Please follow us on Gab, Minds, Telegram, Rumble, Truth Social, Gettr, Twitter, Youtube
Primaries are often times neglected in the larger picture of county, state, and national elections. Unless a Presidential election is going on during a primary, it's hard to get voters excited about making choices between candidates in their own party.
This year was different, at least for the Republican Party in Maryland and, in particular, Talbot County. Many of the races were contested, particularly for the gubernatorial nominee and county council seats.
With two Republican front runners, Ed Hale and Dan Cox, the primary race became a decision between two diametrically opposed candidates. A third candidate, John Myrick, made the race interesting, but didn't garner enough interest or money to influence the outcome of the election.
The rhetoric was often ugly, and the Democrat party played a role in the animosity by creating ads demeaning both Hale and Cox, pitting their Republican supporters against each other. Plus, many Republicans felt that a Cox nomination would guarantee another big loss to Wes Moore.
Time, and November voting, will tell. Cox has many obstacles in front of him not the least of which is a small campaign war chest compared to Moore. Moore is the top among fundraising committees in Maryland:
Compare this to Dan Cox:
In other words, there is a lot of catching up that needs to happen if Cox hopes to fare better than he did in 2022. While Moore's donors include high profile corporations, Hollywood stars, and out of state supporters, Cox's donations are mostly individuals.
The Democrats seem to have chosen their candidates so there would be little or no choice for voters, thus assuring candidates a place in November. Those candidates spent little or nothing on the primaries and saved all the campaigning for the general. It has become somewhat of a pattern for Dems and certainly was the case for Governor Wes Moore, who raised millions despite his low approval rating in the state.
On the local level, the Talbot Republican Central Committee did make choices, endorsing only 5 of the 6 county council candidates, leaving the sixth candidate, Lynn Mielke, out in the cold as she did not advance. Mielke's voting record while she was on the county council was why the central committee did not endorse her.
County Council Candidates Chuck Callahan, Dave Stepp, Wade Strickland, Frank Gunsallus and Christian Mackendrick all advanced to the General Election in November.
They weren't as fortunate with their other endorsement, Ed Hale, who lost to Dan Cox by almost 10 percentage points. In Talbot, Hale won by 22.5 points making Talbot one of the 9 Maryland counties Hale had a primary win while Cox won 15. Cox was unsuccessful in his 2022 campaign against current Governor Wes Moore but hopes for a different result this time around:
Detractors aren't so sure. They say that in order to stand a chance, Cox will have to broaden his appeal, soften some of his positions that are considered "hard right," overcome his problems in 2022 and "rebrand and reorganize" a campaign that, at times, appears amateurish. Finally, Cox has to articulate concrete, structured and well-planned solutions to the state's huge financial and other problems, something they claim he hasn't done up to this point.
None of that will matter unless the Maryland GOP leadership works to help him "unify" the party. This could be difficult as Maryland leadership sometimes seems comfortable with inaction and "business as usual."
Other Results
Other winners on the Republican side were Congressman Andy Harris, State Senator Johnny Mautz, State Delegates Tom Hutchinson and Chris Adams, Sheriff Joe Gamble, and States Attorney Joseph Coale, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Kathi Dulin Duvall, Judge of the Circuit Court Phil Cronan, Judge of the Orphan's Court Michelle Ewing, Elizabeth Ferguson, and Carol van Erven. School board positions were not part of the primaries, and their campaigns will begin in earnest over the summer. Mike Butler, District 4, Anne Rosen, District 3, and Lisa Hayes, District 7 are the conservative school board candidates.
Talbot was a top county in percentage of eligible voter participation in the primaries, particularly in early voting.
In a statement on June 24th, Talbot Republican Central Committee Chairman Shari Wilcoxon congratulated candidates and voters:
Thank you to every Talbot County Republican voter who took the time to examine the facts we presented and then made the effort to go to the polls and vote.
We believe the people deserve elected officials who are transparent and who represent the values and principles they promised to uphold when seeking our support and earning our votes.
Thank you, Talbot County Republicans, for making your voices heard.
Ms. Wilcoxon confirmed that the Republican Central Committee will host other opportunities over the summer where the public can meet and talk with all Republican candidates. State Senator Johnny Mautz commented on the candidate Meet and Greet at the Talbot County Agricultural Center held earlier this month that it was one of the best, most fun and relaxed candidate's events he had ever attended. And it was a great way to hear from constituents and potential voters.
For more information on the Talbot County Republican Central Committee or to donate or volunteer, go here:
