All three incumbents lose to challengers in commission race
From Staff Reports
— OAKLAND — Election canvass results confirm that all three of the current Garrett County commissioners were ousted by newcomers in the primary election.
Paul Edwards defeated in-cumbent Jim Raley in District 2, with 50.55 percent of the vote, or a total of 2,010 to Raley’s 1,009, according to the official results.
In District 1, Larry Tichnell unseated incumbent Gregan Crawford, garnering 49.19 percent of the votes with a total of 1,918 to Crawford’s 1,105 votes.
Tichnell will square off against Leo Martin, a Libertarian, in the November general election.
In District 3, Jim Hinebaugh beat incumbent Bob Gatto by 3.46 percent of the votes. Earning 36.76 percent of the votes, Hinebaugh had a total of 1,486 votes to Gatto’s 1,346 votes. Hinebaugh will face Democratic candidate April Hebden, who received a total of 655 votes, as well as Bill Welch, a Libertarian, and James R. “Smokey” Stanton, unaffiliated, in the general election.
District 3 Board of Education candidate Monica Rinker led the way with 2,394 votes, followed by Fred Gregg with 1,742 votes and incumbent Rodney Reckart with 765 votes. Rinker and Gregg will move on to the general election with District 1 candidates Stuart Harvey and Mathew Paugh, incumbent, and District 2 candidate Thomas Carr, incumbent. District 1 and 2 candidates will advance to the general election because there is only one candidate from District 2 and two candidates from District 1. There is one open seat in each of the three districts.
State’s Attorney Lisa Thayer Welch received 3,008 votes. Clerk of Circuit Court Timothy Miller received 3,199. Both ran unopposed. Register of Wills Rita L. Watson also ran unopposed with 3,322 votes.
Sheriff candidates Skyler Hebden, Democrat, and incumbent Robert Corley, Republican, received 583 votes and 3,455 votes, respectively. Hebden and Corley will face off in the general election.
In the race for Judge of Orphans’ Court, Fred Sanders led over incumbent Wayne Wilt with 2,769 votes to 2,732 votes.
Jeff Hovis was the only candidate who ran for Democratic Central Committee with 686 votes. In the Republican Central Committee race, Brenda Butscher led with 2,441 votes, followed by Ruth Hinebaugh Umbel, 2,355 votes; Brian Schlossnagle 2,203; Bill Bittinger 2,169; Tom Sheahen 1,830; DeCorsey Bolden 1,716; Bill Schrider and John Pucciano both had 1,518 votes.
