Primary election taking shape in Garrett County

Commission, sheriff’s seats up for grabs

From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — Several contested races have already formed for local offices in Garrett County’s Sept. 14 primary election, with the deadline to file candidate papers still months away.

Local offices open in 2010 include: all three county commission seats, state’s attorney, sheriff, clerk of courts, register of wills, judge of orphans court, three school board seats for Districts 1, 2, and 3, and the chairs of the Republican and Democratic central committees.

All three incumbent county commissioners are seeking to retain their seats, but at least two will face challengers in the primary.

Current commission chairman Ernest Gregg, R-Mountain Lake Park, will take on Gregan Crawford, R-Oakland, for the District 1 seat on the commission. Incumbent Fred Holliday, R-Grantsville, will vie with current board of education member Jim Raley, R-Frostburg, for the District 2 seat. In District 3, incumbent Denny Glotfelty, R-McHenry, is currently unopposed.

Two men have filed as Republican candidates for the office of sheriff, Robert E. Corley, Oakland, and Larry Gnegy, Oakland. The office is currently held by Gary Berkebile.

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.

Five candidates have filed for three open positions as judge of the orphans court. The three candidates who receive the most votes will be elected to fill the positions.

Incumbents Clifford C. DeWitt, R-Oakland, James F. Margroff, R-Accident, and H. Wayne Wilt, R-Oakland, are seeking re-election, and face challenges from David C. Beard, R-Oakland, and Aria Knust, R-Oakland.

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.

In the nonpartisan board of education races, 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. No candidate has yet filed for the District 3 seat currently held by Rodney Durst, Oakland.

No candidate has yet filed for the offices of state’s attorney or either the Republican or Democratic central committee chairs.

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. Both are, so far, running unopposed.

The deadline for filing candidate papers is July 6.

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