Shackelford Considers Run for City Alderman

George Wenschhof

Derek Shackelford

Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Derek Shackelford and discuss The City of Frederick 2017 election.  He had run a strong race for alderman in the 2013 Democratic primary and fallen short.  I wanted to see if he had kept his enthusiasm for politics and his desire to serve he had exhibited four years ago.

Derek told me he was definitely considering another run for alderman and over the next two hour interview would share some of his views with me as we caught up.

He was proud of the doctorate degree in Theology and Public Policy he had earned from Wesley Theology Seminary located in the District of Columbia.  He is now affiliated with the nondenominational church Shiloh CC located in Baltimore, Maryland where he spends a few days a week.  Derek said he hopes to affiliate with a local church soon.

His full time job for the last ten years is with The Jefferson School, a Sheppard Pratt institution located in Frederick County, Maryland.  He shared with me he has enjoyed his time there working as an Alternative Learning Program (ALP) teacher with adolescent boys.

I asked how his family is doing and he shared his son and daughter are both growing up so fast. Derek said his wife is still working as an Analyst and their daughter is attending Morgan State University.

When we began to discuss the city, Derek said he would like to work on better communication between city government and the diverse population who often don’t feel they are being heard.  He would like to work at bringing what he called a fractured city together.

I asked Derek about the recent disclosure Wal-Mart had pulled out of their deal with the old Fredericktown Mall property and Derek said “I would like the city to work on where we go from here in regard to the Golden Mile”. 

He added “there are more businesses closing than opening out there and there also is a huge transient population in the area that needs to be addressed.” This led Derek to discuss the need for more affordable housing in Frederick. 

In regard to public safety, Derek said he had developed a good relationship with Ed Hartgis, the new Chief of Police, and supported his community policing approach to crime.

I sent Derek a follow up email with a question asking him about his position on the proposed downtown hotel/conference center.  He responded in an email saying “The question should be is how much is it going to cost the taxpayers, how much benefit will the city receive in return and will we get our return on investment. Some of this has been covered. How does this benefit our citizens of the city who have been or feel they have been neglected?”

When we talked about the upcoming city election, Derek shared with me he is pragmatic and understood the legislative role of the board of aldermen in city government.

He intends to make his decision prior to the end of the year on whether he is running because he realizes he needs to raise money. He added he would then begin reaching out and going to where the people are.

Dr. Derek Shackelford certainly has the attributes to be a credible and effective alderman.  His experience and strong knowledge of The City of Frederick will make him a competitive candidate.

Look to see him enter the race.

Stay tuned.

Editor’s note; City voters will elect a mayor and 5 aldermen who serve 4 year terms in 2017. The primary election will be held on September 12 and the General Election will fall on November 7, 2017.

Currey Steps Down From Democratic Central Committee

George Wenschhof

Russ Currey

Russ Currey, who was serving his third term as a member of the Frederick County Democratic state central committee informed me he submitted his resignation several days ago.

Currey told me he was proud of the increased Democratic presence in Frederick County and was pleased to have two Democratic congressmen representing the county.

He is excited about the growth of the Western Maryland Democratic Caucus and plans to continue serving on their board of directors.

He had told me during a previous interview he was not intending to run for another term. He felt now was the time to step down and let another take his place.  Currey felt that by resigning now it would give his replacement six months to see if this is what they expect and time to develop into a leader for the next term.

The committee just selected Derek Shackelford and Mark Jafari to fill two male slots resulting from Dr. Milad Pooran moving from the area and Stephen Slater planning to run for Maryland state delegate in district 3-b.  The twelve member committee is bound by by-laws to have equal gender representation.

Currey said the committee will advertise the open position and interview applicants.

Democratic voters will elect a new committee consisting of 6 men and 6 women in the primary election held June 24, 2014.

Stay tuned.

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Shackelford, Jafari Named To Frederick County Democratic State Central Committee

George Wenschhof

Derek Shackelford

Two vacancies on the twelve member Democratic committee were filled yesterday with the announcement of the selection of Derek Shackleford and Mark Jafari.

Chair of the committee, Myrna Whitworth told me they were pleased to have added two members with such broad experience and community involvement.  She added both also indicated they will run for the office next year when the election is held.

Myrna said they advertised the two open positions and after interviewing six applicants, the committee selected Shackelford and Jafari.

Derek Shackelford had just concluded a run for alderman in The City of Frederick, where he fell short of being elected and Mark Jafari was recently named president of the United Democrats of Frederick County.

Shackelford sent me an email saying "It is an honor to be appointed to the Frederick County Democratic State Central Committee. I look forward to serving with the esteemed members as we collectively advance the causes of opportunity, economic vitality, citizen and voter participation."

Myrna Whitworth told me Jafari had recently moved to Frederick County from Georgia, where he had served on their Democratic central committee.

