These are busy times for the Charles County Democratic Central Committee.
Last month, the 12-member committee selected Murray D. Levy (D), then the president of the Board of County Commissioners, to replace former state delegate Van T. Mitchell, who left the post to take a position in state government. Now, with Levy in Annapolis, the committee must find a replacement for him.
With Monday's deadline passed, three candidates have applied for the position: County Commissioner Wayne Cooper (D-White Plains), businessman and horse farmer Gaylord Hogue and retired federal executive Jack Hurd.
Cooper, 57, of White Plains, has been a county commissioner since 2002 and a Board of Education member for six years before that. He said he has received several letters of support from residents and other public officials and is presumed by some observers to be a front-runner for the position.
"Running county government is a very hard job, you have to be dedicated to your constituents and your employees," he said. "And I'm willing to do that."
Hogue, 57, is a former telecommunications executive from Waldorf who lost out to Levy for the appointment to the House of Delegates. At the time, he called the local Democratic Party "racist" and said there needed to be more black representation in county government. He said he is interested in developing Routes 210 and 5 into business corridors.
Hurd, 62, of Waldorf, retired nine years ago as the director of computer services for the Department of Commerce. He has twice served as campaign manager for sheriff candidate Rex Coffey and has been a member of the Democratic Central Committee. Charles is no longer a rural county, he said, and the commissioners should try to attract more technology companies and government agencies that are relocating from the District.
Neither he nor Hogue has held public office. But Cooper has had his job on the commissioners board for only two years, Hurd said.
"I am a quick learner, and I have an ability to develop team-building," he said. "You know, sure, I have not been a commissioner. But I do not consider myself an amateur."
The central committee has not set a date to interview the candidates, said Chairwoman Edith Patterson.
Dispute Over Recount
In the bayside town of Chesapeake Beach, even the request for an election recount has become contentious.
Joseph W. Johnson, who finished 57 votes behind five-term incumbent Gerald W. Donovan in the town's mayoral race, asked the town for a recount last Thursday.
"I've not heard one word from anybody about the recount," he said. "I think they'd rather eat acid."
Malcolm L. Funn, chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Elections, said no one has asked him to review the 1,438 ballots cast.
