McGrady Files for Mayor, Garner Seek Re-Election in Aberdeen Races; Former Candidate Adolph First to File in Bel Air Election

Still more than a month away, the 2011 municipal election races in Aberdeen and Bel Air are slowly beginning to attract candidates to the ballots. The first official challenger has filed for office in Aberdeen, as Patrick McGrady will be opposing Mayor Mike Bennett’s re-election bid. And the last remaining incumbent, Aberdeen City Councilman Bruce Garner, filed for re-election. Meanwhile, B. Greg Adolph has become the first candidate to file for office in the Bel Air town commissioners election.

In Aberdeen…

Patrick McGrady filed his candidacy for mayor on September 13, after having announced his mayoral bid a month ago.

“After long deliberation with my family, business associates, and friends, I am running for Mayor of our City. Aberdeen has a bright future, but we need City Hall to facilitate investment, rather than scare it away,” he said at the time.

McGrady lost his bid for the Republican nomination in the Maryland House of Delegates District 34A race two years ago.

Garner filed his candidacy for city council on September 16, ensuring that all four incumbent council members will appear on the ballot. There is not yet a challenger filed to oppose the four incumbents, which include Ruth Elliott, Ruth Ann Young, and Sandy Landbeck.

From Garner’s city council biography

“Councilman Bruce Edward Garner was born in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1947, and raised in coastal North Carolina. While employed at Cherry Point Marine Corp Air Station, North Carolina, he entered the U.S. Army in 1969. While stationed at Fort Lee, Virginia, he met and married his wife, Harford County native, Joanne Sills. After receiving his honorable discharge with commendation from the U.S. Army, Councilman Garner and his wife moved to Aberdeen in 1973. There they raised their children: A. Bruce Garner II, Amy Garner-Lindecamp, and Jennifer Garner. All attended Aberdeen public schools. Councilman Garner was employed by one of the largest manufactured housing retailers in the north east region in 1974. He was the General Manager for that company, overseeing eight retail locations in three different states for over ten years. Councilman and his wife have successfully owned and operated Bayside Homes Ltd. in Havre de Grace, Maryland for over twenty-five years. Councilman has served the board of directors for the Manufactured Housing Institute of Maryland for six years, and was elected the President of the Manufactured Housing Institute of Maryland the last two years. He is currently on the board of directors for the National Buyers Group, a privately owned stock company in Syracuse, New York. Councilman Garner is serving his second appointment on the Harford County Building Code Board of Appeals. He is also the current liaison for Parks and Recreation, and the Ripken Stadium Management Board for the City of Aberdeen. Councilman Garner has been a proud member of the American Legion for over thirty years and has called Aberdeen his home for over thirty-five years;he and his wife, Joanne, have lived on Mount Royal Avenue for over twenty-five years. Councilman Garner serves as Aberdeen’s liaison to the Parks & Recreation Board and the Ripken Stadium Management Board.”

In Bel Air…

Adolph, who made an impressive showing two years ago in the Bel Air election, became the first candidate to officially file for office, when he submitted his paperwork to Town Hall on September 19. In 2009, Adolph just missed out on a town commissioner’s seat, garnering 410 votes, while Rob Preston finished with 418 votes and David Carey collected 417 votes.

Adolph worked an engineer with GW Stephens in Belcamp, is a 2005 graduate of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and a 2001 graduate of The John Carroll School.

The Aberdeen and Bel Air municipal elections will be held on November 8.

Bel Air will elect three town commissioners. The seats of Commissioners Terence Hanley, Ed Hopkins and Robert Reier end this year.

Aberdeen will elect the Mayor and all four City Council positions, but the term of office will be four years rather than the two years as was previously set.