How Did Glade Valley Vote?
Voter Turn-Out
The dismal voter turn-out throughout the State of Maryland was reflected in our area. The decision to move the Primary Election from September to late June caught family’s on vacation, and voters unaware of the change in date.
In Walkersville, 23.96% of registered voters cast ballots in the Primary Election. 26.72% of Woodsboro voters participated in the election. In Mt. Pleasant, 20.67% of the voters showed up to the polls. The area overall had a voter turn out of 23.37%.
Glade Valley consists of 3,977 registered Democrats, and 5,490 registered Republicans. A number for unaffiliated voters was not immediately available.
County Council District 5
Both the Democratic and Republican parties featured contested primary races for the County Council district which includes Glade Valley.
The Republican Primary pitted County Commissioner Kirby Delauter of Thurmont against Walkersville Burgess Ralph Whitmore. Not surprisingly, Walkersville voters chose Whitmore with 64.63% of the vote. He also won 62.44% of the vote in Glade Valley (Mt. Pleasant is not part of County Council District 5). Strong support at home did not translate into a win for Burgess Whitmore, who raised and spent less than $1000. Commissioner Delauter won 53.41% of County Council District 5.
Two candidates from the Thurmont area sought the nomination of the Democratic Party in County Council District 5. Mark Long and Fred Wood both made their names visible in the district. Neither had held elected office in the past. Glade Valley voted 60-40 in favor of Mark Long. District 5 as a whole voted 61.76% for Mark Long and 38.24% for Fred Wood.
So, Republican Kirby Delauter will face Democrat Mark Long in the General Election. Political observers note that many of Ralph Whitmore’s supporters will likely back Democrat Mark Long. The election may not follow political party lines.
Maryland Senate – District 4
State Senator David Brinkley, who has represented the area in the Maryland Senate for over a decade, took a heavy loss to Delegate Michael Hough of Brunswick. The two Republicans fought a very expensive and negative campaign against each other. Delegate Hough ran his campaign to show that Senator Brinkley was too liberal. Senator Brinkley defended his record as a conservative. In the end, Hough won 66.5% of Glade Valley and 68% of District 4 Republican votes.
Democrat Dan Rupli won the Democratic Party’s nomination for Maryland Senate District 4 by default. He was unopposed. Mr. Rupli has never held office, but has been involved in politics for many years and has served in politically appointed positions.
Delegate Hough will face Mr. Rupli in November’s General Election.
Maryland House of Delegates – District 4
The Republican Primary for House of Delegates, District 4 reflected the ferocity of the Senate race in the same district. Five candidates vying for three seats, and three of the candidates sided with one senatorial candidate and two with the other.
Kathy Afzali, Barrie Cilberti, and David Vogt, III ran as a ticket with Delegate Michael Hough. They carried the banner as the “True Conservatives.”
On Senator Brinkley’s ticket, Delegate Kelly Schulz and Wendi Peters provided Republican voters with a choice of candidates working for their district rather than a strict ideology.
Candidate | Glade Valley Votes | District 4 Votes |
---|---|---|
Kathy Afzali | 27.03% | 27.62% |
Barrie Ciliberti | 13.65% | 14.05% |
Wendi Peters | 15.67% | 15.11% |
Kelly Schulz | 26.21% | 24.55% |
David Vogt, III | 17.44% | 18.65% |
Neither slate “won.” Incumbent Delegates Kathy Afzali and Kelly Schulz won their party’s nomination. Newcomer David Vogt, III won the third seat for nomination, but did not carry the number of votes of either of the other two “winner” on his slate.
Democrat Gene Stanton ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary. He will face the three Republicans in November for one of three seats in the Maryland House of Delegates.
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