Farm Bureau, Inc. 3358 Davidsonville Road • Davidsonville, MD 21035 • (410) 922-3426

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Emily Solis [email protected] 410-922-3426

MFB PAC Announces Candidate Endorsements

(Davidsonville, MD – May 24, 2018) The Maryland Farm Bureau Political Action Committee (PAC), affiliated with the state’s largest general agricultural organization, recently announced the endorsement of 106 candidates in the House, Senate, Attorney General, Comptroller and Governor’s race for the state’s 2018 primary election.

“An endorsement is recognition of a candidate’s commitment to the issues important to the agricultural community in Maryland,” said Michael Calkins, Chairman of the Maryland Farm Bureau PAC. “Our support highlights the strong working relationship between farmers and endorsed candidates, both in the halls of Annapolis and back at local farm community events.”

The Maryland Farm Bureau PAC is non-partisan. The endorsement process is intended to draw attention to farm issues in an election year, increase voter turnout, and build a stronger relationship between local farmers and their elected officials. Much of the direction for the endorsement decisions comes from county Farm Bureaus.

“Selecting which candidates to endorse is truly a grassroots process,” Calkins said. “Candidate surveys include concerns raised by Farm Bureau members. Each county Farm Bureau creates a Candidate Evaluation Committee (CEC) to solicit input from its members, and in many cases, meet directly with the candidates. The CECs review candidate surveys, discuss year-round interaction with incumbents, discuss the qualifications of challengers, and make recommendations on whether to endorse. The PAC Board relies heavily on the recommendations of the CECs. The PAC Board also reviews the voting records of incumbents and the political acumen of challengers or open-seat candidates.”

Maryland Farm Bureau President Chuck Fry applauded the work of county committees and the PAC board. “This process truly exemplifies what’s great about the farming community and Farm Bureau,” he said. “We take direction from the grassroots – relying on the counties to recommend the candidates that will best serve the interests of farmers and rural Maryland.”

Calkins said that the endorsed candidates have demonstrated an appreciation for the hard work of farmers in Maryland. “The farming community plays an integral part in the state’s economy, not only in economic terms but also in the number of direct and indirect jobs our sector provides,” he said. “We want to be supported and acknowledged for the work accomplished in meeting and surpassing sediment and nutrient reduction goals as we do our part to clean up the Bay. Maryland farmland accounts for over 2 million acres in the state and farmers work hard to protect it and the Bay. The candidates selected recognize that agriculture needs to be supported and often defended during the legislative process.”

The Maryland Farm Bureau PAC has endorsed the following candidates and encourages all citizens to vote for these candidates in the June 26th Primary:

Governor of Maryland & Boyd Rutherford (R-Annapolis)

Comptroller of Maryland Peter Franchot (D – Silver Spring)

Attorney General of Maryland Craig Wolf (R – Annapolis)

District 1 – Garrett, Allegany & Washington George Edwards (R-Grantsville) for Senate 1A Wendell Beitzel (R-Accident) 1B Jason Buckel (R-Cumberland) 1C Mike McKay (R-Cumberland)

District 2 – Washington Andrew Serafini (R-Hagerstown) for Senate 2A Neil Parrott (R-Funkstown) 2A William Wivell (R-Smithsburg) 2B Paul Corderman (R-Hagerstown)

District 3 – Frederick Craig Giangrande (R-Frederick) for Senate 3A Carol Krimm (D-Frederick) 3A James Dvorak (R-Frederick) 3B William Folden (R-Jefferson)

District 4 – Frederick & Carroll Michael Hough (R-Knoxville) for Senate 4 Barrie Ciliberti (R-Frederick) 4 Jesse Pippy (R-Frederick)

District 5 – Carroll (R-Westminster) for Senate 5 (R-Hampstead) 5 Susan Krebs (R-Eldersburg) 5 (R-Westminster)

District 6 – County Johnny R. Salling (R-Baltimore) for Senate 6 Robin Grammer (R-Essex) 6 Bob Long (R-Baltimore) 6 Ric Metzgar (R-Essex)

District 7 – Baltimore & Harford J.B. Jennings (R-Joppa) for Senate 7 (R-Kingsville) 7 Rick Impallaria (R-Joppa) 7 David Seman (R-Jarrettsville)

District 8 – Baltimore County Kathy Klausmeier (D-Perry Hall) for Senate 8 Joe Cluster (R-Parkville) 8 Joseph Boteler, III (R-Perry Hall)

District 9 – Howard & Carroll Gail Bates (R-Glenelg) for Senate 9A Warren Miller (R-Glenwood)

District 10 – Baltimore County 10 Adrienne Jones (D-Woodstock)