The two positions were filled following the resignations of Dr. Milad Pooran and Stephen Slater.  Pooran and his family had moved from Frederick County and Stephen Slater intends to run for Maryland state delegate in district 3-b.

Democratic by-laws require equal gender representation on the 12 member committee, which required two men to replace the two who had stepped down.

The Democratic state central committee members will be elected in the 2014 primary held on June 24, 2014.

Stay tuned.

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Vote September 10 in The City of Frederick Primary

George Wenschhof

The City of Frederick, Maryland primary election is tomorrow September 10.  Scheduled in an off year election cycle, few voters go to the polls.  The 2009 primary election had under 20% voter turnout.

The primary election is important to participate as this is the process the political parties use to determine their candidates to move on to the General Election to be held November 5.

There are 3 Democratic candidates and 3 Republican candidates running for Mayor.  The winner of each will advance to the general election. The general election for mayor will include unaffiliated candidate Jennifer Dougherty, who did not face a primary challenge.

There are 8 Democratic and 7 Republican candidates who are running for the city Board of Aldermen.  The top five finishers, from each party will advance to the general election.

Below, for your convenience, are links, in no particular order of significance, to interviews I conducted with all of the mayoral candidates and some of the alderman candidates.

I have included a few links to some relevant articles at the end.

Please remember to vote September 10!

Democratic candidates for mayor:

Karen Young: Young Focused on Issues, Expects Highly Competitiv...

Galen Clagett:  Clagett Stresses Vision and Management Experience ...

Carol Hirsch: Hirsch Focused on the Environment

Republican candidates for mayor:

Randy McClement: Mayor Proud of Keeping Taxes Level without Sacrifi...

Shelley Aloi: Aloi Wants To Get Fiscal House in Order

Jeff Holtzinger: Holtzinger Wants to Return as Mayor

Unaffiliated candidate for mayor:

Jennifer Dougherty: Dougherty: “Government is not the enemy”

Democratic candidates for alderman:

Josh Bokee: Bokee Enjoying Meeting Voters 

John Daniels: Daniels Supports Aquatics Center for Frederick

Kelly Russell: Kelly Russell Loves Frederick

Michael O'Connor: O’Connor: “It’s an Honor to Serve”

Jack Lynch: Lynch Wants More Citizen Involvement in Planning P...

Donna Kuzemchak: Kuzemchak runs for reelection

Derek Shackelford: Strong Field of Democrats Emerge in Aldermen Race

Articles:

City of Frederick Election for Mayor Underway

Frederick Democratic Primary Race for Mayor Heats ...

Who will be the next mayor?

Young Calls Foul on Frederick News Post Mayoral Po...

Should City Provide Funding for a Downtown Hotel?

Clagett Signs on Yellow Cabs Stirs Controversy

Will Wal-Mart Vote Impact City Election?

Clagett, Young lead in fundraising among mayoral c...

Clagett Defends $30,000 in Contributions from Aush...

Bokee Wins Straw Poll at Frederick Young Democrats...

Democratic Aldermen Contest Promises to be Close

Democratic Mayoral primary: a "pick-em” race

McClement Facing Strong Challenge in Republican Pr...

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Democratic Aldermen Contest Promises to be Close

George Wenschhof

Photo by George Cassutto, copyright 2013
http://www.cyberlearning-world.com

On September 10, registered Democratic voters will choose 5 of their 8 candidates for alderman to move on to the general election. The embarrassingly low voter turnout resulting from the off year City of Frederick election will likely add to the closeness of the vote.

Also, contributing to the closeness will be numerous under votes that will take place on Election Day. Political insiders often refer to multiple candidate races when voters choose numerous candidates as “cattle call elections”.

In The City of Frederick election, it is important for candidates to be in the top three names in a voter’s mind, for often, after that, it’s a crap shoot as to who the voters will cast a ballot for, if any.

While, the Democratic candidates are working hard to win in a competitive election, there has been virtually no animosity openly shown toward each other.

With such a well qualified and experienced field of candidates, those who implement the best get out the vote effort will likely move on to the general election on November 5.

The only two city alderman incumbents to run for reelection are Democrats Kelly Russell and Michael O’Connor and although, they are not assured a first and second primary place finish, are solid bets to move onto the general election.

Both displayed admirable traits in their first term in office and deserve another term.  Overall their votes illustrated their willingness to listen to the many aspects of an issue presented to them and follow with an informed decision.

While, they recently voted for the rezoning of the Frederick Towne Mall property (a position I opposed) to facilitate the building of another Wal-Mart in the city, they would serve the city well over the next four years.

Alderman Kelly became a strong advocate for the development of shared use pedestrian/bicycle paths and her time as a police officer led her to be a strong voice for  public safety.

O’Connor displayed his willingness to make difficult votes when he was the lone alderman to oppose the annexation of the Keller and Caidlyn properties and he continues to encourage citizen engagement in the planning process.

