Republican County Executive Highlights Frederick County Races to Watch

George Wenschhof

The Republican primary to nominate their county executive candidate is likely to be very close.  The winner will face unopposed Democratic incumbent county executive Jan Gardner and Independent Earl Robbins in the General Election.

Republican voters will choose between three candidates.  

Frederick County council member Kirby Delauter makes no secret of his disdain toward Gardner. Delauter is a holdover from the previous and last board of county commissioners, led by board president Blaine Young who I labeled "Blaine and Company" in a 2013 column.  Their mantra of pro business, pro development and privatizing government services ushered in Democratic county executive Jan Gardner who defeated Blaine Young four years ago in the first election for county executive in Frederick County under charter government. 

Delauter and other candidates are still primarily battling over growth issues that have dominated Frederick County politics over the last few decades.

Delauter's primary opponents, Regina Williams and Maryland state delegate Kathy Afzali have taken a more moderate stance toward development throughout their campaigns.

Ms. Williams was a county budget officer who was in a relationship with former board president Blaine Young and was fired from her county position by Jan Gardner following her election victory.  Williams would reach a financial settlement with the county after filing a wrongful termination suit.

Regina is the daughter of Debbie Williams who is well known in the county and who founded The Patty Pallotos Fund, Inc., a nonprofit that provides aide to individuals suffering from cancer.

Maryland state district 4 delegate Kathy Afzali has the largest war chest of the three and would likely be the strongest Republican contender versus Gardner and Robbins in the General Election.  Afzali is a hard campaigner first elected after upsetting popular Republican incumbent Paul Stull in the 2010 primary election.

With each receiving significant support, look to see the winner receive less than 50% of the vote.  It would not surprise me if Afzali emerges as the winner in this contest.

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The Democratic primary to select two at-large (countywide) county council candidates will also be one to watch. This race illustrates the division among moderate and progressive Frederick County Democrats.

Former one term county commissioner Kai Hagen is trying to make a comeback after he and the Democratic candidates he ran with were soundly defeated by Republican Blaine Young and Company in the 2010 election.

A lightening rod for voters who support and oppose him, this time Kai is making no secret of his wish to be elected along with fellow Democrat Mark Long.  Long ran for county council in the 5th district and lost to Republican Kirby Delauter in the previous election.  Sadly, Long and his positions on issues is drowned out by the Hagen rhetoric.

Galen Clagett is also trying to make a comeback after retiring as a state delegate following a primary election loss for mayor to Karen Young in The City of Frederick 2013 primary election.  Clagett served as county commissioner for 8 years, 4 as board president and 12 years as a Maryland state delegate. 

There is no love lost between Clagett and Hagen with Hagen highlighting Clagett's support for Delauter and his endorsement of Republican Randy McClement following his primary mayoral loss to Karen Young in the 2013 city election.

Susan Reeder Jessee who, in her first entry into politics, barely missed being elected in the 2014 General Election. She came in a close third and there are indications she will receive strong support again. She may emerge as the leader in this primary election.

Kavonte Duckett wants to be the first African American elected to the county council and is a refreshing voice.  He has exhibited a strong work ethic and sincere desire to represent the voters of Frederick County.

Who will win the second slot along with Susan Reeder Jessee is hard to call.  Clagett and Hagen both enjoy strong support across the county. However, voters may decide they want to move forward and away from the past by choosing a new voice in either Duckett or Long.

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In the Republican at-large primary, Philip Dacey, a former City of Frederick alderman, is the front runner.  Who will come in second and capture the other at-large seat will likely be a close contest between Justin Kiska who is running again after losing in 2014 and Jason Miller. Danny Farrar is the other Republican candidate in this contest.

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The Republican primary race in county council district 2 between incumbent Tony Chmelik and challenger Steve McKay is another to watch closely.  Their positions on growth once again being the focus.  McKay is a supporter of Democratic county executive Jan Gardner so it will be interesting should McKay win the Republican primary to see if Gardner will support him over Democratic candidate Lisa Jarosinki who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

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Look to see Republican Kevin Grubb win the county council district 1 race against Dylan Diggs.  The winner will face incumbent and unopposed Democrat Jerry Donald in the General Election.

