Maintain Most Other County Positions
As the results from the 2026 County Elections were finally tabulated on Friday, November 13, Talbot Republicans maintained a 3 -2 majority on the Talbot County Council. Three Republicans, including incumbents Chuck Callahan and Dave Stepp and newcomer Wade Strickland were elected. On the Democrat side, incumbent Pete Lesher and newcomer Susan Delean Botkin won. The margins of victory in some cases were thin.
Please follow us on Truth Social, X, YouTube, Minds, Telegram, Rumble, GETTR, Gab, Instagram
Delean Botkin did not go through the primaries earlier this summer but was selected by the Democrat Central Committee to replace a Democrat candidate who dropped out of the race.
One interesting facet of this election and others since 2022 is that election results tallied on election night after early and election day voting were often almost completely overturned by mail in and provisional ballots; votes that weren't counted and certified until a week and a half later. Mail in ballots heavily favored Dems while Republicans were boosted by early and same day voting.
For example, after election day and early voting, the Talbot County Council had four Republicans and one Democrat. As of the last tally yesterday, the council was made up of three Republicans and two Democrats.
The new council will take office at 12:00 noon on December 7, 2026. They will be sworn in on a date not yet announced.
The school board election yielded three new members and returned one incumbent. The new members are Xaiver Rahim, District 1; Mike Butler, District 4, and Lisa Hayes, District 7. Amy Dodson was the only incumbent re-elected. Board President Emily Jackson was easily defeated by Butler after what was a vigorous campaign.
Republicans Michelle Ewing, Elizabeth Ferguson, and Carol van Erven earned Judge of the Orphans' Court positions. Democrat candidate Phil Foster died during the election.
Ballot Question 3, the Constitutional Amendment supporting redistricting lost in Talbot County by a wide margin but was passed statewide.
Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble, State's Attorney Joseph Coale, and Clerk of the Circuit Court Kathi Dulin Duvall all ran unopposed.
Republican State Delegates Chris Adams and Tom Hutchinson both retained their seats as did State Senator Johnny Mautz. Republican Congressman Andy Harris retained his seat in Congress.
For more detailed information on the election, go here:
