After Tuesday’s filing deadline, more than a third of the incumbents in the Maryland Senate are running for reelection unopposed. Seventeen of the 47 senators, 15 Democrats and two Republicans, currently have no opponent in either the primary or general election.
That includes three of the four standing committee chairs: Will Smith, D, Montgomery, Judicial Proceedings; Brian Feldman, D, Montgomery, Education, Energy and the Environment, and Guy Guzzone, D, Howard, Budget and Taxation.
For Guzzone, it is the third election cycle in a row that he has faced no opponent.
In a surprise move, Sen. Pam Beidle, D, Anne Arundel, the chair of the Finance Committee, withdrew her candidacy on Tuesday and will not seek reelection to the Senate where she has served for two terms. On Tuesday, Del. Mark Chang filed for Beidle’s seat, the three-term delegate appearing to know his senator would not be coming back.
Beidle has been representing Anne Arundel citizens since 1998, when she served two four-year terms on the county council, followed by three four-year terms in the House of Delegates.
Some of those Democratic senators running unopposed could face a Republican challenger if their county’s Republican Party central committee can recruit one to file by next Monday.
In Howard County, other Democratic elected officials who have a free ride to the general election include State Senator Clarence Lam, State’s Attorney Rich Gibson, Sheriff Marcus Harris, and Del. Jenn Terrasa who is running for Clerk of the Circuit Court, the main record keeping office for the county. Little noticed, Terrassa filed for clerk back in October after serving two terms in the House and three terms on the Howard County Council.
Long-time Clerk of the Court Wayne Robey, who headed the office since 2012, is retiring after working 40 years in the office.
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