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Your vote matters - If you have not already cast your ballot during Early Voting, make sure you go to the polls on Tuesday June 26, 2018.

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Familiar Names Highlight County Executive and Council Race

George Wenschhof

Frederick County Council president Bud Otis was the only familiar name left off as the filing deadline for candidates closed at 9:00 PM Tuesday.  After receiving angst from Republicans for consistently supporting Democratic county executive Jan Gardner during his first term, Mr. Otis changed his political affiliation from Republican to Undeclared.  Undeclared candidates have until July 2nd to file a Declaration of Intent and must turn in the required signatures to be certified by the local board of elections by August 6th.  He would also be spared the primary election held on June 26th this year.

There have been some unconfirmed rumors, should he obtain the required signatures, he may file for county executive.  Interesting to note, no Undeclared candidate has ever won a countywide position in a Frederick County election.

Should Otis file to run in the at-large county council race, where voters choose two council members, he will join a crowded field filled with well known candidates.

Democratic voters will have 5 candidates to choose from and Republicans will have four.

Former county commissioner president and state delegate Galen Clagett is the most familiar name among Democrats.  In a press release Susan Reeder Jessee said “My deep desire to serve the citizens of Frederick County never left since my candidacy in 2014”.   Her parents Bruce and Odette held office in Frederick County for a combined 28 years.

Kai Hagen suffered a humiliating loss to Blaine Young and company eight years ago after serving one term as county commissioner.  He and Jan Gardner ran with Republicans John “Lenny” Thompson and David Gray 12 years ago as the Dream Team”.  They won with an anti-growth message highlighted with Thompson’s “If Developers Win, You Lose” slogan.

After losing in the 5^th district race four years ago to Republican Kirby Delauter, Mark Long is trying again, this time in the countywide at-large race.

The one newcomer is Kavonte Duckett, who I met a few years ago at a Frederick County Young Democrats Meeting. I was impressed with him and am not surprised to see him running for office.

Republicans won both at-large positions four years ago with Bud Otis and Billy Shreve.  This year, Philip Dacey a former City of Frederick alderman, is perhaps the best known Republican in the at-large race. However, also known are Justin Kiska, who is running again after losing in 2014 and Jason Miller, a columnist with www.TheTentacle.com.  They are joined by Danny Farrar.

District 1 incumbent Democrat Jerry Donald will not face a primary.  Four years ago, he won by a handful of votes and helped give county executive Gardner a majority on the board.

The Republican primary will be Kevin Grubb facing Dylan Diggs.  Grubb is a former City of Frederick police officer and previously ran for county sheriff.

District 2 incumbent Republican Tony Chmelik will face competition in the primary.  I have interviewed Steven McKay numerous times and he is best known as president of Residents Against Landsdale Expansion (RALE). Cedric Cole is the third Republican in the race.

The lone Democratic candidate in district 2 is Lisa Jarosinski and she will face the winner of the Republican primary.

In District 3, a heavily Democratic voter registered district, incumbent Democrat M.C. Keegan-Ayer does not have any opposition and as a result will be elected on November 6 in the general election.

District 4 is another heavily Democratic voter registered district and will not have a primary.  Incumbent Democrat Jessica Fitzwater will face Republican Jimmy Trout in the November 6 general election.

District 5 is an open seat after incumbent Republican Kirby Delauter filed for county executive.  This heavily Republican voter registered district will have a Republican primary with Michael Blue facing William Valentine. 

The lone Democratic candidate is Shannon Boyrer.

The county executive race will see a heavily contested Republican primary.  Kirby Delauter, who is presently a council member from district 5, has made no secret of his distaste of Gardner and her policies.

However, before he will have the opportunity to face Gardner, he will have to beat two formidable Republican candidates in the June 26 primary.  Both Regina Williams and Kathy Afzali are well-known to Frederick County voters.

Afzali served as state delegate in district 4 after proving her strong campaign skills by upsetting sitting and popular Republican Paul Stull.

