Press Releases

I want to sincerely thank every Talbot County resident who supported me, encouraged me, and took the time to vote in this primary election.

Serving on the Talbot County Council has been one of the greatest honors of my life. During the past four years, I have worked to approach every issue thoughtfully, listen to citizens, ask questions, and make decisions based on what I believed was in the best interest of Talbot County. I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve this community.

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While the results were not what I had hoped for, I am appreciative to those who took the time to make their voices heard in this election.  Public service has never been about one person. It is about the people we serve and the future we are working to build together.  

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I would also like to express my appreciation to our county department heads and their dedicated teams for their professionalism, hard work, and commitment to serving the residents of Talbot County.

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I am proud of my record of service, and I remain encouraged by so many people who supported fairness, thoughtful leadership, independent thinking, and respectful public discourse throughout this campaign. Those values remain important regardless of election outcomes.

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One of the greatest privileges of serving on the County Council has been the opportunity to listen to citizens from every corner of Talbot County. Whether we agreed or disagreed on a particular issue, I appreciated the conversations, the questions, and hearing your perspectives, which strengthened my commitment to thoughtful decision-making. Those exchanges reinforced my belief that informed and engaged citizens are essential to good government and Talbot County is fortunate to have individuals who care deeply about their community.

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Although my service on the Council will soon come to an end, my commitment to Talbot County will not. I look forward to remaining involved in our community and supporting the people and organizations that make this such a special place to call home.

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Thank you again for your support, your friendship, and the trust you placed in me and as General George Patton once said, “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking!”

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Ethics Complaint against the Talbot County Republican Central Committee

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On Friday, June 22, through legal counsel, I filed an ethics complaint with the Maryland Republican Party (MDGOP), against the Talbot County Republican Central Committee. (TCRCC).

I have been a member of the Republican party since 1980, the current member of the Talbot County Council (having received he most republican votes in my election in 2022) and the only woman candidate for Talbot County Council in the upcoming primary.

I have alleged violation of Article XII of the Constitution and Bylaws of the MDGOP. I have asserted that the TCRCC has acted unethically with partiality and prejudice.

Furthermore, it is unethical and improper to use Republican Party funds to promote the defeat of a candidate. The TCRCC is not a political action committee (PAC). The TCRCC rather than support the overall Republican campaign, and let Republican voters decide for themselves, has excluded me from the support of the local Republican Party, with partiality and prejudice, and even ostracized me in the public square from attendance at any function or gathering. It is all part of an effort, espoused by the TCRCC Chairman, to “expose all the RINO’s” in a “purge that needs to happen”.

It has been asserted that I do not sufficiently align with the national MAGA positions on issues, ignoring that the primary function of the Talbot County Council is to address local issues, not insinuate Council action on national issues. My response to the TCRCC’s fallacious allegations is set forth in detail in my Letter to the Editor in the Talbot Spy: “Setting the Record Straight” which follows.

The TCRCC has also come under criticism for its actions by Republican Jeff Ghrist, of the House of Delegates for District 36 (Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queens Anne’s counties), where he commented on Facebook: “So far, two Republican Central Committees have likely violated their own charter rules by endorsing and/or promoting Republican candidates over other Republican candidates before the primary election”. He further stated: “The Republican Party in Maryland is truly lost”.

Ronald Reagan’s famous 11th Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican” promoted party unity and ensured that Republican voters would have the opportunity to exercise their fairly informed consciences in a just election process.

I have requested that the MDGOP impose appropriate sanctions to remedy TCRCC injustice resulting its actions and to ensure that each and every Talbot County Republican voter has a full, fair and just opportunity to decide for him or herself which candidate he or she will vote for.

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Setting the Record Straight

The Talbot County Republican Central Committee (TCRCC) has chosen not to endorse my candidacy and has publicly mischaracterized several votes I have cast during my four years on the Talbot County Council. Voters deserve to know the facts.

DEI Resolution and Airport Funding

The TCRCC claims I voted to silence public comment and jeopardize federal funding. That is simply not what occurred. Councilman Stepp’s resolution was tabled by a 3-2 vote, however public comment was never silenced. Citizens were given opportunities to speak, and many did so on both sides of

the issue.

My initial concern was whether the federal Executive Order cited as justification for repealing the County's resolutions would ultimately be enforceable and legally sustainable. When it later became clear that the Easton Airport could face delays or uncertainty regarding federal grant funding, the matter was revisited on June 10, 2025. I cosponsored and voted in favor of repealing the resolutions rather than spending taxpayer dollars on prolonged litigation. That was a practical decision made in the County's best interest.

Short-Term Rental Legislation

The proposed short-term rental legislation was developed in response to concerns raised by Talbot County residents about the impact of vacation rentals on the character of established neighborhoods. This is not a partisan issue. The primary objective was to protect villages and established residential communities, particularly neighborhoods such as Bentley Hay and Rio Vista in St. Michaels, that do not have homeowners associations,
from becoming overwhelmed by short-term vacation rentals.

There were also concerns that increasing numbers of short-term rentals were reducing the supply of attainable housing available to local residents. While short-term rentals generate only about $30,000 annually in County revenue, the issue was never primarily about revenue.

The goal was never to prohibit short-term rentals or harm property owners, but to strike a reasonable balance between private property rights and preserving the quality of life in residential neighborhoods.

Election Integrity Resolution

The TCRCC cites my vote regarding an election-related resolution as a reason for withholding its endorsement. Councilman Stepp invited Council President Callahan to attend a Board of Elections meeting with him, but the third Republican member of the Council majority was not included. I did not believe the Council should adopt a formal position based solely on accounts of discussions that occurred at a meeting attended by only two Council members.

My position was that representatives of the Board of Elections should have been invited to publicly address the concerns before the Council took action. That was not a vote against election integrity. It was a vote for gathering the facts and hearing directly from those involved before making a decision.

County Budget

The TCRCC also claims that my vote against the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget reflected opposition to funding schools, public safety, and emergency services. That claim is false. I voted against the budget because it included a tax increase that I did not believe was necessary at the time, given the County's healthy reserves. I specifically stated that I supported funding for essential government services. In fact, many elected officials at
every level of government occasionally vote against budgets because they disagree with a particular provision while still supporting the agencies and employees funded by that budget.

A vote against a budget is not a vote against public safety, education, or emergency services.

Because the Council votes on the budget as a single package rather than by individual line

items, disagreement with one significant provision can result in a vote against the budget as a whole.

My Approach to Public Service

Throughout my service on the County Council, I have worked closely with my

Republican colleagues on countless issues and have supported a fiscally responsible,

commonsense approach to government. At the same time, I have never believed that

elected officials should simply vote according to the preferences of a political committee.

My responsibility is first and foremost to the citizens of Talbot County. I will continue to
evaluate each issue on its merits, listen to residents, study the facts, and vote according

to what I believe serves the County's long-term interests.

Reasonable people can disagree on individual issues. What should never be controversial 

is the principle that elected officials exercise independent judgment on behalf of the people

they represent. That is exactly what I have done throughout my service on the County Council.

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