Political Notebook: First candidate files for Hagerstown mayoral race
HVAC company owner files to run for Hagerstown mayor
A north end Hagerstown businessman is the first to file to be Hagerstown's next mayor.
Bill McIntire, owner of McIntire HVAC, filed his paperwork in early September, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections.
"I’m running for mayor to bring innovative leadership to Hagerstown that will deliver workable solutions to address the challenge impacting the day-to-day lives of our citizens," McIntire wrote in a statement to The Herald-Mail. "That includes public safety, customer friendly services and social/economic development. I feel my business background will best help the city navigate these issues. My plan is to help maximize the return on the money allocated to the city by the state and spend effectively."
McIntire is the former husband of Councilwoman Shelley McIntire, who joined the council in December 2017 when she was appointed to the fill vacancy left when now-Sen. Paul Corderman, R-Washington/Frederick, was appointed a state delegate.
In addition to mayor, all five council seats in the nonpartisan race are up for reelection. As of Friday morning, no one had filed for any of them.
The Maryland primary election is May 14. Early voting runs from May 2 to 9.
Beacon House founder seeks spot on WCPS school board
A Leitersburg man will again seek a seat on the Washington County Public Schools Board of Education in the 2024 election, according to a news release from his campaign.
Anthony Williams sought a similar position in the 2022 contest, but did not win. He filed for the upcoming nonpartisan school board race on Sept. 29 and is the only one to file so far, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections.
He is the founder of Hagerstown-based Beacon House Inc., an educational nonprofit focusing on STEAM education to enhance students' abilities to learn from untraditional teaching methods.
Williams "has dedicated his entire adult life to education, starting as a substitute teacher for Washington County Public Schools in 1998," the news release states.
In addition to Washington County, he has worked in public education in Frederick and Montgomery counties, and Washington, D.C., according to the release. He also has taught abroad in three different countries for four years.
Williams attended and graduated from Smithsburg High School, Hagerstown Community College and Shepherd University. He is an active member of the Sunrise Rotary Club in Hagerstown and the Washington County NAACP.
The Maryland primary election is May 14. Early voting runs from May 2 to 9.
Retired Air Force pilot, a Republican, joins field of U.S. Senate candidates
The latest entrant into the field of Maryland candidates for United States Senate is no stranger to watching high-ranking elected officials come and go.
The now-retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General John Teichert, a Republican aiming for Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin’s seat in 2024, once commanded the 11th Wing at Joint Base Andrews, known as “America’s Airfield,” where presidents have taken off for decades.
“I am running for the U.S. Senate to replace politics with leadership,” said Teichert, who commanded at the base in Prince George’s County from 2016 to 2018. A statement announcing his candidacy cited the U.S. Southern border, high inflation, and parental involvement in education as top issues.
Related: Raskin out, U.S. Senate field ‘clarified,’ and immigration policy emerges as issue
Most recently the Air Force’s International Affairs Assistant Deputy Undersecretary, Teichert graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as graduating with his master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Stanford University, according to his military biography.
As of Monday afternoon, Teichert had not filed with the Federal Elections Commission or State Board of Elections, according to the website of each. The federal website currently lists only one Republican candidate: Robin Ficker, a disbarred attorney who finished with less than 3% of the vote in last year’s gubernatorial primary election. U.S. Rep. David Trone, D-6th, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, and Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando lead in financial totals on the Democratic side, according to the June 30 Federal Election Commission reports. The primary election is scheduled for May 14.
— Dwight A. Weingarten
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This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Bill McIntire is the first to file for Hagerstown, MD mayor's race