Williams served as budget officer for Frederick County government and settled a lawsuit with the county after being fired by Gardner.  Williams was dating Blaine Young who ran against Gardner for county executive, at the time of her firing.  Her mother Debbie is well connected in Frederick County.  She established and has run the Patty Pallatos Fund for years.  Originally started in memory of a close friend who died of cancer, this fund has helped countless families in Frederick County.

Look to see the Republican vote be split in the primary, resulting in a very close contest.  Although Delauter has had the bully pulpit to express his disdain for Gardner, it would not be surprising to see one of the women win the primary.

The Republican winner will face incumbent Democrat Jan Gardner who will not have a Democratic challenger in the primary.  Gardner has received mixed reviews as the first Frederick County executive, following the passage of charter government.

The decades long battle on how best to manage growth continues with many of the candidates for county executive and council.

If he submits the required signatures and even though he received the most votes of any council member in 2014, don’t look to see county council president Bud Otis be the first undeclared candidate elected in Frederick County.

In addition to the Republican county executive primary, one of the fiercest primary battles will be among Democrats in the at-large race.  It is too early to handicap this race.  However, Susan Reeder Jessee, a relentless campaigner who prides herself with getting along with all political factions, has an excellent chance of moving onto the general election.

It is no secret Clagett and Hagen are not on the same page when it comes to politics or how they view county executive Gardner and her policies. So it will be interesting to watch the dynamics here. Also, watch to see if Mark Long, a good man who probably should have run again in district 5, aligns himself with Hagen or tries to be his own man in the primary campaign.  As the newcomer in the contest, it will be fun to keep an eye on Duckett.

Look to see Dacey, who has proven his fundraising prowess, be the odds on favorite in the Republican at-large primary with Miller and Kiska battling for the second slot.

Another close primary will be in district 2 among Republican incumbent Tony Chmelik and challenger Steve McKay.  McKay has been aligned with Gardner on growth issues. As RALE president, he has shown he understands campaigning and working hard on issues he cares about.

In the Republican district 1 primary, look to see Kevin Grubb prevail over Dylan Diggs and face Democrat Jerry Donald in the general election.

It will also be interesting to see if the primary date of June 26 impacts voter turnout.   

Stay tuned. 

Wilson City Alderman Candidacy Raises Concerns

George Wenschhof

Roger Wilson

I recently sat down with Democrat Roger Wilson to discuss his run for alderman in The City of Frederick election this year.

In 2014 he ran for state delegate in district 3-a. I interviewed Roger several times and found him to be affable with a strong desire to serve in elected office.  While, I supported his candidacy, I had opined Democrats Karen Young and Carol Krimm would likely prevail in the Democratic primary and win in the general.  I would be correct.

After Democratic candidate Jan Gardner would win the Frederick County executive contest also held in 2014, she would appoint Roger to a new position serving as government policy/affairs and liaison to work with government entities.

I would write columns on Gardner’s appointments, Changes in Personnel Rules Needed to Cover Gardner Appointments dated 12-5-2014 and Is Gardner Overreaching Her Authority? on 12-11-2014.

Basically, this position, along with a handful of other at-will plum positions were created and filled by supporters of the county executive before personnel changes had been made or the county council had approved.

I expressed to Roger the concerns about conflicts of interest he would face working as a high salaried at-will employee for the county executive and serving city voters when city-county issues would come before the board of alderman. Rumors had been deliberately circulated Roger would be running for mayor and I also asked him why he chose to run for alderman instead.

He indicated he had discussed staying in his position while running and serving, (should he win election), with county attorney John Mathias and had decided to run for alderman.

When I asked Roger if he would inform the voters he would recuse himself from the vote when it came to city-county issues, Roger would tell me “it is a little early to say that, adding I am not elected yet.”  I would say I felt it was important for voters to know his position on potential conflicts of interest prior to casting their ballot in the election.

