OPINION
It is Monday evening as I am writing this piece. It’s the Monday before the Tuesday General Election in Maryland. With the resurrection of the Guilford Gazette back in February of this year, we have done more to capture the news and tidbits of our readership than ever before.
However, if I had to choose the best time to beef up this newspaper, it would not have been during an election year – especially the year when so many incumbents are not coming back. So we get to cover lots of new faces and all without a dedicated political reporter.
This year, not only did we have the obligation to cover several political debates and zoning pre-submission hearings, but candidates running for more obscure offices desperately needed media attention.
Really, who in Howard County generally pays attention to who is running for Orphans Court and Register of Wills? What?
Actually the two are linked and neither of them, despite the names, has anything whatsoever to do with children who are separated from their parents.
No. We’re actually talking about probate, estates, wills and other such topics that most of us either do not want to think about or simply don’t care.
But I met two candidates this year who really wanted to get the attention they deserve as potential public servants.
Let’s be clear, I am not endorsing any candidates, but I do feel an obligation to inform, albeit belatedly. Both Elizabeth Fitch and Shawn Conley – both at different times, reached out to the Guilford Gazette to get their stories told.
It was a busy campaign season and we had some hefty stories to cover and the Guilford Gazette is in the middle of a quite significant growth spurt. But I saw these two almost everywhere I went. They were out there stumping just as much as County Council and County Executive candidates.
I never had the opportunity to meet their opponents face-to-face, so I do not have the opportunity here to make any glowing statements about them.
Fitch wants to be the county’s next judge of the Orphan Court and Conley wants to be the next Register of Wills.
While these positions are not steeped in political drama (for the most part), both posts are important. Mostly, what you would want from the eventual winners is competence and a high level of expertise, which sadly is not required to win.
Check out the Board of Elections to get information about who is running for these offices and other lesser known contests. You can find links to candidate websites and also discover questions on tomorrow’s ballot.
For the Orphan’s Court there are three candidates listed: Anne L. Dodd, Elizabeth Ann Fitch, and Leslie Smith Turner.
For Register of Wills there are two candidates: Shawn Conley and Byron Macfarlane.
NOTE: To get information about the political scene all year, visit our Resources page.