March 29, 2024

St. Mary’s Candidate Filings Leave Few Empty Slots

Posted for Delegate John L. Bohanan Jr. &
Commissioner President Jack Russell
filing 2014

Delegate John Bohanan files for reelection in 2014.

It is unusual at the primary level, but despite the passage of the 9 pm, Feb. 25, filing deadline for state or local candidacy, the major parties in Maryland have nearly another week to fill any empty slots, which at first glance looks to be not many.

For example, neither Del. John L. Bohanan nor Commission President Jack Russell have challengers to run in the June 24 primary on the Democratic ticket for their respective seats. However, St. Mary’s County Democratic Central Committee has until March 3 to add a challenger into any uncontested Democratic race within its jurisdiction. The Republican Central Committee can do the same.

The central committees do not have this authority in contested primaries, which is the case in two local Republican primaries, one for St. Mary’s state senator and the other for the delegate seat in the northern end of St. Mary’s County, known as District 29A.

It is more common for a central committee to draft a candidate into the General Election when its’ party does not have a candidate in the race.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 25, Sheriff Tim Cameron (R) and County Commissioner Todd Morgan (R) from the Lexington Park district remained in uncontested primary- and general-election races. The opportunity for the Democratic Central Committee to draft a challenger into those races does not close until Sept. 25, 2014, in advance of the Nov. 4, 2014, general election.

State officials from the governor down to local central committees run for office every four years in the even years without a US presidential election. The chart below shows some off the state and local candidates who will appear only on St. Mary’s County ballots, with a single geographic exception that includes the southern tip of Calvert County.

so md delegate district map

Maryland 2012 Legislative Districts; Maryland Dept. of Plannig

Legislative District 29C is a swath of St. Mary’s County that runs from the Valley Lee shore of the Potomac River up to Leonardtown, across Hollywood and over the Patuxent River to extend across  southern Calvert County. This tip of Calvert is also included in the Maryland Senate District 29 which represents all of St. Mary’s County.

election 2014

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