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. 

Young Given Carte Blanche

George Wenschhof

My immediate fear of the results from the county commissioner election last year in Frederick County, Maryland, has unfortunately been proven true. As I followed the election last year, I was disappointed that once again, Frederick county voters were subjected to a "growth" versus "no-growth" theme from the aspiring candidates.

I lamented on how this theme had dominated over the past twenty years and as a result, voters in Frederick County had suffered. My subsequent endorsements were aimed at an attempt to bring a balance board to office. One, I believed Frederick County voters deserved.

The dramatic pendulum swings from one direction to the other every four to eight years have brought about instability, affecting everything from government services and economic development, to nonprofits who provide services to those in need.

The 2010 election followed four years in office of the so-called "Dream Team", a bipartisan group of four commissioners who fell into the "no-growth" category.

Knowing Blaine Young, who was leading the latest version of the "pro-growth" team, would win big, due to the lack of strong candidates in the race, I choose to support Democrats Michael Kurtianyk and Linda Norris along with Republicans Paul Smith and Billy Shreve.

Although, Republicans would form a majority, I opined a balanced board would result.

While I was correct Young would win big, I underestimated his strength to carry three fellow "pro-growth" candidates into office with him.

Unfortunately, when the votes were counted, all Republicans were elected to the board, with David Gray being the lone wolf left from the previous anti-growth board. Gray has subsequently been regulated to taking up space at board meetings, his thoughts on issues totally dismissed.

Gray's attempts to raise the level of discussion on issues he is passionate about by holding separate meetings open to the public; have resulted in attendance by only a handful of far left wing activists. A sad picture to witness and one which supports my call for his defeat in last year's election.

Blaine Young, winning the most votes, has gone about making changes at lightning speed, since becoming president of the board.

The moves have been many; appointing a charter writing board, balancing the 3% budget deficit with draconian cuts to Head Start and non-profits, changes in county staff and department alignment, review of the controversial down zonings which took place during the previous board, privatization moves in county owned nursing homes, examining privatizing government services, reduction of fees charged to developers and adding prayer to the start of county meetings, are but some of the many changes made in less than six months.

Balancing the budget on the backs of needy children and seniors is not an action I will ever support. Cutting back funding to non profits during a time they are needed more than ever makes little sense.

The blitzkrieg assaults on Frederick County policies and procedures a result of Blaine Young being given carte blanche by the commissioners who rode his coattails into office; Billy Shreve, Paul Smith and Kirby Delauter.

Delauter, Shreve and Smith have taken the role of a devoted call in listener to Blaine Young's popular local radio talk show, never questioning what is being presented, or even offering a proposal of their own.

Delauter, who along with Young have made clear they are only serving one term in office, often expressing it in such a way; they should be honored by doing so. However, with only serving one term, there is no accountability to the voters and we are already seeing the destruction one can cause when there is no intent to run for another term. Promising to serve for only one term is hardly the pledge most voters want to hear from a candidate.

Adding further injury to voters is the state of Maryland has no recall provision for county commissioners.

Shreve and Smith, however, may wish to run for reelection and being a puppet to Young for four years will not endear or distinguish them to the voters when the 2014 election is held.

Blaine Young understands how to use the position he is in better than many who have served before him. However, his actions to date do not show the wisdom of reasonable and fair decisions, but rather, decisions based on reversing what the previous board had done.

Young is also showing he believes in the Republican Party mantra of government should be run like a business. Problem is, government is not a business and should never be run as such – It exists to provide services to all in a fair and equal manner at present and into the future, regardless of their status in life. Business exists to make a profit, and rightfully so.

The old saying "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is one to keep in mind during the one term Blaine Young serves as president of the board. That is not to say Young will be corrupt, rather it is to point out too much power in the hands of one person is not what was intended in the county commissioner form of government.

Young understands in politics making moves early and quickly in one's term increases the odds of immediate success in those endeavors as well as the likelihood voters will forget by the time they go to the polls in three and one-half years.

As a result, at present, political opponents are on their heels, unable to mount a defense or present alternatives as the changes are happening so fast.

However, the actions taken by the board to date already ensures another destructive "growth" versus no-growth" election battle will take place in less than four years.

I believe we can do better. Frederick County voters deserve reasonable, fair, effective and balanced representation - They should demand it.

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Battle for Control of Frederick County MD Commissioners Intense

George Wenschhof

Across the country, the battle is between Democrats and Republicans over who will control Congress. This outcome of this battle will be determined in six short weeks when the mid term elections are held on November 2. The role of government, the level of taxation, and the economy are the major issues the two major political parties must convince voters that their positions are best for them and the country.

However, In Frederick County, Maryland, a familiar battle is taking place in the race for county commissioner. Five commissioners will be elected by the voters and has been the case for the last two decades, the race is not highlighted by political party affiliation.

Rather, it is one again, rightly or wrongly, best categorized as a contest between candidates who are members of a "pro-growth" slate or "no-growth" slate. Candidates who fall within these two designated camps may argue the designation or use of the term, but it is the main way voters identify them.