When I spoke to county attorney Mathias, he told me he had informed Roger he could run for either position but it would be problematic to serve as mayor and stay in his current position.  Mathias would tell me he had reviewed the state constitution and the ethics ordinances in both the city and county and did not see where Mr. Wilson could not run.  However, he did say there may be occasions, should Roger be elected, he would have to recuse himself from the vote.

On November 24, 2014, I would publish Growth Battles Continue with Young Appointment.  I questioned the legality of Republican Board of County Commissioner president Blaine Young, who had lost the county executive race to Jan Gardner, being appointed to the Planning Commission while still serving as county commissioner.  County Attorney Mathias would defend the legality of this action to me in a phone interview.  I would opine "But, when looking at the appointment of commissioner Blaine Young to the planning commission, the state constitution spells out a person cannot hold two positions in which they receive compensation.  A planning commission member does receive a small amount of compensation.”

This appointment received opposition and intense legal scrutiny that was followed by Blaine Young resigning from his position on the Planning Commission.

I asked former president of the Board of County Commissioners and Maryland state delegate Democrat Galen Clagett how he viewed the city alderman candidacy of Roger Wilson while he was in an at-will position serving at the pleasure of county executive Jan Gardner.

Clagett responded by saying "Roger should have stayed out of the race. He has a problem, a real problem. It is a sticky wicket. There is a potential conflict of interest for him, especially in water/sewer issues, fire/rescue issues, tax equity.  I do not see a problem with him running necessarily, but I see a problem with him serving."

Local columnist Harry M. Covert told me "for a county official to seek a city aldermanic seat is opening a questionable matter. I believe this candidacy could well end up in court.”

Covert added "No doubt Mr. Wilson wants to serve. However if he wants to be successful he should resign his county post and put all of his time and talent seeking the city post."

I share the concerns expressed by Galen Clagett and agree with Mr. Covert, that Roger Wilson should resign from his county appointed position.  City voters would then be able to clearly hear his views on issues that matter to them.  A campaign distracted with legal challenges and concerns about conflicts of interest will not serve Mr. Wilson or the voters well as he campaigns for city alderman.

Stay tuned.

Editor’s Note: The City of Frederick primary election will be held September 12, 2017 and the general election November 7, 2017.

The City of Frederick 2017 Election Buzz

George Wenschhof

George Wenschhof

No respite from politics for The City of Frederick voters following what may go down in history as the most raucous presidential election that clearly illustrated the deep divide in America.

Beginning soon, announcements by candidates for mayor and board of aldermen will begin to trickle out even though the deadline for candidates to file is not until July 3, 2017.  A petition candidate deadline is May 1, 2017.

The primary election will be held on September 12 and the general election will be on November 7, 2017.

There is growing frustration among voters with the current mayor and board who feel their city government, at best, has been status quo over the last 8 years under Republican mayor Randy McClement and a board of aldermen dominated by Democrats.

What is often said, is at least the mayor and board is free of the drama that existed during former Democratic mayor Jennifer Dougherty's administration.

However, there will be lots of issues that will receive discussion, among them and perhaps the main issue highlighted will be the lack of leadership displayed by nice guy mayor McClement. Also missing is a sense of togetherness and any vision for the future for the residents of what is now the second largest city in the state of Maryland.

The inability by the mayor and board to negotiate an extension of the baseball stadium lease would lead to a poorly executed Request for Proposals and the subsequent renaming of the field with less than artful signs, lack of job development for city residents, the shoddy handling of the downtown hotel/conference center development, little to no action on Blighted properties, another sloppy execution of a request for proposal on the extension of Monocacy Boulevard, a costly and unaffordable plan for the Hargett Farm park debacle, parking fine increases, hikes in water and sewer fees and removal of the bust of Roger Brooke Taney in front of city hall are all just a few of the issues sure to be discussed by candidates.

So what are the early rumors on who will enter the fray?  On the mayor side, Democrats already have several names that are surfacing.  Incumbent alderman Michael O’Connor has all but announced he will be running for the Democratic Party nomination.  His major obstacle will be he never differentiated himself from mayor McClement over the last seven years and if leadership is a skill he plans to run on, he has never shown it during his years in office.

