Endorsements made for 6th Congressional District; County GOP club hosts annual picnic

Endorsements made for Maryland's 6th Congressional District

Mathew Foldi, a Republican candidate for Maryland's 6th Congressional District, announced last week that Gov. Larry Hogan was endorsing him.

Foldi, a 25-year-old reporter at the Washington Free Beacon, said in a news release Wednesday that he was honored to have the governor's support.

"The governor knows what it means to challenge the entrenched Democrat interests in Maryland and win big with conservative solutions," Foldi said. "I look forward to working with him to turn the 6th District red and finally give our region a full-time congressman who fights for Maryland every day."

Foldi is among six Republicans running in the primary for the job, including Del. Neil Parrott, R-Washington, who was the GOP nominee during the 2020 General Election. Democrat David Trone, who is running again, has held the seat since 2018.

"Matthew Foldi represents a new generation of common sense conservative leaders," Hogan said in a news release. "He fought with us to take on the one-party monopoly in Annapolis, and I trust him to hold the career Washington politicians accountable … it's time for all Republicans to unite behind Matthew to focus on defeating David Trone in November."

Parrott announced an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-1st, on June 30.

"I am thankful for Congressman Harris's endorsement," Parrott said in a news release. "He's one of the most reliable conservative votes in Congress, and a real leader of the conservative cause in Maryland."

Harris said in the news release that he's known Parrott for years and that "he's a solid conservative Republican who will help our country get out of the mess America is in right now."

"When Neil Parrott served at Annapolis, Neil always held to his conservative principles, and that's exactly the kind of conservative we need in Congress," Harris said.

Maryland's 6th District includes Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties, with a portion of Montgomery County, according to a new congressional map that was passed in April.

Some have noted that the new map makes the congressional district in Western Maryland more competitive.

County Republican club to host annual picnic

The Washington County Republican Social Club will be hosting its annual picnic from 1 to 7 p.m. July 9 at the Potomac Fish and Game Club, 14241 Falling Waters Road in Williamsport. Food will be served at 4 p.m.

The picnic will also include live music and a meet-and-greet with candidates running in the upcoming primary election July 19.

Tickets for club members cost $10, while non-member tickets cost $15. Children 6 and under will be admitted for free.

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Hogan announces expanded incentives for state employees to serve as election judges

Gov. Larry Hogan last week said the state will expand its leave incentives for state employees to serve as local election judges during the upcoming primary and general election.

"Election judges play an important role in the democratic process, and state employees have always stepped up to serve," Hogan said in a news release. "For this election cycle, we are expanding our recruitment efforts to include the primary election, and extending these leave incentives to our contractual employees."

• For the primary, state employees looking to serve as an election judge, including during early voting, will receive 16 hours of administrative leave for each day of service.

• For the general election — which is a state holiday — state employees looking to serve as an election judge will receive pay for the holiday and as well as an additional eight hours of administrative leave. While Election Day is not a paid holiday for state contractual employees, they will be able to receive eight hours of administrative leave for their service.

The Washington County Elections Board was also looking for volunteers to become an election judge, according to a previous report.

Early voting runs from July 7 to 14, and the primary election is July 19. The general election is on Nov. 8.

Maryland GOP candidate for governor responds to former President Trump's response to the DGA

Kelly Schulz, Republican candidate for governor and former Maryland secretary of commerce, responded to statements from former President Donald Trump the Frederick County resident, as well as Gov. Larry Hogan.

In a news release by from rival GOP governor candidate Dan Cox's campaign, Trump called Hogan a "RINO" (Republican in name only) who has "tried to come to the rescue of his fellow 'Never Trumper' Kelly Schulz."

"They say the Democrats want to face Dan Cox in the general election, when the opposite is true," Trump said. "It is just more Democrat disinformation. They want weak RINO Schulz, who is endorsed by … the Washington Post."

Schulz, who was endorsed by Hogan in March, said in a news release that "clearly, the former president's blind hatred of Governor Hogan and his success is overriding his better judgement."

In late June, Doug Mayer, senior adviser to Schulz's campaign, called out the Democratic Governors Association in a news release, accusing the association of spending "millions of dollars propping up fringe Republican candidates who cannot win elections."

"It's very disappointing that (Trump) doesn't see anything wrong with national Democrats meddling in Republican primaries attempting to trick the very voters he claims to stand for," Schulz said. "Despite former President Trump's seeming approval of this despicable tactic, it won't work. The Democratic Governors Association is openly supporting Dan Cox because he is unqualified and has zero chance to win."

Cox said in a news release on Friday that he is not being supported by the Democratic Governors Association, but being "attacked" and is viewed by the association as "the frontrunner they intend to tear down in the eyes of Maryland voters."

In a news release, Democratic Governors Association Deputy Communications Director Sam Newton stated "given Cox's frontrunner status and radical 'MAGA' stances, we are starting the general election early and wasting no time to hold him accountable."

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Endorsements for Md. congressional candidates; County GOP hosts picnic