Candidates lining up for 2010 races

Some hopefuls set to file for county commissioner as early as next week

Friday, July 3, 2009

All five county commissioner seats will be up for election and two of the current commissioners, Thomas A. Mattingly Sr. (D) and Daniel H. Raley (D), cannot run again because of term limits.

That leaves two seats wide open, representing the Leonardtown/Hollywood area and the California/Lexington Park area.

Several people confirmed this week they are planning to put the up the $25 fee to file for commissioner.

Commission President Francis Jack Russell (D) is going to file for re-election. "When I get back here on the 9th I'm going to file the next day or shortly thereafter," he said this week. He's going on a trip to Colorado.

Businessman Michael Hewitt ran against Russell in the Democratic primary in 2006, but has since changed parties. He's a Republican now, and asked if he would run again, he said, "Never say never."

Thomas F. McKay, who served as president of the county commissioners from 2002 to 2006, did not return a message Thursday about his intentions for political office in 2010. He lost his bid for state senate in 2006.

Mattingly said he's not interested in any other elected posts after leaving the commissioner job. "I think I'll retire," he said, when his third term is complete in December 2010.

Arthur Shepherd, recreation division manager with the St. Mary's County Department of Recreation and Parks, said he is planning to run for the seat Mattingly is vacating, as a Democrat. The board of elections told him he could keep his job with county government as a candidate. If he wins, he would retire. By August he will have worked for the county for 31 years.

Cathy Allen, a school board member who lives in Hollywood, said she won't be filing anytime soon, but acknowledged she is considering a run for commissioner. "It's something I'm thinking about, but first of all I think it's very early. I'm just not prepared to answer if I would or I won't," she said on Wednesday.

Commissioner Kenny Dement (R) said he is definitely filing for re-election to a third term and may do it on Monday. "I'm not going to let ‘em off that easy," he said.

Dement represents the southern county and the Valley Lee/Piney Point area. He said he's looking forward to a lively contest for the seat. "I'm hoping some file against me. The more the better," he said.

Richard Johnson, a defense contractor who lives in Valley Lee, said he will be filing Monday for Dement's post. As a Republican, Johnson would meet Dement in the primary election. He recently lobbied county government to allow personal wind turbines in the zoning ordinance.

"I do plan on filing on the 6th," said Kenneth F. Boothe, a farmer who lives off Flat Iron Road, though he declined to say for which seat until Monday. Boothe ran for commissioner in 2002 in the 1st Commissioner District as a Democrat, but lost to incumbent Joseph F. Anderson in the primary. Dement beat Anderson in the general election.

This time Boothe is running as a Republican.

"I wanted to let everybody know I'm interested" by filing early, he said.

In the 4th Commissioner District representing the Lexington Park/California area, rumor has long been that school board member Mary Washington would run once Raley finished his third term.

"It is a huge window of opportunity there," she said Wednesday. People can file from July 6 to July 6, 2010. "I'm not in any rush. It's a long filing date there. I'm still doing the board of ed thing and loving it, but that is an option for me."

Raley could not be reached for comment.

School board chairman Bill Mattingly said in March he would be seeking to represent the northern county commissioner seat, held by Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R). Mattingly said Thursday he still plans to run and will be filing soon, but not on Monday.

Jarboe said Thursday he would be filing again, but wasn't sure exactly what day he would do so. "It'll probably be sooner than later," he said. The best thing that can happen is to have lots of competition, to give people lots of choices." He said the large number of people contemplating a run for commissioner also signals dissatisfaction with county government.

A 1973 law created the five-member board of St. Mary's County commissioners; before that there were three commissioners.The law says that the president of the commissioners should be 25 or older and be a resident of the county for five years.

The other commissioners have to be at least 18 and have lived in St. Mary's for at least four years.

In 2010, the president of the commissioners will make $43,000 a year, while the other commissioners will make $38,000.

jbabcock@somdnews.com