They’re back! Two familiar political figures have joined the ranks of candidates running at-large in the 2014 Calvert County Commissioners’ race. George W. Owings III, a Democrat; and Linda L. Kelley, a Republican, signed up for another election.
Owings, who was appointed to fill an unexpired term in the House of Delegates back during the 1980s and subsequently elected four times, indicated his final decision to run was made at the 11th hour but he had been grappling with the idea with a return to politics for some time.
“I’ve given it a lot of thought and I’m not ready to retire,” said Owings. “Every day I get calls from people who need help, who trust me. They know I can direct them to the right place. I may as well get into a position where I can help them myself. There’s no politics like local politics.”
Owings resigned from the House of Delegates in 2004 after then-Governor Robert Ehrlich, a Republican, appointed him secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs. When then-Baltimore mayor Martin O’Malley defeated Ehrlich in the 2006 Maryland Governor’s race, there was wide speculation about whether Owings would retain the secretary’s post. In spring of 2007 O’Malley appointed a new department secretary.
In early 2010 Owings announced he was running for governor but subsequently dropped out of the race due to a health issue.
Owings has been quite candid about his dislike for the O’Malley Administration. “This administration really doesn’t care for the rural areas of Maryland,” said Owings, who added “I do feel we’re punished.” The punitive actions, Owings indicated, were related to the fact most rural counties, including Calvert, have supported Ehrlich in the last three gubernatorial elections.
Of the local issues, Owings stated he has “a deep concern about the drug situation. It scares me to death what’s out there. As a county commissioner, Owings said he intends to work with local law enforcement and school officials to get a handle on the situation. “We know they [drugs] are in schools,” said Owings.
He also pledged to focus on “helping small businesses through the bureaucratic nonsense and red tape.” Of the challenges fledgling local businesses face in starting up, Owings declared, “it gets worse every year.” He indicated strict regulations and heavy-handed enforcement was counter-productive. “There are easier ways to follow the law,” said Owings. “You don’t need to overburden.”
When asked to comment on the controversy surrounding the Dominion Cove Point expansion project, Owings pointed out the decision will have been made on the project by the time the next board of county commissioners is sworn in and would thus be a moo
