Princess Anne voters to go to the polls June 7

Candidates forum Friday, May 13

Posted 5/3/22

PRINCESS ANNE — Voters here will get a choice when they go to the polls June 7 to elect Town Commissioners with candidates running in both districts as well as at-large.

One name not on the …

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Princess Anne voters to go to the polls June 7

Candidates forum Friday, May 13

Posted

PRINCESS ANNE — Voters here will get a choice when they go to the polls June 7 to elect Town Commissioners with candidates running in both districts as well as at-large. A candidates forum is 6 p.m. Friday, May 13 at the Somerset County Civic Center, hosted by the Princess Anne Chamber of Commerce (submit questions to chamberofcommerceprincessanne@gmail.com).

One name not on the ballot for the first time since 1990 is Garland Hayward, who after serving for eight consecutive terms is stepping down from town leadership. He is currently the board’s vice president.

Vying to take his District 2 seat is Commissioner Lionel Frederick, elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 each time as the at-large commissioner and now serving as president.

Opposing him is Rondell Redding, a town police officer and fire company volunteer. Mr. Frederick of formally challenging Mr. Redding's qualifications to serve due to not being registered to vote at an in-town address, but that, Mr. Redding said, has been corrected and he believes the point is moot.

A discussion about this will be on the election board's agenda when it meets on May 5.

Mr. Frederick’s move to run in his district leaves the single at-large commissioner seat open to a newcomer, and there are four candidates. Somerset Meadows resident and UMES lecturer Mohamed Salih Ali Mohamed Salih is trying again after running unsuccessfully in 2018.

Troy Selby, a vice president of the Concerned Residents of Princess Anne (CROPA) will also be on the ballot.

Joining them will be Eugene W. “Skip” Colborn Jr., who in 2020 was endorsed by the commissioners to be their representative on the Somerset County Planning and Zoning Commission, and Shelley Johnson, a member of the Manokin River Park Commission and a Citizens Merit Award recipient who was one of the leading organizers of the Juneteenth “Our Voices Matter” march in 2020.

In District 1, incumbent Commissioner Joey Gardner is seeking his fourth term, having been first elected in 2010.

His opposition includes Tomasha Blount, who also helped organize the 2020 march and was a recipient of a Citizens Merit Award, and Lynnell Fletcher-Pugh,  president of the Princess Anne Chamber of Commerce.

As for write-in candidates they have until May 31 to file, but their names will not appear on the printed paper ballots.

The non-partisan election will be held Tuesday, June 7 at the newly re-furbished Election House in Manokin River Park. It was last used for voting in 2016 and will be rededicated 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 7 to celebrate its restoration.

Continuing on for two more years are Commissioners Orlondo Taylor (District 1) and Marshall Corbin (District 2) as they were both elected in June 2020.

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