Former one term and first woman mayor Jennifer Dougherty will likely run again.  She has been running since 1993 and has only won one time and that was back in 2001.  Likability is her biggest problem as is the fact she has been the Democratic spoiler in every race since 2005 when she was defeated in the Democratic primary. She became the first incumbent city mayor to be defeated by a candidate of her own party when another former mayor Ron Young defeated her.  She would not support Young in that general election and Republican Jeff Holtzinger would win.  In 2009 after losing to Jason Judd in the primary, she would again not support the Democratic nominee resulting in the election of Republican Randy McClement.  Apparently frustrated with the Democratic Party, Jennifer would run as an unaffiliated petition candidate in the 2013 election with former local reporter Katherine Heerbrandt helping her. Once again, she would split the vote, this time with Democratic candidate Karen Young, and leading to the reelection of Republican mayor Randy McClement. 

Reportedly, she will run as a Democrat this time.  All told, Dougherty is 1-7 in elections who in addition to losing 4 times for mayor also lost a bid for county commissioner and congress.  However, she is a tireless campaigner and would be competitive in this election.  

Another Democrat Roger Wilson, who received the plum job of county liaison to towns and municipalities by Jan Gardner when she was elected county executive has also given considerable thought to running for mayor. He ran for state delegate in the 2014 election and lost. His major problem is the optics of him running for mayor while being paid by taxpayers.  Because of this, the latest rumors have him rethinking and considering a run for alderman.  However, the optics problem remains and voters will not want a city alderman who is working in an appointed position with the county executive and as the county liaison to the city.  City-County agreements are often in front of the mayor and board for consideration, so remaining in his county position would be a difficult sell to voters wondering who he was representing, the city or the county?  His dilemma is to decide whether to give up a well paying position to run for city office.

It would not be a surprise to see downtown resident Peter Samuels jump into the race.  His dissatisfaction with what he refers to as the downtown hotel/conference center boondoggle might just be the catalyst to get him to run.

Former County commissioner and state delegate Galen Clagett’s name has also surfaced.  He ran for mayor 4 years ago and lost to Karen Young in the Democratic primary.  Throughout his time in office, he is known for getting things done so he may throw his hat in the ring when he sizes up the field.

A name that repeatedly pops up when I am talking to folks around town is Jim Racheff.  Jim is widely respected and someone who has been active in local Democratic politics.  He recently chaired the transition effort for county executive Jan Gardner, is chairing Gardner’s “Livable Frederick” Comprehensive Plan update and has served as chair of the city board of zoning appeals.  When I asked him recently if he would consider running, Jim told me his attention to his business would not allow him to do so.

City Democratic alderman Josh Bokee is another who is been talked about who will be entering the race for mayor.  He has let me know he will make his intention known prior to the end of the year. 

It is likely even more Democrats will come forward for mayor.

    

The question remains whether Republican Randy McClement will run again and if not, who will be the Republican candidate?  A rumor sure to stir up political buzz around town has Blaine Young moving to the city and running for mayor.  I heard this rumor immediately following the election of Republican Donald Trump as president.  Although said in jest, it is a type of move Blaine Young would make.  It is more likely, if McClement did not run for reelection; Republican alderman Phil Dacey would seek the job of mayor.

The buzz surrounding city alderman candidates will follow in another column.

Stay tuned.

City of Frederick Election Buzz

George Wenschhof

On Tuesday November 5, voters will weigh in on The City of Frederick election and choose their mayor and five member board of alderman.

The off year city election has me predicting a turnout of less than 22%.  It is going to be a partly sunny day with temps in the 50’s, so go vote and prove me wrong!

Polling locations are different than state/county and presidential election years.  If you are wondering where you go to vote you can use the following link.

http://spires2.cityoffrederick.com/elections/polling_loc.php

WYPR radio News Director Joel McCord was up in Frederick last week to check out the election.  He interviewed the candidates, some downtown business owners and me!

Democratic mayoral candidate Karen Young came across the best of the three candidates and Republican Mayor McClement was described as "plain vanilla".

You can read the story and listen to his report here. 