However, there are additional important issues for voters to pay attention to the positions candidates have on them.

It is time Frederick County changes to a charter government and for voters to elect a county executive and a council elected by geographic regions across the county with one representing the City of Frederick. The new Board should immediately appoint a charter writing committee and charge them with having a referendum on the 2012 presidential election ballot for voters to decide.

Whether the county should move forward on building the agreed upon 300+million waste-to-energy incinerator is another issue voters should zero in on.

The 300+ million is a lot of money to commit to handle the county waste. However, the anti-incinerator candidates led by Commissioner Kai Hagen have yet to propose a reasonable alternative.

Zero to no effort has been made to date at identifying potential landfill sites downsized appropriately recognizing increased efforts toward zero-waste will be implemented. This would result in huge savings with a compost facility and resource recovery center located on the same site.

How future commissioners will handle the sure reduction in future budgets is also important for voters to ask candidates.

Also, what efforts will be made by future commissioners to improve the frayed relationship between the county commissioners with town and cities across the county.

The "pro-growth candidates are led by incumbent Commissioner Blaine Young who is joined by fellow Republicans Billy Shreeve and Kirby Delauter.

The "no-growth" candidates are led by Commissioner Kai Hagen who is joined by Republican Commissioner David Gray and Democratic candidates Linda Norris, Janet Wiles and Ellis Burrus.

Two candidates who do not fit entirely into either of these groups, but who are more aligned with the "pro-growth" slate are Paul Smith (R) and Michael Kurtianyk (D).

In addition to the voters determining which side will hold a majority on the board, they will also be deciding who will be the next President of the Board of Commissioners. It is safe to assume this contest will be waged between Kai Hagen (D) (8,110 votes) and Blaine Young (R) (13,393 votes), both of whom are ensured reelection and both led their tickets in primary voting.

Mr. Young appeared on my show "All Things Political with George Wenschhof" prior to the primary and I was impressed with how he handled the interview. You can watch that interview here.

More Republicans voted in the Frederick County, Maryland primary, a trend which followed voter turnout across the nation. Whether Democratic voters will become energized and turn out for the general election remains to be seen.

Interestingly, as a result of actions taken by the Board after the last election, the Board President will be who receives the highest vote total. Previously, the president had been the top vote getter among the majority political party elected to office.

So, besides determining who will lead the new Board, voters will decide whether "pro-growth" or "no-growth" candidates will form the majority.

Both of these battles promise to be intense over the next six weeks.

Paul Smith (R) is considered a moderate and placed a strong second (8,847 votes) in the Republican primary. The former one term City of Frederick alderman is also an attorney. Blaine Young is reaching out to Mr. Smith and including him in the Republican ticket. Although, Smith was voted out after serving only one term as alderman, look to see him win a seat on the Board of Commissioners.

Linda Norris, who has tried hard to run her own campaign and not be lumped in with the Kai Hagen "no-growth" slate finished a strong second in the Democratic primary with 7,884 votes. Another moderate, look to see her also win a seat on the Board.

Ms. Norris also appeared on "All Things Political with George Wenschhof" prior to the primary. You may watch her interview here.

The top two finishers from the Republican and Democratic primaries do not always win in the general election. But, this year, look to see them be the favorites.

Who will win the fifth seat promises to be interesting with the outcome likely very close between Republicans Kirby Delauter who finished third in the primary with 8,420 votes, Billy Shreve who finished fourth in the Republican primary with 7,352 votes and Democratic candidate Janice Wiles who finished third with 6,506 votes.

Michael Kurtianyk who finished last in the Democratic primary will pick up Republican support in the general election. However, he will not be a part of the Blaine Young led Republican slate. While he will pick up Republican support in the general, it is doubtful he will be able to attract enough votes to finish in the top five.

Democratic candidate Ellis Burrus finished fourth in the primary with 4,790 votes and it will also be tough for him to climb up to finish among the top five in the general election.

Don't look to see incumbent Republican Commissioner David Gray repeat his performance from four years ago when he also finished down on the ballot in the Republican primary. Gray benefited four years ago of having the support of fellow Republican commissioner John "Lenny" Thompson and Democrat Commissioner Jan Gardner, both of whom are not on the ticket this year.

After rallying to finish as the top vote getter among a majority Republican Board, Gray relinquished the gavel and with it the president of the Board, as he voted to change the procedures in electing the Board President to the candidate with the most votes. Thus, giving the power of the gavel to Democrat Jan Gardner.

Although both Paul Smith and Linda Norris are moderate, they would most likely, in crucial votes, align their vote with Blaine Young and Kai Hagen, respectively.

Which makes who wins the fifth seat in the general election all the more interesting.

Six weeks remain for the candidates to campaign and "it is never over until it's over"; which sounds like a famous Yogi Berra quote.

Stay Tuned...

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Editor's Note: Voting numbers used are from Election Summary Report of Unofficial Results dated 9-14-2010.

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