Harford County 2014 Primary Election Races Set; Councilman Woods, Register of Wills Hopkins Unopposed

The deadline to register for the 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Elections expired on Tuesday night and two Harford County politicians can enjoy the rest of the election season without concern, as they face no opposition.

Harford County Councilman Joe Woods, an incumbent Republican from Fallston representing District B (Fallston/Abingdon), and incumbent Register of Wills Derek Hopkins of Pylesville are both guaranteed to return to their respective offices for the four years after no challengers filed by the deadline.

As for everyone else, here’s how the ballot looks:

With no opposition in their respective primary elections, Republican Barry Glassman, a state senator from Darlington, and Democrat Joseph Werner of Bel Air will face off in the General Election to determine who will replace David Craig as the next Harford County executive.

The Harford County Council is also ensured a new president after current President Billy Boniface declined to run for re-election. Christoper Boardman of Joppa and Harford County Board of Education member James Thornton of Churchville meet in the Democratic primary, while Todd Paterniti of Abingdon, county councilman Richard Slutzky of Aberdeen, and former county council president Robert Wagner of Bel Air meet in the Republican primary election.

Incumbent county councilman Dion Guthrie of Joppatowne faces no opposition in the Democratic primary election for the District A (Edgewood/Joppa) seat, while, on the other side of the ticket, Yvonne Baldwin and Mike Perrone, Jr., both of Joppa, will meet in the Republican primary.

Incumbent county councilman James McMahan faces Eric Daxon and David Mitchell in the Republican Primary Election to determine which will advance to face Democrat Gina Kazimir, who is unopposed, in the race to represent Distrct C (Bel Air).

All the action in the District D (northern Harford) race is on the Republican side, where incumbent county councilman Chad Shrodes of White Hall faces opposition from Johnathan Grimmel of Monkton. No Democrats filed to run in the highly Republican District D.

County Council District E (Aberdeen/Churchville) is guaranteed a new representative, by virtue of Slutzky running for council president, and attracted the most candidates. In the Democratic primary election, former councilwoman and state delegate Barbara Osborn Kreamer and Duvowel Peaker, Sr., both of Aberdeen, will square off. The Republican primary election is a crowded field consisting of Daniel Lambros of Churchville, Blane Miller III of Aberdeen, Diane Sengstacke of Bel Air, Patrick Vincenti of Churchville, and Melvin Wehrman, Jr. of Bel Air.

District F (Havre de Grace) will also be represented by a new face after incumbent Mary Ann Lisanti filed to run for the Maryland House of Delegates. Havre de Grace City Councilman Joseph Smith of Havre de Grace is the lone Democrat and will face in the General Election the victor of the race between Republican contenders Curtis Beulah of Abingdon and Monica Worrell of Havre de Grace.

In the courthouse races, longtime Republican State’s Attorney Joseph Cassilly of Bel Air will meet Democrat Steven Trostle of Joppa in the General Election; and incumbent Republican Clerk of the Circuit Court James Reilly of Whiteford will face Democrat Robert Neuman, Jr. of Abingdon in the General Election.

The race for Harford County Sheriff pits incumbent Democrat Jesse Bane of Fallston against the winner of the Republican primary between Jeffrey Gahler of Bel Air and John Ryan of Darlington and Bob Peck – an unaffiliated candidate from Forest Hill who will appear only in the General Election.

The list of candidates for the Democratic Central Committee Female (top five win) includes Pamela Dehmer of Bel Air, Nicky Fournier of Havre de Grace, Barbara Osborn Kreamer of Aberdeen, Tracy Robertson of Edgewood, Jean Salvatore of Bel Air, and Cheri Wilson of Abingdon. The Democratic Central Committee Male candidates (top five win) include Christopher Boardman of Joppa, Cordell Hunter of Aberdeen, Russ Kovach of Darlington, Tom Myers of Fallston, Jason Robertson of Edgewood, and Tishan Weerasooriya of Forest Hill.