Josh Bokee and John Daniels, both ran for alderman in 2009 and fell short of being elected.  They have demonstrated their commitment to the city by staying involved over the last four years.

Interestingly, published pictures often displayed the two sitting side by side in candidate forums, almost giving the image they were running together as a team.  In addition, Josh and John finished first and second in a straw poll conducted by the Frederick Young Democrats at a forum they hosted for the candidates.

Josh’s time spent serving on the city planning commission and John’s time spent working on the city ad hoc solid waste/recycling committee provided them with valuable experience.

Bokee and Daniels have exhaustingly gone door to door meeting voters, which along with their public service over the last four years have them well positioned heading into the primary election.

My time spent talking with Josh and John over the years leads me to say they would both bring level headed decision making to the board of alderman, if elected.  A demonstrated trait a voter should desire in an elected official.

Derek Shackelford, the only African American running for office, has also worked extremely hard in his first run for elected office.  Derek has advocated for economic development and the need for citizen involvement and engagement in the political process.

His work in the ministry and community should help him in his effort to become a minority voice on the board.

Donna Kuzemchak, in her bid to win reelection after serving three terms, has received the support of her fellow “mommy mongers”; former President of the Frederick board of county commissioners Jan Gardner and community activist Val Dale.  The three all ran together years ago with board of education issues being a main focus in their campaigns, resulting in the moniker. 

The outspoken Kuzemchak has not shied away from her vote in favor of the city purchase of the costly Hargett farm for a municipal park and it remains to be seen if this vote will hurt her attempt to re-enter the political arena.

Jack Lynch, who briefly ran for mayor four years ago, before withdrawing and endorsing Jennifer Dougherty, has focused on increasing citizen involvement and moving to a more regional approach to planning.

Jack focused his campaign efforts on providing testimony at city mayor and board meetings and writing numerous letters to the editor appearing in The Frederick News Post. 

Lynch testified against the rezoning of the Frederick Towne Mall to aid a Wal-Mart to be built and also testified against the 97 acre Caidlyn annexation, saying the annexation did not follow the plan and was premature.

The eighth Democratic alderman candidate; Kevin Greene has been missing in action since filing for the office.  No one has seen the candidate at any political functions or going door to door to meet voters. 

Myrna Whitworth, who is chair of the Frederick County Democratic State Central Committee shared with me recently she did not know why he was not campaigning. Myrna informed me they interviewed him for a previous vacant central committee position, but he had not been chosen for the position.

It will be interesting to see how many votes Greene receives after apparently doing nothing more than filing for a seat on the board of alderman.

Knowing all of the Democratic candidates, except for Mr. Greene, voters should feel confident they will be well served by electing any of them.

Make sure on September 10, you vote!

Stay tuned.

 

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Bokee Wins Straw Poll at Frederick Young Democrats Speed Dating with Democratic Aldermen Event

George Wenschhof

Democratic Aldermen Candidates
Photo By George Cassutto, copyright 2013
http://www.cyberlearning-world.com

Josh Bokee received the most votes in the straw poll conducted following the event with John Daniels finishing second, followed by incumbents Michael O’Connor and Kelley Russell.  Derek Shackelford and Jack Lynch finished tied for fifth and former alderman Donna Kuzemchak came in seventh, only one vote behind Lynch and Shackelford.  Kevin Greene who was not present, came in last with only two votes.

Josh Bokee

I asked Josh Bokee how he felt about coming in first in the straw poll in the candidate forum sponsored by the Young Democrats of Frederick. He said ""The forum was well organized, and the questions fr
om attendees were thoughtful and touched upon a range of issue
s that other residents have also been discussing, including public safety, affordability and creating well paying jobs here, locally. Regarding the straw poll, while it was nice to hear the results, I'll be continuing to work hard every day to meet voters and listen to their priorities."

The Young Democrats of Frederick, hosted this opportunity to meet with the Democratic candidates and ask questions in a roundtable format.  Jamie Shopland, President of the Young Democrats of Frederick moderated the event. It was held at the Whitaker campus at Hood College on Saturday afternoon between 2:00 - 4:00.



Jamie Shopland
Photo By George Cassutto, copyright 2013
http://www.cyberlearning-world.com

Jamie Shopland told me “As President of Young Democrats, it's important to me to engage young voters in the political process and we wanted to do that in a fresh way that made candidates more accessible. To achieve that, we took the concept of speed dating and applied that to politics achieving a more intimate interaction between candidate and voter.

Overall I think the forum was a success. I've heard nothing but positive comments and a few folks told me they are changing their votes based on what they heard today."

John Daniels
Photo By George Cassutto, copyright 2013
http://www.cyberlearning-world.com

When I asked John Daniels how he felt about coming in second, he said "I was both surprised and elated to place second in the straw poll conducted today. I applaud the YD’s for holding the event. 

