The local, state and national news have been focused on the 2022 Primary Election. It’s natural, therefore, that the business and nonprofit communities would be as well. Given the insanity that seems to consume our national politics, I think I’ll just focus on the state and local issues for the purposes of this article.
Maryland Gubernatorial Race
In Maryland, we actually have a gubernatorial candidate that hails from northern Frederick County. Delegate Dan Cox, currently serving as a representative of Maryland district 4, defeated former Delegate and Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz. Kelly seemed to be running to carry on the legacy of Governor Larry Hogan, a centrist Republican with broad cross-party appeal. Governor Hogan’s Change Maryland movement swept him into office in 2014, and reelected him in 2018 with a strong government mandate. Hogan fought through a serious cancer diagnosis, urban riots in Baltimore and a global COVID-19 pandemic. It’s in the pandemic that his legacy may have run into a challenge within his Party. Members of the Maryland General Assembly who objected to lockdowns of schools, churches and private businesses found some sympathy from most-conservative wing of the Republican Party, most notably from Del. Dan Cox himself. Mr. Cox went so far as to sue Governor Hogan on a few occasions, although those suits basically went nowhere.
Delegate Cox found another, possibly stronger supporter in the person of President Donald Trump. Governor Hogan and the former President held raging rhetorical battles through a more-than-willing media, lobbing invective and insults regularly. Seems as though Dan Cox found his national identity wrapped in a Trump for President flag.
Even local Republicans seemed to be influenced more by the Trump movement than their respect for Governor Hogan. Dan Cox easily defeated Sec. Schulz, and now moves on to face a relative unknown in Wes Moore, a retired Army officer, Rhodes scholar, liberal TV news pundit, best-selling author and nonprofit CEO. Mr. Moore has some of that intangible political identity that sparked a national movement decades ago, when a brash and eloquent first-term Senator from Illinois first burst onto the scene.
The two men couldn’t be any more different ideologically. Maryland voters will face the starkest possible choice come November 8th. A typically liberal Baltimore-centric media celebrity, or a died-in-the-wool ultra-conservative with a copy of the US Constitution (well-studied) tucked into his jacket pocket.
Frederick County Executive Race
We even have one of those stark-choice elections right here in Frederick County. Councilwoman Jessica Fitzwater is facing State Senator Mike Hough for County Executive of Frederick County. As with the gubernatorial race, these two are about as different as different can be.
Jessica subscribes to the idea that she would extend the policies of outgoing County Executive Jan Gardner, while Mike envisions a smaller, lower-tax rate form of County government. They’ll each have plenty of opportunities to distill and present these two different visions of Frederick County to us over the next several months.
Frederick County Council Races
- At Large: Democratic candidates Renee Knapp and Brad Young; Republican candidates Tony Chmelik and Phil Dacey (incumbent)
- District 1: Incumbent Jerry Donald (D) will face John Distal (R)
- District 2: Incumbent Steve McKay (R) squares off against Lisa Jaronsinski (D)
- District 3: After a nail-biter Primary, incumbent MC Keegan-Ayer(D) will run against Shelley Aloi (R)
- District 4: John Fer (R) will face Kavonte Duckett (D) on November 8
- District 5: Mason Carter (R) runs against Juliana Lufkin (D)
Chamber members will have the opportunity to see the County Council candidates face off in a forum jointly sponsored by the Chamber, the Building Industry Association and the County Association of Realtors on September 13 at Dutch’s Daughter. Tickets for the County Council Forum can be purchased here.
The Chamber, the Building Industry Association and the County Association of Realtors will also sponsor a County Executive forum later in September.
– Rick Weldon, President & CEO
The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce works every day to elevate the voices of small business owners and nonprofit organizations, highlighting the role they play in our local economy and supporting them through challenging and uncertain times — like the ones we face now. To read more about our advocacy efforts, click here.
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.