Five finalists have been nominated to fill the House of Delegates seat vacated by the death of Del. Charles Otto, the Republican Central Committee of Somerset County announced.
Applicants for the District 38A opening include: C.L. Marshall, Tim Howlett Sr., Mike McCready, Kevin Anderson, and Julia Salvas-Landon. The district, which Otto had represented since 2010 before his Oct. 17 death, includes all of Somerset County, a third of Worcester County, and a sliver of Wicomico County.
Because Otto was a Republican, state law dictates his party gets to choose from a pool of replacements. Applicants will be interviewed Nov. 8 before the nine-member central committee makes a recommendation to Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, who will select an appointee to serve out the duration of Otto’s term. The General Assembly session starts Jan. 14 in Annapolis.
“Whoever gets the appointment, they’re going to have a lot of legwork to get ready for the session,” said Somerset GOP chair Tammy Truitt. “It’s going to be a lot for them to learn in a relatively short amount of time. It’s a learning experience. Usually when you run for office you’ve got months preparing.”
Truitt shared the following about the candidates, who each submitted a resume and biography in their candidate application, as well as their issues of greatest concern:
Howard Kevin Anderson, 58, who goes by Kevin, is a grain and seed farmer with leadership roles in multiple farming organizations. He has also had experience on boards of government and resource agencies, including as a member of the Somerset County planning and zoning commission. His focus is agricultural legislation and public policy.