Several last-minute filers join Larry Hogan to run in the Maryland primaries

Last-minute candidates flock to file for local offices

Last week was a busy one for state and local election board offices as candidates lined up to file for races in this year's election before the deadline Friday night.

By press time Friday, the local races for Hagerstown City Council and the four open seats on the Washington County Board of Education had drawn several new candidates. They include:

Hagerstown City Council

• Incumbent Kristin Aleshire

• Caroline Anderson

• Erika T. Bell

• Rich Owens

• Incumbent Peter Perini

Washington County Board of Education

• Incumbent Pieter Bickford

• Former Washington County Commissioner Charles Burkett

• Ethan Loewan

• Michael P. Keifer

• Ashley McCusker

• Incumbent Melissa Willliams

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Washington County Attorney Kirk Downey, appointed last month to the Circuit Court bench, has also filed for election to that seat. He has not yet taken office, but must run in this year's election to retain his seat.

His investiture ceremony has been scheduled for Friday.

U.S. Senate race swells

Former Gov. Larry Hogan was not the only last-minute entrant into the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.

Democrats Michael W. Cobb Sr. of Baltimore County and Joseph Perez of Prince George's County filed last week for their party's nomination.

Fellow Republicans Moe H. Barakat of Montgomery County, Chris Chaffee of Calvert County, who ran against U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen in 2022; and Laban Y. Seyoum of Prince George's County also joined the race for the Republican nomination.

GOP candidates Ray Bly of Howard County and John Thormann of Baltimore County recently withdrew.

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Crowded 6th District House race gets even more crowded; Parrott's in

The race to fill the open U.S. House in the 6th District, which includes all of Washington County, is a popular place to be.

More than a dozen Democrats and more than half a dozen Republicans are running to fill the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. David Trone, D-6th, who is running for U.S. Senate.

And one of them is, surprise, former Del. Neil Parrott, R-Washington. Parrott filed Friday, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. He's been the Republican nominee in the last two elections, losing both times to Trone.

New entrants include Democrats Mohammad S. Mozumder and Destiny Drake West of Montgomery County, and Kiambo "Bo" White of Baltimore City.

Republican Heath Barnes of Frederick County withdrew from the race last week.

Vogel picks up endorsement

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA has endorsed Del. Joe Vogel, D-Montgomery, in the 6th District House race.

"Joe Vogel doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk — literally," Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said in a statement released by Vogel's campaign. "When Flight Attendants took to the picket lines to fight for fair contracts, Joe walked alongside us. He stood with us, and we are proud to stand with him."

— Tamela Baker

Filing deadline this week for Maryland primaries: Has your candidate filed?

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Crowd of primary candidates files to run before deadline