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Democratic Maryland state senator Ron Young held an art show hosted at Antique Imports Sunday and it was well attended.  Karen Young was also present and of course, the talk was on the election.

 

Lt. Governor Anthony Brown (D) recorded a robo-call on Karen Young’s behalf, urging voters to vote for her for mayor.  The calls went out on Saturday.

 

One woman, who attended, told me she had been a big Clagett supporter and was now supporting Karen Young for mayor.

 

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Republican alderman candidates Phil Dacey, Katie Nash and Dave Schmidt have been trying hard to run from their conservative background in a city where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans voters 17,300 to 10,750.

 

Sunday, upon returning home, standing on the corner was former Republican ultra right wing state senator Alex Mooney and the husband of Katie Nash.  Mooney told me Nash was going to win.

 

When I asked what he was up to these days, Mooney told me he had moved to West Virginia and was running for Congress.

 

 

Sad to see the exit from politics displayed by Democratic Maryland state delegate Galen Clagett.  After, losing by 10 points to Karen Young in the Democratic primary, Galen publicly endorsed Republican mayor Randy McClement.

Galen has long been involved in Frederick County Democratic politics.

Kind of makes you wonder why Clagett ran for mayor in the first place.

 

Looking at Mayor McClement’s donations from his most recent campaign finance report and you can see some connections to supporters of Clagett.

McClement received $2,500 from Blaine Young for Maryland and another $5,000 from LLC’s from outside the city.

Both Clagett and McClement advertised with signs atop Yellow Cabs in town, owned, in part by Republican board of county commissioners president Blaine Young. 

 

Frederick County state Democratic central committee did phone banking for their candidates over the weekend and did a lit drop on Saturday.

 

Election night, Democratic aldermen candidates will be at JoJo’s located downtown on E. Patrick Street.  So, stop by and say hello.

 

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City Agrees to Change Campaign Finance Law

George Wenschhof

During The City of Frederick mayor and board of aldermen workshop yesterday, there was unanimous agreement to move forward with proposed changes to the city's campaign finance law.

Assistant city attorney Rachel  Depot submitted a proposal modeled after the recently passed state of Maryland campaign finance law.

Alderman Michael O'Connor(D), said during the city mayor and board workshop discussion "this loophole should be closed" and requested this amendment be presented during the first mayor and board meeting in November. Alderman Kelly Russell concurred with O'Connor and added her desire to rectify this prior to the end of their term.

The proposed change will not affect the current election and is scheduled to go into effect on December 6, 2013.

The proposed changes are designed to close some of the loopholes that allow individuals to make multiple donations from business entities owned by an individual, whose aggregate total contribution exceed the limit established by law.

The campaign contribution limits are $2,500 for mayor and $1,000 for alderman.

This is a welcomed move in the right direction by the city. 

However, I would recommend a change in the definition of what constitutes a contribution from one contributor in Sec. 7-22. Limit on contributions. (d) (ii) which reads "the business entities are owned or controlled by at least 80% of the same individuals or business entities.

In a conversation with assistant city attorney Rachel Depot, she informed me the state committee had recommended 50% and it evidently had been changed to 80% by the state legislature.  I would hope the city would go with the 50% level to further restrict influence by a single contributor. 

I  first pointed out the loophole after my review of the first candidate campaign finance reports revealed mayoral candidate Maryland state delegate Galen Clagett had received $20,000 from entities associated with local developer Marvin Ausherman and $10,000 from entities associated with Pleasants Construction. Also mayoral candidate Karen Young had received $7,500 from entities associated with local businessman John Fitzgerald.

In regard to the current election, I did request and received a response from all candidates in the General Election to abide by the "spirit of the law" on contribution limits for the remainder of this election.

Stay tuned.

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Clagett, Young Spend Most in City Election

George Wenschhof

The second candidate campaign finance reports submitted yesterday showed Maryland delegate Galen Clagett spent $82,000 in his losing effort to win the Democratic Party nomination for mayor of The City of Frederick. His contributions included a late $5,000 donation from himself.  The balance in his campaign account was $1,771.

