Former Cambridge police chief Mark Lewis beat Sheriff James Phillips in Dorchester's Republican primary, and in Talbot County, the local Republican party froze out incumbent County Commissioner Lynn Milke, the only woman in the race.
Republican voters in Dorchester abided by thousands of Mark Lewis for Sheriff signs that dotted the county. Lewis took 80 percent of the vote. Now he faces the Democratic victor, Christine LaMonica, in the general election Nov. 3.
Incumbent Congressional representative Andy Harris easily won his Republican primary. He’ll face off in November against Democrat Dan Schwartz, who beat three other candidates.
In local races for state seats, Democrat Katie Clendaniel emerged victorious to challenge incumbent Republican District 37 state senator Johnny Mautz. Democrats Marco Antonio Garcia and Michelle W. Johnson will seek to displace Republicans Chris Adams and Tom Hutchinson as District 37B delegates.
In Talbot County, Milke filed an ethics complaint to the Maryland Republican Party. She charged that the Talbot County Republican Central Committee repeatedly excluded her as one of its candidates in mailings, notices and events.
“The actions of the TCRCC are unethical and improper for a local central committee,” wrote Ramon Gras, Milke’s attorney. “Particularly, the use of Republican Party funds to promote the defeat of a R candidate during a primary election.”
Gras called it “unprecedented” that her party organization would prevent the public from hearing her policies and positions by excluding her from forums, socials and printed material.
The Committee chair, Shari Simpson Wilcoxon, in online postings, didn’t say why the committee had excluded Milke, who was a registered Republican candidate. Instead, Wilcoxon listed Milke’s positions on various matters, emphasizing that she voted with Democrats on bipartisan bills.
Milke countered that Wilcoxon distorted her record and effectively shunned her as a duly registered member of the Talbot Republican party’s county commissioner ticket.
With Milke forced into obscurity, the remaining five male candidates won the five open slots.
Winners included Chuck F. Callahan III , Dave Stepp, Christian MacKendrick, Wade Strickland and Frank Gunsallus. Gunsallus lost his bid to remain president of the Easton Town Council in 2024. He had been defeated by Don Abbottello, who received more than double the votes Gunsallus did.
Talbot’s five Democratic county Council winners are Christopher Armstrong, Michael Bibb, Marvin Foster, Brian R. Naranjo and Pete Lesher, the top vote getter.
In Dorchester County, Yvonne D. Penn displaced long-time incumbent William Nichols in the District 2 competition. She faces no Republican candidate in the fall.
Democrat David Beverly and Republican incumbent Rob Kramer will compete for the District 1 county council job. Democrat incumbent Ricky Travers will face Republican Grady Wilson in District 3. Council president Lenny Pfeffer was unchallenged in Disctrict 4, And Democrat Semuel Thompson will run against Republican incumbent Mike Detmer in District 5.
Running unchallenged, Clerk of the Court Amy Craig still managed to win the highest vote total of any candidate in Dorchester County government, with 2,476 votes.