A history of Howard County Council redistricting, part 9

Part 8 of this series covered the Howard County Council’s first exercise in drawing council district lines. We now turn to how that effort affected the 1986 council elections, the first in which council members were elected by districts:¹

February–April 1986. The council once again approves the final district lines, this time via a council resolution rather than a bill, limiting the effect of any petition drive to put the plan to a referendum and ensuring that the 1986 elections will be held on a district basis. Council member Lloyd Knowles calls it “the worst vote ever taken by the council” and walks out of the meeting.²

Meanwhile more candidates enter the race for council seats in the new districts, joining previously-announced Council District 5 candidate Charles Feaga. Former council candidates Angela Beltram and Grace Kubofcik (who finished sixth and seventh respectively in the 1982 Democratic primary) announce their intention to run in Council District 2 (the Ellicott City district). They are joined by businessman John Cugle, who’s new to politics but not lacking in confidence (“I’ve never lost anything in my life, and I don’t plan to start now.”).

Council chair C. Vernon Gray, a recent migrant to Phelps Luck and Council District 3 (the east Columbia district), gets some good news as the Howard County Board of Elections issues a ruling that the two-year residency requirement in the amended charter does not apply to the 1986 election. Gray celebrates by formally filing as a candidate in District 3, though not without encountering another potential snag: Because Gray had previously neglected to formally inform the Howard County Board of Elections of his change of address, the board questions whether Gray is a “qualified and registered voter” in his district (as also required by the charter), and tells Gray it will accept his filing “conditionally” pending a legal ruling. Gray responds that he has “never heard of such chicanery,” and after he threatens a lawsuit the board backs down. Gray is joined as a District 3 candidate by Michael P. Hickey (not to be confused with the school superintendent), who touts his nine years of residence in east Columbia.

In west Columbia the Democratic field gets crowded as council incumbents Ruth Keeton and Lloyd Knowles face off against each other and against new candidate Don Carroll of Wilde Lake for the Council District 4 seat. At a fundraiser for Keeton Jim Rouse praises her as the “first lady of Columbia,” “a model American woman,” and “a powerful, marvelous citizen.” Knowles notes that Rouse had already contributed to his own campaign, and speculates that Rouse probably didn’t realize that he and Keeton were both running in the same district.

In the county executive race council members Elizabeth Bobo and James Clark (no relation to Sen. James Clark, Jr.) compete to be the successor to J. Hugh Nichols, and square off over the development of new shopping centers: “Without planning, you have strips,” says Clark; Bobo responds, “You have to know when to say “no” to developers.” Zoning becomes a more personal issue in the District 2 campaign, as John Cugle tangles with the Office of Planning and Zoning over a wall constructed at a house he’d purchased. Angela Beltram claims, “I wouldn’t have confidence in someone who would [flout] the zoning law when he makes zoning decisions.” Cugle laments, “I’m guilty of making a nice place for people to live. . . . The campaign lost because of a sheetrock wall? God!”

(“District lines now certain,” February 6, 1986; “Ex-aide opts for council,” February 27, 1986, p. 16; “Cugle bids for council,” March 6, 1986, p. 18; “District residency waived for 1986,” March 6, 1986, p. 18; “Gray files for reelection,” March 20, 1996, p. 17; “Hickey enters race for east Columbia,” March 27, 1986, p. 23; “Bash for Keeton draws big names,” March 27, 1986, p. 23; “Bobo, Clark take aim,” April 10, 1986; “Cugle irked, says he fixed zoning flaw,” April 17, 1986, p. 24)

June–August 1986. On the Republican side, businessman and local sports star Gilbert South announces his intention to run for county executive against Elizabeth Bobo, as Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles attends the announcement and is mobbed by fans crying “Ed-dee, Ed-dee!” “What this means to me is indescribable,” South says of Murray’s presence, though Murray notes that he’s not actually a resident of Howard County and that he “didn’t know just yet” whether he would campaign for South. South is joined by fellow Republican candidates Robert Flanagan and Chris McCabe, his companions in completing the recent Columbia Triathlon.

Current county executive J. Hugh Nichols stuns the council and other local politicians by announcing he’s resigning to accept a corporate job in New Orleans, and puts his house on the market that afternoon. Elizabeth Bobo claims that she’s “not particularly surprised” (“He’s done it twice before with other offices”) and notes that Nichols “hasn’t been around much anyway.” Nichols appoints county administrator William Eakle as acting county executive until September when Nichols’s accumulated leave runs out, after which the county charter requires that the council choose a successor of the same political party. Since Nichols was elected as a Democrat but then switched to become a Republican, “this leaves you with something of a dilemma,” Nichols jokes to C. Vernon Gray.

As the deadline for filing approaches, more candidates come forward to contest the council district elections: Republican James Holway (a former council member) files in Council District 1, Robert Belsinger makes a last-minute decision to join three other Democratic candidates in District 2 (“A lot of friends thought I should [run]”), and Republican Charles Feaga sees three Democratic candidates vie to oppose him in District 5. No Republican candidates file in Districts 3 and 4 by the deadline, but the Howard County Republican Central Committee finds two more candidates, Kay Koontz and William McDill, willing to compete in those districts, as part of its successful effort to field candidates for every local race.³

Howard County Republicans receive further good news as an increase in registered Republicans and a decline in registered Democratic produces a net gain of 3,027 registered voters, with six precincts (out of 62) now having a Republican majority (up from none ten months earlier). However Republicans still face a 1.78-to-1 Democratic edge in registered voters.⁴

The more intense competition for council district seats results in an increased emphasis on fundraising. C. Vernon Gray raises almost $33,000 for his campaign through the middle of August, almost eight times that of his opponent, Michael P. Hickey, who professes himself “amazed and shocked that somebody is raising that kind of money for a councilmanic election.” Ruth Keeton raises over $20,000 for her council race in District 4, an amount opponent Lloyd Knowles calls “almost obscene”: “That’s something like two and one-half bucks for every Democrat in my district.”⁵

(“Republicans go South for exec,” June 19, 1986, p. 25; “Hugh calls it quits,” July 3, 1986, p. 1; “County races fill on last filing day,” July 3, 1986, p. 20; “Local filers listed,” July 3, 1986, p. 21; “GOP will compete in every local race,” July 17, 1986, p. 19; “GOP nets over 1,600 county voters,” July 31, 1986, p. 27; “Fund-raising called shocking, “obscene”,” August 28, 1986, p. 21)

In part 10 we’ll continue to follow the council campaigns of 1986 through the primary and general elections.

UPDATE: It was pointed out to me in private correspondence that I was underestimating fundraising for Mary Kay Sigaty in the 2010 election cycle, since she also received support from the separate Team 4 Slate. I’ve corrected the relevant footnote below.