About 41 percent of those registered to vote in Harford County’s 2008 Primary Election did so in the freezing rain Tuesday, choosing Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama over Sen. Hillary Clinton by fewer than 100 votes, overwhelming electing Harford County Circuit Court Judge Angela Eaves to the position she was appointed two months ago and helping propel state Sen. Andy Harris to his upset victory over longtime U.S. Congressman Wayne Gilchrest.
On Tuesday, about 48,000 voters of the 118,000 registered to participate in Harford County’s election did so, but Democrats voted more proportionally than Republicans. Forty-five percent of Harford County Democrats voted Tuesday (26,817 out of 59,552 registered) compared to only 36 percent of the county’s Republicans (21,351 out of 58,870 registered).
Even though the registration figures show a virtual dead heat between Dems and Repubs in Harford, the majority of Dems tend to vote GOP – as demonstrated in recent local Republican tides that have helped carry Bob Ehrlich and anyone holding onto his long coattails into office. Does this low Republican turnout mean Sen. John McCain isn’t going to be as successful motivating his base GOP votes or just that Harford voters knew he had no real challenge from Gov. Mike Huckabee?
In the local races, Judge Angela Eaves swept both the Republican and Democratic sides of the ticket in winning election to the Harford County Circuit Court Judge position she was appointed to the position by Gov. Martin O’Malley late last year. She fended off a strong campaign by Charles Wagner, who finished a distant second place.
The upset of the night may have been nine-term U.S. Congressman Wayne Gilchrest losing his District 1 race to state Sen. Andy Harris in the Republican primary.
In this three-way race for the Republican nomination, and virtual lock on winning the District 1 seat in the General Election, Gilchrest finished last in Harford County – trailing Harris’ 7,685 votes and state Sen. E.J. Pipkin’s 2,492 votes with 2,349 votes in the traditionally conservative-voting county. The race was more interesting district-wide, but Harris appeared to pull out the victory.
It’s time to start looking at the reality of who will fill Harris’ state senate seat if he indeed wins in the General Election and becomes the new District 1 congressman. Harris represents the eastern Baltimore and western Harford counties in District 7 and a logical choice would be to promote one of the three District 7 delegates to the state senator seat. But the trio of District 7 delegates – J.B. Jennings, Pat McDonough and Rick Impallaria, the latter two in particular – have raised more ire than goodwill among fellow legislators.
| PRESIDENT | DEM | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Votes | 26817 | ||
|
|
|||
| Obama, Barack | 12581 | 46.91% | |
| Clinton, Hillary | 12486 | 46.56% | |
| PRESIDENT | REP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Votes | 21351 | ||
|
|
|||
| McCain, John | 10809 | 50.63% | |
| Huckabee, Mike | 6392 | 29.94% | |
| Paul, Ron | 2144 | 10.04% | |
| Romney, Mitt | 1366 | 6.40% | |
| U.S. CONGRESS 1 | REP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Votes | 12928 | ||
|
|
|||
| Harris, Andy | 7685 | 59.44% | |
| Pipkin, E. J. | 2492 | 19.28% | |
| Gilchrest, Wayne T. | 2349 | 18.17% | |
| JUDGE CIRCUIT COURT 3 | DEM | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Votes | 23563 | ||
|
|
|||
| Eaves, Angela M. | 15902 | 67.49% | |
| Wagner, Charles F. | 4301 | 18.25% | |
| Andrews III, H. E. | 2411 | 10.23% | |
| Scheinin, Steven J. | 949 | 4.03% | |
| JUDGE CIRCUIT COURT 3 | REP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Votes | 18972 | ||
|
|
|||
| Eaves, Angela M. | 8215 | 43.30% | |
| Wagner, Charles F. | 7417 | 39.09% | |
| Andrews III, H. E. | 2387 | 12.58% | |
| Scheinin, Steven J. | 953 | 5.02% | |
Click here for the complete results of the Harford County 2008 Presidential Primary Election.
Congrats to Judge Eaves. (In spite of being an appointee) She’s fair and even-handed on the bench. Harford County is lucky to have her; even her doubters will come around when she’s been given some more time to ply her trade at the Circiut Court level.
I’ve tried many a case before her and I couldn’t agree more.
I agree with both of you as well. I don’t know Judge Eaves in the Courtroom, but rather on a social and community service level. I have found her to be extremely bright, well informed and personable. I think these traits are essential for someone who is to wear the robes. I wish her the very best.
Yes Punisher I agree with you 100%!
Look at that! Common ground…
It’s a regualr love fest! And on the eve of Saint Valenitne’s Day too!
Now if the love could carry over to the other threads on the Dagger, “What a beautiful world this would be…”
I don’t think it is an overstatement to say what a huge upset Harris’ win was. When was the last time you heard of an entrenched incumbent losing in a primary?
Maybe ‘cept for Wynn down in PG…
Anybody had any dealings with Harris? I know next to nothing about him…
Will the 2008 election pit an Eisenhower Democrat against a Truman Republican? Now that would be an interesting debate.
Will the Democrats become Eisenhower Republicans in foreign policy, too?
George Clooney will be fawned over and fussed over just like he was to a dregree on the Red carpet………he has no prayer of winning an oscar tonight but Clooney is such a cult now that its giving Obama a run for its fainting spells. So tune in all and watch the movies at its best……………the Oscars.
For me, I choose to watch the rain delay race………….NASCAR
Dell;
I have had minor dealings with him. He appears bright, but, when the Mayor and Council of Aberdeen went to him to ask for help getting a hotel tax, he went with Nancy Jacob’s trash and bs and worked against us. He never listened to the real facts, but went with the “local gal who knows best.” I have been a Republican for my entire life and would vote for a fire plug if it has a GOP sign on it. I could care less who the Dems send out he or she has my vote for this one!
Thanks, Dave.
I voted for him, but it was one of those “underinformed” protest votes. I feel like Congressman Gilchrest got a little too entrenched in the “beltway way” and needed to go.
I wish there was more of a movement afoot to impose term limits on Congress. Two and through. Of course it’s naive to think any member of Congress would ever support or vote for it.
My impression of Harris is that he is arrogant and nasty and I cannot think of one thing he ever did for Harford County.
Senator Jacobs won’t cave. She won’t be bullied. She stands by her party. No ‘flip flop’ in her vocabulary.
Senator Harris–not a bod choice to Gilcrest.. When he first ran for election in 1998, he pledged that he would oppose tax increases. He has done exactly that. And a physician too—–guess when we all, to include Harris, climb on board with the universal health care “Medicaid” and he will wonder why he entered politics.
So Dave Yensen is upset with Harris that he didn’t go behind the local Senator’s back to impose a tax increase? Wow. I kinda respect the fact that one Senator wouldn’t meddle in another Senator’s district. But hey, I guess if back stabbing for political gain is what Dave wants in a Congressman then he should find someone else to vote for.