Karen Young, who won the Democratic Party nomination, reported raising a total of $71,000, spending $53,000 and led all candidates moving on to the General Election with $18,535 in the all important cash on hand.

Republican Mayor Randy McClement reported raising a total of $27,310, spending $12,500, with a balance of $14,753.

Unaffiliated mayoral candidate Jennifer Dougherty, who did not participate in a primary, reported raising a total of $12,890, spent $6,604 with a balance of $6,235.

In the first finance report, Clagett reported receiving $20,000 from entities associated with Marvin Ausherman and $10,000 from entities associated with Pleasants Constructions.  Young reported receiving $7,500 from entities associated with local businessman John Fitzgerald.

I was the first to report this and call for an amendment to the candidate contribution law to close the loopholes that allowed candidates to receive greater funds than the amount ($2,500 for mayor, $1,000 for alderman) allowed by law.

In addition, I sent a pledge request to all of the General Election candidates for them to abide to the “spirit of the law” for the remainder of the campaign.  In my first review of the second finance reports, it appears none of the candidates used any of the loopholes available to them, which is a good sign.

On Wednesday, the city mayor and board workshop will discuss changes to the law to eliminate these loopholes.

Republican Phil Dacey ($18,000) and Democrat John Daniels ($13,000) led the alderman candidates in funds received.  Dacey had $8,801 cash on hand and Daniels $6,525.

Interestingly, Dacey was the only candidate to report paying individuals to go door-to-door for him.  This is an allowable expense, but not one that has been used by candidates in previous city elections.

Daniels and Dacey were also the top alderman candidate fundraisers in the first candidate finance report.

Incumbent aldermen Kelly Russell(D) and Michael O’Connor(D), who are heavily favored to win reelection, reported $3,255 and $5,253 cash on hand.

Josh Bokee, who came in third in the Democratic alderman primary, reported raising $9,756, spending $7,019 with a balance of $2,729.

Fraternal Order of Police FSK Lodge #91 followed up their endorsement of Democratic aldermen candidates Michael O’Connor, Kelly Russell, Josh Bokee and John Daniels with a $500 contribution to each.

All of the candidate campaign finance reports may be read online at The City of Frederick website.

The next candidate campaign finance reports are due Tuesday October 29, one week prior to the election on November 5.

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 Mayoral primary: a "pick-em” race

George Wenschhof



Karen Young

Galen Clagett

With, less than a week to go until primary election day on September 10, the Democratic mayoral primary in The City of Frederick election is a “pick-em” race between two heavyweight and long time local political families.

Both the Karen Young and Galen Clagett campaigns separately shared with me recently they had seen surveys that showed a large number of undecided voters equaling close to 33% and this coming with less than three weeks to go to the primary election on September 10.

These numbers at this time in the race signal a close election.  On the other hand, a majority of those undecided voters could break for one candidate at the last moment, resulting in a more clear victory.  So, the get out the vote effort by the campaigns will be crucial to the winning candidate.

Galen Clagett, who owns Clagett Enterprises, Inc., served two terms on the Frederick board of county commissioners, one as president and has also served three terms as a Maryland state delegate representing district 3-a.

Karen Young, a city alderman and former businesswoman is married to Maryland state senator Ron Young who served four terms as mayor of the city.

A third Democratic candidate; American Sign Language (ASL) user Carol Hirsch is considered a political neophyte and is not expected to serious compete with Young and Clagett.

Hirsch does deserve considerable recognition for breaking the barrier and becoming the first ASL user to run for mayor in the city.  When, I interviewed Carol, she expressed that conservation of energy and the environment were important issues for her campaign.

One of the main reasons given for the record number of candidates challenging incumbent Republican mayor Randy McClement is his lack of leadership ability and his failure to articulate a vision for the city.

The two leading contenders for the Democratic nomination; Galen and Karen have strong business and government experience combined with a solid knowledge of community based organizations resulting from years of working with them.

Karen told me in a recent interview what differentiates us (speaking of her and Galen) “is our perspective of the future. We need to do things differently from the past and we need to be more innovative.”

