by Geoff Fox & Kate Shunney
After months of candidates campaigning, voters turned out on Tuesday, November 6, to let their voices be heard across Maryland and the nation.
Locally, eleven candidates sought five seats on the county commission. Three incumbent commissioners won their seat back while two newcomers will join them.
Jeff Cline was the top vote getter as Washington County Commissioner with 26,690 votes. Terry Baker, with 23,706 votes, and Wayne Keefer, with 22,915 votes, will rejoin Cline.
Randall Wagner (23,732 votes) and Cort Meinelschmidt (22,369 votes) are the newcomers to the table.
Incumbent commissioner John Barr will not be returning as commissioner after running as an unaffiliated candidate. Barr garnered just over 10,000 votes. Commissioner Leroy Myers did no seek re-election.
The gubernatorial race was close between Governor Larry Hogan and Ben Jealous.
Hogan defeated Jealous by a mere 285,652 votes, with Hogan getting 56.1% of the votes to Jealous’ 42.7%.
Democrat Ben Cardin won re-election as U.S. Senator with 64% of the votes. While he won the state, he did not carry Washington County.
According to totals from the Washington County Elections Board, Republican Tony Campbell won the county with over 27,000 votes compared to Cardin’s 17,828. Statewide, Campbell only received 31% of the vote.
In the race for Congressional Representative for District 6, Republican Amie Hoeber carried Washington County but lost the race to Democrat David Trone, who took 57.6% of the votes. Hoeber pulled in 39.3% of ballots cast.
Republican State Senator George Edwards ran unopposed in his re-election bid, pulling in 33,000 votes or 98.4% of the votes for District 1.
Republican Delegate Mike McKay of Cumberland won another term in the House of Delegates representing the residents of District 1C, easily topping a challenge by Green party candidate Daniel DelMonte, who rolled in 2,121 votes to McKay’s 10,103.
Mark Boyer and Brett Wilson were elected as judges for the Judicial Circuit 4 in Washington County. Joseph Getty got voter approval to remain in his seat as judge on the Court of Appeals in the third Appellate Circuit. Donald Beachley and Matthew Fader easily retained their judicial seats on the Court of Appeals as At Large judges.
Todd Hershey was unopposed in his quest for Treasurer and pulled in 36,047 votes to win that post.
Republican Charles P. Strong Jr. secured the post of State’s Attorney in a close race against Democrat Bernard Semler. Strong pulled in 55 percent of the vote to Semler’s 45 percent.
Republican Kevin Tucker was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court with 36,403 votes in an unopposed race. Voters backed Democrat Jason Malott as Register of Wills in his unopposed race. Mallot pulled in 33,440 votes.
Republicans won three seats Judges of the Orphans Court in a five-way race for the bench. Paul Banister, Andrew Dunn and Frank Novinger took those posts.
Washington County Sheriff Doug Mullendore survived a challenge from Republican Brian Albert to retain his elected position for another term. Mullendore pulled in 25,883 votes to Albert’s 22,365.
The Washington County school board race ended with the election of three members. Linda Murray was the top vote-getter with 27,458 votes. Mike Guessford came in second with 24,583 votes and Jacqueline Fischer rolled up the school board race with 23,431 votes.
