Hance, Weems Win Republican Primary Election for At Large Seat

Photo: County Times

Article from the Calvert Recorder, June 26, 2018

With all of Calvert County's 23 physical voter precincts reporting and early voting results accounted for, Tuesday’s unofficial primary election results show incumbent Sheriff Mike Evans (R) defeated challengers Craig Kontra and Kinsey Weems, likely even with absentee and potentially hundreds of provisional ballots remaining. One commissioner and one state senator are out of the race after tonight, however, unofficial results indicate.

The Calvert County Election Board reports it will know the number of outstanding ballots Wednesday afternoon. A state Motor Vehicle Administration issue with voter registrations left at least 200 voters in Calvert having to cast provisional ballots for the primary.

Based on the unofficial State Board of Elections results reported Tuesday night, Evans garnered 4,496 votes to Kontra’s 3,883, with Weems picking up 329 votes. The winner will face Democrat Michael Hawkins in the Nov. 6 general election.

In the race to be the next state’s attorney, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Andrew Rappaport defeated Deputy State’s Attorney Kathryn Marsh, amassing 5,553 votes to Marsh’s 2,746, according to unofficial election board results. There is no Democratic challenger, nor are there currently any unaffiliated or write-in candidates heading into the general.

Voters narrowed down the county commissioners’ race to two Republican and two Democratic at-large candidates as well as a Republican and Democrat each for the county’s three districts.

At large, Republicans Earl “Buddy" Hance and incumbent Commissioner Steve Weems (R) will move on with 5,010 and 4,248 votes, respectively, unseating incumbent Commissioners’ Vice President Tom Hejl (R), who reeled in 2,736 votes, and defeating Patrick Flaherty (1,529 votes) and Bill Heine (614 votes), the latter of whom had said he planned to withdraw from the race but was still on the ballot. Democrats Matt Bennett (2,580 votes) and Greg Brown (2,824 votes) will move on to the general with Hance and Weems, where the top two vote-getters in that election will win. Democrats Joe Johnson (1,574 votes) and Duwane Rager (1,684 votes) will not advance to the general, based on unofficial election board results.

In District 1, Commissioner Mike Hart (R) safely won the primary with 6,519 votes, defeating challenger Emad Dides (1,068 votes). He will next face Democrat Tricia Powell, who garnered 3,059 primary votes to Ted Haynie's 2,341.

In District 2, GOP voters narrowly chose Tim Hutchins, according to unofficial Tuesday results. With 2,779 votes, he defeated Mark Arness (2,305 votes), David Gatton (1,901 votes) and Bruce Henkelman (688 votes), and now faces Democrat Susie Hance-Wells, who was unopposed in the primary.

District 3 candidates Kelly McConkey, a Republican and current school board member, and Holly Budd, a Democrat, were unopposed in the primary.

In state races, in arguably one of the greatest upsets of the local primary, Despite winning in Calvert by 160 votes, Sen. Steve Waugh (R-Calvert, St. Mary’s) lost to rival Jack Bailey of St. Mary’s County by 783 votes, according to unofficial election board results, with all 41 precincts in the district reporting. Bailey will face Thomas Brewer, a Democrat, in the fall.

Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s) defeated his Democratic challenger, Tommi Makila, 9,807 to 3,737 votes, while Republican opponent Jesse Peed outperformed Rou Etienne in the primary, 4,542 to 1,282 votes. Miller and Peed will go head to head in November.

In Calvert’s only contested primary race for Maryland House of Delegates, Republican Michael Thomas (1,343 votes) bested Philip Parenti (1,029 votes) at the polls and now faces Del. Michael Jackson (D-Calvert, Prince George’s) in the general, based on unofficial state results with 11 of 12 precincts reporting. Dels. Mark Fisher (R-Calvert) and Gerald W. “Jerry” Clark (R-Calvert, St. Mary’s) were both unopposed in the primary and are up against Democrats Jason Fowler and Julia Nichols, respectively, in November.

While the governor’s race remains too close to call as of press time Tuesday night, with only 923 of 1,991 precincts reporting, Ben Jealous leads in the Democratic primary. The winner will take on incumbent Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Nov. 6. Also running for governor are Green Party candidate Ian Schlakman and Calvert’s own Shawn Quinn, a Libertarian.

In the fifth congressional race, incumbent Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) looks to be keeping the party’s nomination, defeating opponent Dennis Fritz, and will face Republican William A. Devine, who leads over Johnny Rice with 158 of 223 precincts reporting as of press time. Libertarian Jacob Puncher and Green Party candidate Patrick Elder are also vying for Hoyer’s seat.

Even with just 923 of 1,991 precincts reporting, U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) looks to have won the Democratic primary, defeating a slew of opponents, based on unofficial election results. The Republican race for Cardin’s seat was too close to call at press time, but Tony Campbell was leading with almost 29 percent of the vote, and Calvert’s own Chris Chaffee trailed only slightly at almost 26 percent. Libertarian Arvin Vohra, Green Party candidate Mia Mason and unaffiliated candidate Steve Gladstone are also running in the general election.