Maryland voters will face a crowded ballot this fall, with highly contested races for numerous offices on the local and state level.

Stick with The Bay Net for straightforward coverage of the upcoming Southern Maryland races. In the coming weeks The Bay Net will launch a comprehensive elections page with information, bios, pictures, reader polls and more.

The primary elections will be held Sept. 12, with the general election on Nov. 7. The deadline for filing for a primary race is July 3.

 
Dyson
 
McKay

Regional media has been reporting that the state senate race between incumbent Roy Dyson (D- Great Mills) and challenger Tommy McKay (R- Hollywood) is the most hotly contested and will be the most closely watched. But there are also big races shaping up for St. Mary’s Commissioner President, Charles County Board of Education and the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by career politician Paul Sarbanes.

McKay, current St. Mary’s Commissioner President, is joined by other Southern Maryland natives seeking to jump into state and federal office.

Hoyer, left, and Bohanan

Incumbent Democrat Maryland Delegate John Bohanan is being challenged in the primary by James P. Cusick Sr. of Lexington Park, who is campaigning on ending corruption and stopping expansion of the naval base.

 
Miller

Democrat 5th District U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer is being challenged by Republican Ron Miller, a retired Air Force intelligence officer from Huntingtown.

Hoyer, a 25-year incumbent and the second ranking Democrat in Congress, has said he welcomes the competition.

Hoyer is also being challenged Nov. 7 by Green Party candidate Steve Warner, of Solomon’s Island. Marlon Alvey of Charlotte Hall was in the race, but dropped out in February. Alvey ran for House of Delegates in 1998.

Incumbent House of Delegates member John Wood Jr., (D- Mechanicsville) is being challenged by two fellow St. Mary’s residents, Clare Whitbeck (D-Leonardtown) and Joseph DiMarco (R- Mechanicsville).

 
O’Donnell

Republican Maryland Delegate Anthony J. O’Donnell is currently unopposed.

 Dement

In St. Mary’s County, a crowd of candidates has formed to take the seat of Commissioner President Tommy McKay, including Joseph B Bush, Sr., Dennis Jack Hubscher, Merl Evans, Michael L. Hewitt, and Jack Russell.