With 30% growth projected over the next 17 years for Frederick, Karen shared with me “we need a more proactive plan on how and where we grow so we don’t become a more congested community.”

She added “there is a metropolitan revolution occurring in America and we can’t count on D.C. and Annapolis to solve our problem.”

Karen said she will provide visionary leadership and strategic planning that will increase levels of transparency that includes input from citizens, businesses, and institutions along with cooperation from all levels of government.

Clagett filed for mayor after hearing Maryland comptroller Peter Franchot, whose seat he wanted, was running for re-election. Franchot had toyed with the idea of running for Governor and if he had followed through, Galen made it known he would run for Comptroller.

At the Neighborhood Advisory Council candidate forum held at Lincoln Elementary school, city resident Jack Topchik asked Galen; “Why he wanted to be mayor?”  Jack told me Galen responded by saying “He emphasized his experience, his desire to avoid having to commute any longer to Annapolis, and his desire to conclude work on Frederick projects he had initiated.”

In a previous interview I had with Galen “he rattled off his efforts to support a downtown hotel/conference center, his efforts to secure state funding for the construction of Frederick High School, the Rt. 15/Monocacy Interchange, his support of development of the city airport, the Carroll Creek project and his desire to put the Hargett farm to a reasonable use for the city.”

Galen further pointed to his 26 years as a business owner combined with his 20 years of being an elected official and 13 year as an educator. He feels this puts him in a unique position compared to any of the other candidates running for mayor.

He added “His work model is not to wait and see, but to weigh in and get the job done”.  Galen told me his favorite quote comes from President Harry Truman who once said “the worst decision is no decision”. Galen said he has lived his life in business and in politics following this philosophy; “by making decisions and moving forward."

The primary campaign between Galen and Karen has at times taken on the familiar too much growth v. sustainable growth theme that has surrounded Frederick County politics over the last twenty plus years.

Karen picked up the support of former Frederick board of county commissioners President Jan Gardner, a proponent of smart growth and former state delegate Sue Hecht, who both have had long standing issues with Clagett.

Supporters of Karen Young were also quick to point out the connections the Clagett campaign had with developers and “developer friendly” elected officials. The Clagett campaign signs atop Yellow Cab owned, in part, by Republican President of the Frederick board of county commissioners Blaine Young were denounced as soon as they appeared.

In addition, the campaign contribution made by Clagett Enterprises, Inc. to Blaine Young in his 2010 campaign became widely known.

When the first candidate campaign reports were filed, I immediately noticed numerous donations coming from different entities using the same address, whose aggregate total way exceeded the $2,500 campaign donation limit per person or entity.

While the donations did not appear to violate regulations surrounding campaign contributions, both the Clagett and Young campaigns received donations in this manner. 

The Clagett campaign received $30,000 from entities associated with two local developers; Marvin Ausherman and Pleasants Construction.

The Young campaign received $7,500 from entities associated with John Fitzgerald, a local businessman.

Karen shared with me 64% of her campaign contributions came from individuals and 36% from business. She added the Clagett campaign received 67.3% from Developers/Real Estate, 17.8% from Individuals, 10.3% from political campaigns/PAC and 4.6% from Business.

The two campaigns have also exhibited a different approach to campaigning, with Clagett utilizing paid polls to provide him with information on trends of the voters and also relying on campaign mailers to get his message out to voters.

Karen, aided by her husband Ron and volunteers focused on door to door meeting with constituents and saved the majority of her campaign fund for media buys prior to the election.

Overall, both Karen and Galen have exhibited strong leadership qualities that would serve the city well over the next four years as mayor.

Heavily favored Democratic candidates for mayor lost in the 2005 and 2009 elections due, in part, to political party infighting.

It will be pivotal to the success of the Democratic Party nominee they receive party unity in the general election.  This is especially crucial given the general election, for the first time, will include an unaffiliated candidate.  The inclusion of Jennifer Dougherty as an unaffiliated candidate will give voters a choice between three candidates for mayor.

Stay tuned.

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