Hopefully Dan McHugh Gets Kicked To The Curb

How is it that the Wicomico Republican Central Committee has retained a political consultant with a consistent record of failure? The consultant, Dan McHugh, was county executive Julie Giordano’s campaign manager during the 2022 election cycle and subsequently served on Giordano’s staff after she took office–that is until she had him arrested for harassment and stalking. So after building his professional resume over the past few years flipping burgers at McDonald’s and working as a laboratory “specimen collector,” it is astonishing that Mr. McHugh has once again been embraced by Giordano and the Republican Central Committee. Mr. McHugh’s personal behavior notwithstanding, it seems that his political judgments have been less than helpful to the local Republican Party, but curiously, he remains a consultant. Let’s take a closer look at Mr. McHugh’s record…

 •. McHugh was unable to secure Julie Giordano’s re-election despite her incumbent’s advantage. His campaign strategies and execution clearly failed.

•. McHugh promoted Barry “Never Won an Election” Beauchamp as the 2026 candidate for House of Delegates District 38-B. Although Beauchamp had the incumbent’s advantage since he had been previously appointed by Giordano to fill the seat vacated by his predecessor, he still lost to his Democratic opponent by a wide margin.

•. McHugh enlisted Scott Hamilton to oppose the ever popular Mike Lewis for Sheriff. In the 2026 primary election, Sheriff Lewis beat Hamilton in a landslide.

•. McHugh recruited Kyle Cole to run for County Council, District 1 in 2022. Losing by a 2:1 margin to his Democrat opponent in the general election, Mr. Cole later became infamous after he was attacked by a group of SU students who alleged that he had attempted a sexual liason with a decoy underaged male.

•. McHugh supported former District 3 County Councilman Shane Baker in the 2022 election. Baker was later forced to resign his council seat after several run-ins with the law.

•. McHugh endorsed Delmar Mayor Ben Jorden for County Council, District 5 in the 2026 Republican primary election. Mayor Jorden was soundly defeated by his Republican opponent.

•. McHugh backed Republican Ross Evans for County Council, District 7 in the 2026 election. Mr. Evans, who also happens to be Barry Beauchamp’s son-in-law, was defeated in a 3-way race. Losing elections seems to be a shared family trait.

•. Another Dan McHugh pick, Howard Travers (R), lost by a huge margin in his 2026 non-partisan bid for Board of Education, Dist. 3.

Despite Dan McHugh’s colossal failures, questionable behavior and poor political judgments, it is truly astonishing that the current Republican Central Committee continues to rely on his guidance and advice. Although Mr. McHugh found a home among the slate of Giordano’s misfits who presently control the Central Committee, it is hoped that the incoming members taking office later this month will be more selective in their choices of political consultants to help guide the Wicomico Republican Party into the future. They certainly couldn’t do any worse than Dan McHugh.