My campaign is going extremely well. Our fundraising goals are on target and the strategy for the remainder of the primary is in place. 

Although the number voting in todays poll was small and not likely to sway the general public, I consider it an affirmation that people in Frederick, at least politically active young people, are supportive of a more progressive platform embracing smart growth and sustainable solutions for dealing with our environment."

The turnout of about twenty-five, had an opportunity to hear a formal opening and closing statement from the candidates and the fun part came as candidates were paired with voters at tables to field questions and provide answers.  After, a set period of time, voters would move to another table to sit down with other candidates to ask them questions and hear their answers.

The “speed dating” continued until all visitors had sat at a table with all the candidates and had the opportunity to hear their answers to their questions.

All of the tables were engaged in lively discussions with the questions varied, ranging from job creation, traffic concerns, public safety, blighted properties, growth issues, to the city passing a “living wage” ordinance and city-county-state relationships.

The City of Frederick primary election will be held September 10, where Democrat and Republican voters will choose five aldermen from their party’s candidates to move on to the general election held on November 5.

Stay Tuned.

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Strong Field of Democrats Emerge in Aldermen Race

George Wenschhof

Already, seven Democrats have or will be announcing they are running for one of the five seats on the board of aldermen.

The deadline for filing for election is July 2, 2013 with The City of Frederick primary election held on September 10, followed by the general election on November 5.

Incumbents Michael O’Connor and Kelly Russell, based on a solid record over their first term in office, will be favorites to win reelection.

One of the other two incumbent Democratic aldermen; Carol Krimm, will not run for reelection as she hopes to replace retiring state delegate Galen Clagett (D), who is running for mayor.  Galen has let it be known, should he win election, he will request from Governor Martin O’Malley (D), the appointment of Carol to his seat, to serve the remaining one year of his term.  If, this would take place, it would give Krimm a leg up in the 2014 election.

The remaining Democratic incumbent alderman; Karen Young, has already announced her candidacy for Mayor.  Interestingly, should Clagett win the mayoral race, look to see state senator Ron Young (D) ask O’Malley to appoint his wife Karen to the vacant Clagett delegate seat, setting up an interesting dilemma for the Governor.

Derek Shackelford called me several months ago, when I was still in California, to speak with me of his intention to run for alderman.  Shackelford, who is the only African American running for city office at this time, spoke with me about his desire to engage people in the political process and to groom others for political office.

His experience in working for the reelection of President Barack Obama, particularly serving as one of “One Hundred Leaders for Obama, will be of help to him as he campaigns for his own election.  His professionalism and campaign experience was illustrated by his well attended campaign announcement recently at the Bernard Brown Community Center.

Josh Bokee, who fell short, by only a few votes, of moving on to the general election in 2009, is running again, and will be a strong candidate to become one of the five aldermen elected in the general election on November 5.

His five years of experience of service, including time as vice chair, on The City of Frederick Planning Commission, provides him with excellent qualifications to serve as alderman.

His reasoned platform includes economic opportunity, safe neighborhoods, strong fiscal responsibility, healthy sustainable community and twenty-first century infrastructure.

John Daniels, a well liked man, whose heart is with the city, will also be running again for alderman. He is the type of person who is able to bring people together.

Since losing in the last city election, John has served the city, with distinction, as chair of Mayor Randy McClement’s ad hoc recycling and solid waste committee.

Fiscal responsibility is important to Daniels, who has followed the serious discussion surrounding the $93 million unfunded liabilities The City of Frederick is facing with their pension plan and other post employment benefits (OPEB).

Jack Lynch, who ran briefly for mayor in the 2009 election, before dropping out and endorsing Jennifer Dougherty, who would lose the primary election to Jason Judd, is now running for alderman.

Jack, in a recent email to supporters, said “I want to see leadership and changes and public officials asking the questions that should be answered instead of cheerleading every scheme for private interests. I want our community to be a whole one, an engaged place, where citizens feel empowered - One Frederick, one for all.”

In an email to me, Lynch added “My focus is upon how Frederick continues to remain one close knit community and extends the great benefits of this place, both past and future, to all our citizens. It includes designing our communities to be interconnected not just by a map and roads, but by a shared purpose and shared successes from all sides of town. We have a vitality and diversity and valued institutions and committed citizens.”

Former two-term alderman Donna Kuzemchak is heavily rumored to make a run to win reelection to the board after losing in the 2009 general election.  An out spoken woman, Donna is sure to add excitement and strength to the Democratic primary.

Between now and the July 2 candidate filing deadline, it is entirely likely a few more Democrats will venture forward in the alderman contest.

Already, city voters can be assured of a very strong slate of Democratic candidates for alderman.

 

Stay tuned, the city election promises to be one to watch.

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