Harford County Circuit Court Judge Angela Eaves made more history Tuesday, as she secured a full 15-year term by winning both the Democratic and Republican primary elections.
Eaves, who was named to the Circuit Court bench in late November by Gov. Martin O'Malley, is the first woman and the first black person appointed to the Circuit Court in Harford County. Tuesday she became the first black woman to win a countywide election.
Eaves faced three challengers, as judicial candidates must run in both party primaries. According to unofficial returns, she easily won the Democratic primary with nearly 67.5 percent of the vote and comfortably won the Republican primary over Charles Wagner, 43.3 percent to 39 percent, a 794-vote difference. Although judge candidates run unaffiliated with any party, Wagner had the backing of the local Republican Party leadership, which was hoping to gain at least a split in the primary voting. Had that happened, the two winners Tuesday would have faced off in the November general election.
Absentee and provisional ballots were still being counted Thursday and results were not available as of 5:30 p.m. With only 949 Republican ballots requested, however, Wagner had no chance of making up the gap from Tuesday’s vote at the polls.
Joseph Snee, Eaves’ campaign manager, said Wagner called Eaves Thursday morning and congratulated her.
It was hard to gauge if the approximately 41 percent turnout Tuesday — clearly influenced by the freezing rain that slicked roads throughout the afternoon and evening — worked to Eaves' advantage. There are almost as many registered Republicans as registered Democrats in Harford County, and a big GOP turnout would have presumably helped Wagner.
The other two judge candidates, H. Edward Andrews III and Steven Scheinin, finished far back in third and fourth, respectively, in both primaries but may have siphoned off enough votes in the GOP primary to keep Wagner from making it closer or winning. Andrews got 12.6 percent of the GOP votes, Scheinin 5 percent - 3,340 between them.
Despite the bad weather and the fact that their party's presidential nomination has all but been wrapped up by Arizona Sen. John McCain, local Republicans in the First Congressional District still had a spirited three-way contest for their party's congressional nomination among incumbent Rep. Wayne Gilchrest and State Sens. Andrew Harris and E.J. Pipkin. The congressional district cuts across a strong Republican belt that includes Churchville, Forest Hill, Bel Air, Fallston and Abingdon. Harris, helped by a big vote in Harford County, where he received 59 percent to 28 percent for Gilchrest, declared victory early this morning (Wednesday).
About 36 percent of registered Republicans in Harford County voted Tuesday, while the Democrats, who still have a contested race for their presidential nomination between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, turned out about 45 percent Tuesday. With 72 of 72 precincts — but no absentee or provisional ballots — counted, Obama had a 95-vote lead in Harford but easily won the statewide voting.
In the judge race, Eaves had the backing of the county's legal establishment, but she and Wagner were nearly even in fund-raising as of late last week. Some Eaves supporters predicted she would do well among women, regardless of party affiliation, because Harford has never had a female Circuit Court judge and has only had two female District Court judges, Mimi Cooper and Eaves, who was on the District Court for seven years until her appointment to the next level.
Only one circuit court judge has ever been unseated in Harford County, but that happened 54 years ago at a time when voters in Harford and Baltimore counties participated in the election process. The only other black person to win a countywide election was the late Lehman W. Spry, who was elected to the Harford County Council in 1974 and 1978. Eaves now shares that distinction.
Note: An earlier version of this post gave an incorrect figure for Eaves’ lead over Wagner in the Republican voting. An updated report Wednesday afternoon gave Eaves 8,224 votes, to 7,428 for Wagner, a 794-vote difference.
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