BERLIN — The candidate filing deadline passed quietly this week, setting up a major showdown for Maryland Senate District 38’s seat and dozens of challengers in practically every other state office on the shore.
With the passage of Tuesday’s filing deadline for the June 26 primary election in advance of the Nov. 6 general election next fall, the field of candidates for state offices in Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties along with Maryland’s congressional races for the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives is now set.
There are challengers from both parties in some races, while other races will be decided in June with only candidates from one party on the ballot. In a few other cases, there are only single candidates for certain seats and those elections are essentially over.
Perhaps the most closely watched election at least locally will be the race in Maryland Senate District 38, which includes Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties. Incumbent Democrat Jim Mathias has filed for re-election and will be challenged by Republican Mary Beth Carozza, who currently holds the House District 38-C seat.
There will also be intrigue in the some of the House of Delegate races in the districts on the Lower Shore. In District 38-C, for example, which encompasses all of Worcester County and a portion of Wicomico County, Carozza’s departure will leave no incumbent in place.
Instead, there will be four Republican challengers for the House 38-C seat and no Democrats. Current Ocean City Councilman Wayne Hartman is among the four Republican challengers for the House 38-C seat along with Joe Schanno, Jim Shaffer and Ed Tinus, who had originally filed for the State Senate 38 seat but withdrew after Carozza’s announcement. The race will essentially be decided after the primary election on June 26.
In the House District 38-A race, incumbent Charles Otto has filed for re-election and will be challenged by Democrat Kirkland Hall, Sr. There will be no primary election in that race and it will be decided in the general election in November.
In House District 38-A, which includes much of Wicomico County, incumbent Republican Carl Anderton is running uncontested and has essentially been re-elected.
On a larger scale, one of Maryland’s U.S. Senate seats, currently occupied by incumbent Ben Cardin, is up for election this year. Cardin has filed for re-election in a crowded race that features seven Democratic challengers for the June primary. On the other side, 11 Republican candidates will face off in June for the right to advance to the general election in November. There is also one Libertarian candidate who has filed for the open Maryland U.S. Senate seat, but because of the state’s closed primary election system, that candidate has advanced to the general election in November.
In Maryland’s 1st Congressional District, incumbent Republican Andy Harris has filed for re-election. Harris will face two Republican challengers in the June primary. On the other side, six Democrats have filed for the 1st Congressional District seat and the top vote-getter will advance to the general election.
In the state race for the State Comptroller’s seat, incumbent Democrat Peter Franchot has filed for re-election and will be challenged by Democratic candidate Anjali Phukan in the general election. In the state’s Attorney General race, incumbent Democrat Brian Frosh will be challenged by Republican Craig Wolf in the general election in November.
