Charles County Commissioner Patterson Listed Active Again After Disqualification, Reinstatement And Withdrawal

LA PLATA, Md. — In the latest change in the District 4 commissioner race, Charles County Commissioner Ralph Patterson is once again listed as an active candidate following disqualification, reinstatement and a brief withdrawal listing.

Patterson filed for reelection in June 2025 and was running unopposed for the District 4 commissioner seat. His candidacy was listed as disqualified March 23, 2026, after election officials determined a required financial disclosure filing had not been submitted on time. The issue prompted an emergency Board of Elections days later.

An emergency meeting of the Charles County Board of Elections was held March 25. Board members met for nearly four hours in closed session consulting with legal counsel before returning to open session and voting to reinstate previously disqualified candidates. Patterson was restored to eligible status following that vote.

Election records later showed Patterson listed as withdrawn from the race March 31, six days after the reinstatement decision.

Patterson later provided The BayNet with an updated Maryland State Board of Elections candidate listing on April 1, showing his status had been changed back to active.

Timeline of candidate status changes:
March 23 → Disqualified
March 25 → Reinstated by Charles County Board of Elections
March 31 → Listed as withdrawn
April 1 → Listed as active

Patterson, a Democrat, currently serves as vice president of the Charles County Board of County Commissioners and has represented District 4 since December 2022.

The BayNet has reached out to Patterson, the Charles County Board of Elections and the Maryland State Board of Elections seeking clarification on what occurred. Patterson provided an updated candidate listing showing his status as active, and The BayNet is awaiting additional details. Responses from election officials had not been received at the time of publication.

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