates to file is July 2.

During our conversation and a follow up email, Donna informed me she would be holding a series of meetings with voters to continue to learn every day about what different people find important.

 

Donna said her first community meeting Wednesday in Worman's Mill was very enlightening and she realized she needed to start following city planning issues again more closely. She planned to use the early months of the campaign to bring herself back up to speed on the issues that face all areas of the city.

Kuzemchak added “she thought the economic viability of Frederick along with quality of life are the most important issues Frederick residents face, and they're intertwined.”

When I asked her about the rumored entry into the mayoral race by former one-term Republican mayor Jeff Holtzinger, she was quick to respond “If Jeff decides to run for office and hasn't LIVED in the city for at least a year, I will challenge his residency. If he's moved his family into the city and I don't know about it, of course I wouldn't challenge him. Allowing someone to hold the highest elected office in a city s/he doesn't even live in is like saying someone who comes from Pennsylvania or Virginia to work and spend time in Maryland qualifies them to run for governor.”

 

Kuzemchak also spoke of the need to reach out to all residents of Frederick, and "that NACs (Neighborhood Advisory Councils) are a great way to do that...., elected officials should be reaching out to underserved populations (whether it be Hispanic, Asian, deaf, etc.) and asking them to get involved in the NACs."

Donna is the seventh Democratic candidate to file for alderman to date according to the City of Frederick website. The seven Democrats are: Josh Bokee, John Daniels, Donna Kuzemchak, Jack Lynch, Michael O’Connor, Kelly Russell, and Derek Shackelford.

The four Republicans who have filed to run for Alderman are: Daniel Cowell, Phillip Dacey, Hayden Duke and Jill King.

Stay tuned….

 

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