The Republican Central Committee candidates (vying for the top 12 spots) include Sharon Beam of Whiteford, Jean Beulah of Abingdon, Jessica Blake of Forest Hill, David Buchanan of Bel Air, Jan Christensen of Bel Air, Edward Daly of Bel Air, Eric Daxon of Bel Air, Wayne Definbaugh of Joppa, Scott DeLong of Bel Air, Joe Fleckenstein of Abingdon, Christopher Gannon of Forest Hill, Patrick Haggerty, Jr. of Bel Air, Christina Impallaria of Joppa, Ricky Impallaria of Joppa, Greg Johnson of Bel Air, Scott Kidd of Pylesville, Larry Kimble of Bel Air, Carol Kiple of Forest Hill, Carol MacCubbin of Forest Hill, Stephen Macko of Bel Air, R. Alexander McArtor of Fallston, Jeffery McBride of Joppa, Patrick McGrady of Aberdeen, Dane Meserve of Fallston, Paula Mullis of Joppatowne, Mark Novak of Forest Hill, Mike Perrone, Jr. of Joppa, Ryan Pridgeon of Bel Air, Chad Shrodes of White Hall, Mike Simon of Street, Sam Smedley of Aberdeen, and Christina Trotta of Kingsville.

In the non-partisan Harford County Board of Education races, Frederick Mullis of Joppa faces Jansen Robinson of Edgewood in District A.

In District B, incumbent board member Robert Frisch of Joppa faces opposition from Greg Johnson of Bel Air and Laura Runyeon of Kingsville.

In District C, incumbent board member Alysson Krchnavy of Bel Air is opposed by John Anker and Joseph Voskuhl, both of Bel Air.

The District D race pits incumbent board member Nancy Reynolds of Forest Hill against Chris Scholz of Havre de Grace, Mike Simon of Street, and Tishan Weerasooriya of Forest Hill.

In District E, incumbent board member Arthur Kaff of Bel Air seeks re-election, but is opposed by Rachel Gauthier, Stephen Macko, and Barney Michel, each of Bel Air.

And in District F, incumbent board member Thomas Fitzpatrick of Havre de Grace faces Joe Fleckenstein of Abingdon and Michael Hitchings of Havre de Grace.

In the District 7 (eastern Baltimore/western Harford) state senate race, Republican incumbent senator J.B. Jennings of Joppa faces Joseph Krysztoforski of Hunt Valley in the Republican primary, with the winner advancing to face Democrat Kim Letke of Joppa in the General Election.

In the District 7 House of Delegates race, incumbent delegates Rick Impallaria of Joppa, Pat McDonough of Baltimore, and Kathy Szeliga of Kingsville vie against David Seman of Jarrettsville and Tina Sutherland of Baltimore in the Republican Primary with the top three vote-getters advancing to face Democrats Bob Bowie, Jr. of Monkton, Pete Definbaugh of Baldwin, and Norman Gifford, Jr. of Baltimore in the General Election.

In District 34 (southern Harford), the decision by longtime state senator Nancy Jacobs not to seek re-election resulted and several well-known politicians vying for the seat. In the Democratic Primary Election, former state senator Arthur Helton, Jr. of Aberdeen faces delegate Mary-Dulany James of Havre de Grace. Helton, who previously and briefly appeared out of the race when ordered to change his voter registration to Darlington, vowed to appeal the decision and explained the reversal of decision as such:

“I’m officially registered at my home in Aberdeen 3 S. Rogers Street in Aberdeen. Board of Elections looked at my documentation of residency and changed my registration back to our Aberdeen home.”

The winner of Helton vs. James will advance to face Republican and former county councilman Bob Cassilly of Bel Air in the General Election.

In the crowded District 34A (southern Harford) race for two seats in the House of Delegates, Steve Johnson of Aberdeen, county councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti of Havre de Grace, Pat Murray of Belcamp, Marla Posey-Moss of Aberdeen, and Maria Terry of Havre de Grace face off in the Democratic Primary while incumbent delegate Glen Glass of Aberdeen, and Mike Blizzard and Beth Boyson, both of Havre de Grace, meet in the Republican Primary.

In District 34B (central Harford) Board of Education member Cassandra Beverley of Abingdon and Jeff Dinger of Bel Air meet to determine who will face incumbent Republican delegate Susan McComas of Bel Air in the General Election.

In District 35 (northern Harford/Cecil), the race to fill the seat vacated by senator Barry Glassman in his run for county executive pits delegate Wayne Norman of Bel Air against Thomas Wilson of Rising Sun in the Republican Primary Election, with the winner advancing to face Democrat Bridget Kelly of Perryville in the General Election.

In the District 35B race for two seats in the House of Delegates (both vacant with Del. Wayne Norman’s run for state senate and Del. Donna Stifler’s decision not to seek re-election), Jeffrey Elliott of Bel Air and Daniel Lamey of Pylesville will be the Democratic candidates and will meet in the General Election against the top two vote-getters of Republicans Andrew Cassilly of Havre de Grace, Jason Gallion of Churchville, and Teresa Reilly of Whiteford.