After dumping their entire Board of County Commissioners in September, Queen Anne's County voters yesterday replaced the incumbents with a Republican majority. 

Governor-elect Rep. Robert Ehrlich was partly credited with giving the GOP a 4-1 majority in the usually Democratic county. 

"It was obviously a Republican tide," said Joseph Gannon, a Democrat who lost his bid for the District 1 seat to Joseph Cupani. 

"I can remember when you could fit all the Republicans in the county in one telephone booth," Mr. Gannon said. "But you've got to commend them. They outnumbered us and they outcampaigned us." 

The election, which drew more than 60 percent of registered voters -- nearly double that of the 1998 election -- echoed the message of the primaries. 

Residents wanted a stronger stance on controlled growth, and they elected some of its staunchest advocates to get it. 

In the new setup of four district seats and one at-large seat, Republican Benjamin Cassell of Romancoke won the latter with more than twice the votes of his opponent and friend, Democrat Richard Moser. 

Republican Michael Koval of Chester solidly defeated Democrat Alvin Helfenbein for the District 4 seat, which represents southern Kent Island. 

Mr. Moser and Mr. Koval are president and vice president, respectively, of the Kent Island Defense League, a grass-roots group that has fought the development of the 1,350-home Four Seasons project. Mr. Cassell is the group's former treasurer. 

Mr. Koval, who put out very few signs during his campaign, said he won because his campaign was "honest and straightforward." 

"And I plan to keep it that way as commissioner," he said. 

Republican Rodney Niedomanksi, who opposes the size but not the concept of the age-restricted Four Seasons community, beat Eric Wargotz, a doctor from Queenstown, for the District 2 seat, which represents Centreville and Queenstown. 

Mr. Cupani, who said the county's current growth rate is too much for its infrastructure to handle, won the District 1 seat, which represents north county. 

Attorney Gene Ransom was the only Democrat elected to the board. He won the District 3 seat over Robert Foley, the most staunchly anti-growth candidate, and Independent Michael Hoffman, whose platform was based on improving the county's emergency services. 

Mr. Ransom, the chairman of the county Democratic Central Committee, said that while he is glad to have won the election, he is sad to see his party have such little success. 

"I'm obviously disappointed," he said. "A lot of my friends lost. But I'm willing to move forward and work together to do what's right for the county." 

The five new commissioners replace Marlene Davis, D-Queentown, John McQueeney, R-Stevensville, and George O'Donnell, D-Queenstown. They will be stepping down from office early next month. 

"The county needs a change from the state down to the county government," said Marion Welch, an employee for the county Board of Elections Office for nearly 20 years. 

"Residents didn't just want it, they needed it."

mmohsberg@capitalgazette.com 
 

Published November 06, 2002, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2002 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.

Kratovil edges Comfort for Queen Anne's prosecutor post
By MARGOT MOHSBERG, Staff Writer 

In the first contested race for the Queen Anne's County state's attorney job in 40 years, voters yesterday elected Democrat Frank Kratovil to the position. 

With 57 percent of the vote, the Chester resident beat Paul Comfort, a Republican and division manager for Yellow Transportation, a global delivery company. 

Mr. Kratovil, the criminal justice adviser for the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention, beat four-term incumbent Chip Gregory in September's Democratic primary. Before working for the governor, Mr. Kratovil served as assistant state's attorney under Mr. Gregory. 

"I'm excited about the win, and have been overwhelmed by the support I have received from both Democrats, Republicans and independents," Mr. Krotovil said. 

The state's attorney job became more attractive this year after the General Assembly voted during the last session to increase it to full-time, doubling the salary to $94,480. 

Sheriff wins 

In other courthouse races, Sheriff Charles Crossley of Sudlersville beat his opponent, write-in candidate Earl Beville, of Grasonville, for the second time this fall. 

Sheriff Crossley beat state police Sgt. Beville by only 80 votes in the Sept. 10 Republican primary. 

Yesterday, the sheriff trounced Sgt. Belville with one of the biggest margins of the night in the county -- 72 percent. 

"I think the voters made it quite clear who is the winner and that is Sheriff Charles Crossley," said the three-term incumbent. 

He said Sgt. Beville's decision to continue the race showed that he was a "sore loser." 

"I think it would have been better if he had just accepted and come back in four years," he said. 

Sgt. Beville said he's not certain what his plans are. 

"It's hard to say right now," he said. "I'm just kind of collecting my thoughts." 

But he said he is proud of the thousands of votes he received and the fact that he raised some key issues in the county concerning public safety. 

"Hopefully, those issues will now be addressed and that's what really counts," he said. 

Register of wills 

Democratic incumbent Winsie Cannon won just over half the votes to secure her longtime position as register of wills. She beat Republican Marirose Capozzi. 

All of the Republican candidates for the three judge of Orphans' Court seats beat their Democratic opponents. 

Winning the most votes were Joseph DiPietro, Penelope Ann Keating and incumbent Robert Morris. 

They beat incumbents Catherine Clevenger and Jeffrie Zellmer, in addition to David Clark, a former judge who does not currently sit on the court. The Orphans' Court oversees the disbursement of wills and estates of the deceased.

Published November 06, 2002, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2002 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
 

mmohsberg@capitalgazette.com