Six Candidates Under Consideration To Replace Tom Jarboe As Republican Nominee

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — Six candidates are being considered to replace the late Tom Jarboe as the Republican nominee for St. Mary’s County commissioner president, according to the St. Mary’s County Republican Party.

The St. Mary’s County Republican Central Committee is scheduled to hold a closed executive session Wednesday evening, Aug. 12, to interview the candidates and vote on Jarboe’s replacement.

Jennifer Boyd, chairwoman of the St. Mary’s County Republican Central Committee, confirmed the planned meeting during an interview with The BayNet.

“Once the interview with question/answer session is completed and the decision is made, there will be an announcement,” the St. Mary’s County Republican Party said in a social media post.

Vacancy Follows Jarboe’s Death

Jarboe died Aug. 5 following complications from end-stage liver disease. He was 57.

A former St. Mary’s County commissioner, Jarboe secured the Republican nomination for commissioner president during Maryland’s June 23 primary election. He received 2,823 votes, or 44.68% of the Republican vote, defeating Alvey and Greg Kolarik.

Alvey finished second in the primary with 2,119 votes, or 33.54%, while Kolarik received 1,376 votes, or 21.78%, according to the official Maryland State Board of Elections results.

Jarboe had been set to face Democratic nominee AnnMarie Abell in the Nov. 3 general election.

Central Committee Responsible For Replacement

Under Maryland Election Law § 5-1004, when a political party’s nominee for an office contained entirely within one county dies, the vacancy is filled by the central committee of the same political party. Because commissioner president is elected countywide, the St. Mary’s County Republican Central Committee is responsible for choosing the replacement nominee.

The law requires a vacancy caused by a nominee’s death to be filled by the 81st day before the general election. With Maryland’s general election scheduled for Nov. 3, the committee faces a Friday, Aug. 14, deadline to complete the process.

The candidate selected by the committee will become the Republican nominee for St. Mary’s County commissioner president and face Democratic nominee AnnMarie Abell in November.

The BayNet will update this story once the committee announces its decision.