Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News
Oakland — OAKLAND — All three Garrett County commissioners will face challengers in the Sept. 14 primary election, with the deadline for filing candidate papers only days away.
Timothy E. Thomas, R-McHenry, filed on June 21 to run against incumbent Denny Glotfelty, R-McHenry, for the District 3 seat on the commission.
Two challengers have filed to run against current commission chairman Ernie Gregg, R-Mountain Lake Park, for the District 1 seat on the commission. Gregg will face Republican challenger Gregan Crawford, Oakland, in the primary. The winner will take on Democrat Eric Robison, Oakland, in the November general election.
Incumbent Commissioner Fred Holliday, R-Grantsville, will vie in the primary with current board of education member Jim Raley, R-Finzel, for the District 2 seat.
A Democrat has thrown his hat into the ring in the race for county sheriff. Skyler Hebden, Oakland, filed as a candidate on June 21. In the general election Hebden will take on the winner of the primary race between Republicans Robert E. Corley, Oakland, and Larry Gnegy, Oakland. The office is currently held by Gary Berkebile.
In the nonpartisan board of education races, Rodney Durst, Oakland, filed on June 28 to retain his District 3 seat, but faces a challenge from Rodney Reckart, Oakland, who filed for office on June 23. Both current president Donald Forrester, Mountain Lake Park, and current vice president Thomas Carr, Accident, are, at this point, unopposed to retain their District 1 and 2 seats.
Six candidates have filed for three open positions as judge of the orphans court. The three candidates from each party who receive the most votes in the primary will go to the general election; of those, the three who receive the most votes will be selected to fill the positions.
On the Republican side, incumbents Clifford C. DeWitt, Oakland, James F. Margroff, Accident, and H. Wayne Wilt, Oakland, are seeking re-election, and face challenges from David C. Beard, Oakland, and Aria Knust, Oakland. Only one Democrat has filed for the office, Everett B. Deberry, Deer Park.
Incumbent Rita L. Watson, R-Oakland, will face Republican challengers Traci Royce, Oakland, and John K. Sines, Oakland, for register of wills. Watson was appointed register of wills after the retirement of Joseph DiSimone in June 2009.
Incumbent Sondra R. Buckel, R-Bittinger, is running unopposed for re-election as clerk of the circuit court. It will be Buckel’s first time seeking the office in an election, as she was originally appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of David K. Martin in 2007.
Timothy W. Miller, R-Mountain Lake Park, and Arzella Parsons, R-Oakland, will vie for Republican Central Committee chair. No candidate has yet filed for the office of Democratic Central Committee chair.
Incumbent State’s Attorney Lisa Thayer Welch, R-Oakland, filed on June 18 to retain her position. She is currently running unopposed.
At the state level, Sen. George Edwards, R-Grantsville, has filed to retain his seat representing District 1 in Annapolis, and Delegate Wendell Beitzel, R-Accident, has filed to retain his District 1A seat in the House of Delegates. Edwards is currently running unopposed, while Beitzel will face Democratic challenger James “Smokey” Stanton, Oakland, in the general election.
The deadline for filing candidate papers is Tuesday at 9 p.m.
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