District 11 – Baltimore County 11 Dana Stein (D-Baltimore)

District 12 – Baltimore & Howard Mary Kay Sigaty (D-Columbia) for Senate

District 13 – Howard (D-Columbia) for Senate

District 14 – Montgomery (D-Olney) for Senate 14 Anne Kaiser (D-Silver Spring) 14 Eric Luedtke (D-Burtonsville) 14 Pamela Queen (D-Olney)

District 15 – Montgomery Brian Feldman (D-Potomac) for Senate 15 Kathleen Dumais (D-Rockville) 15 David Fraser-Hidalgo (D-Boyds) 15 Harvey Jacobs (R-Rockville)

District 17 – Montgomery 17 Kumar Barve (D-Rockville)

District 21 – Prince George’s & Anne Arundel 21 Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D-College Park)

District 22 – Prince George’s 22 Tawanna Gaines (D-Berwyn Heights)

District 23 – Prince George’s Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Bowie) for Senate 23 Joseph Vallario, Jr, (D-Upper Marlboro) 23 Marvin Holmes, Jr. (D-Upper Marlboro)

District 24 – Prince George’s 24 Andrea Fletcher Harrison (D-Lanham)

District 25 – Prince George’s Melony Griffith (D-Upper Marlboro) for Senate 25 Dereck Davis (D-Mitchellville)

District 26 – Prince George’s (D-Fort Washington) for Senate

District 27 – Prince George’s, Charles & Calvert Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. (D-Clinton) for Senate 27A Susie Proctor (D-Accokeek) 27B Michael Jackson (D-Cheltenham) 27C Mark Fisher (R-Prince Frederick)

District 28 – Charles Mac Middleton (D-La Plata) for Senate 28 Edith Patterson (D-Pomfret) 28 Bill Dotson (R-White Plains) 28 Edward Holland (D-Pomfret)

District 29 – Calvert, Charles & St. Mary’s Steve Waugh (R-Lusby) for Senate 29A Matt Morgan (R-Charlotte Hall) 29B Deb Rey (R-Lexington Park) 29C Gerald “Jerry” Clark (R-Lusby)

District 30 – Anne Arundel Sarah Elfreth (D-Annapolis) for Senate 30A Mike Busch (D-Annapolis) 30A Doug Rathell (R-Annapolis) 30B Seth Howard (R-Churchton)

District 31 – Anne Arundel (R-Pasadena) for Senate 31B Nicholaus Kipke (R-Pasadena)

District 32 – Anne Arundel (D-Linthicum) for Senate

District 33 – Anne Arundel Edward Reilly (R-Crofton) for Senate 33 Michael Malone (R-Gambrills) 33 Sid Saab (R-Crownsville) 33 Jerry Walker (R-Crofton)

District 34 – Harford Bob Cassilly (R-Bel Air) for Senate 34A Glenn Glass (R-Aberdeen) 34B Susan McComas (R-Bel Air)

District 35 – Harford & Cecil Jason Gallion (R-Havre de Grace) for Senate 35A Kevin Hornberger (R-North East) 35B Andrew Cassilly (R-Havre de Grace) 35B Teresa Reilly (R-Whiteford)

District 36 – Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s & Caroline Stephen S. Hershey (R-Queenstown) for Senate 36 Jay Jacobs (R-Rock Hall) 36 Steve Arentz (R-Grasonville) 36 Jeff Ghrist (R-Ridgely)

District 37 – Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester & Wicomico Addie Eckardt (R-Cambridge) for Senate 37A Sheree Sample-Hughes (D-Salisbury) 37B Johnny Mautz (R-St. Michaels) 30B Christopher Adams (R-Hebron)

District 38 – Somerset, Wicomico & Worcester Jim Mathias (D-Ocean City) for Senate 38A Charles James Otto (R-Princess Anne) 38B Carl Anderton (R-Salisbury) 38C Joe Schanno (R-Berlin)

District 39 – Montgomery Nancy King (D-Montgomery Village) for Senate 39 Kirill Reznik (D-Germantown)

District 40 – Baltimore City Barbara Robinson (D-Baltimore) for Senate

District 42 – Baltimore County (R-Baltimore) for Senate 42B Justin Kinsey (R-Monkton)

District 43 – Baltimore City (D-Baltimore) for Senate 43 Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore)

District 45 – Baltimore City Nathaniel McFadden (D-Baltimore) for Senate

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The mission of the Maryland Farm Bureau is to promote and protect Maryland agriculture and rural life. Maryland Farm Bureau is a private, non-profit membership organization that is financed by voluntary membership dues. Its strength comes from the active participation of over 36,000-member families that belong to the state’s 23 county Farm Bureaus.