Stottlemyer claims Middletown commissioner seat

Ryan Marshall, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·2 min read

Feb. 25—Kevin Stottlemyer will be Middletown's newest commissioner after winning a special election this week.

Stottlemyer defeated Eric Ware after the results of a mail-in election were announced Wednesday, with 438 votes to Ware's 163, according to the town. Monday was the last day for ballots to be received.

Stottlemyer will be sworn in either at a town workshop on March 4 or at the burgess and commissioners' meeting on March 8, Burgess John Miller said Wednesday.

Stottlemyer will serve the remainder of longtime Commissioner Larry Bussard's term, which runs through April 2022. Bussard resigned in September, citing family health concerns.

Stottlemyer said he was happy with the result of the election, and he congratulated Ware on being willing to run and his commitment to the town.

Stottlemyer said he's been sitting in on town meetings for the past few weeks and feels like he has a good sense of the business before the town, but he will still have some work to do to get fully caught up on all the issues.

Miller congratulated both candidates on running, despite the difficulties that the COVID-19 pandemic created.

"We were very fortunate to have two quality people step up and want to be involved," Miller said.

Both men were new to the electoral process, and Miller hopes both will stay involved in the town's operations, he said.

Election officials began tallying the votes Wednesday morning.

There were 16 ballots that had to be discarded because they were either missing the required oath that the voter was a registered voter in the town or had unsigned oaths, Town Manager Drew Bowen said in an email Wednesday. One ballot received by the town was blank.

The 617 ballots cast represented 17 percent of the town's 3,607 registered voters.

For a special election the year after a regular election, the 17 percent turnout was pretty good, Miller said.

But as a public official and retired government teacher at Middletown High School, it was disappointing that so few of the town's voters took the time to cast a ballot, he said.

"That's very discouraging and disheartening," Miller said.

Follow Ryan Marshall on Twitter: @RMarshallFNP