The Spy is pleased to have caught up with the inimitable Wayne Gilchrest, former Republican congressional district State Representative.
Gilchrest spent 18 years serving Maryland’s 1st district and was defeated in the Republican primary by State Senator Andy Harris as the country edged toward the new and fractious conservatism we now experience daily in US politics. “It was the best thing to have happened in my life,” he said.
After his defeat in the primary by the Club for Growth backed Andy Harris, Gilchrest remained true to his lights as a moderate and backed the Democratic candidate. A quote from Wiki states Gilchrest as saying, “Let’s see, the Republican Party, or my eternal soul?” and “Party loyalty, or integrity?”
Always independently minded politically—often voting against his party’s own initiatives—Gilchrest is now Education Program Director for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, and committed to environmental education, specifically working with kids from our county schools. His Turner Creek office in Kennedyville is filled daily with wide-eyed and enthusiastic middle-schoolers as they explore the local terrain and learn-by-doing the nuances of nature and our relationship to our environment.
In an interview with the Spy almost four years ago, Gilchrest stated “there isn’t life after politics, only heaven.”
In this video, Gilchrest talks about the consequences of rigid ideology and contempt without investigation, but rather than despair over it, he sees great hope in the energy and inquisitiveness of American youth.
The Spy checked in on Wayne Gilchrest’s slice of heaven. And yes, he’s found it.
Jane E. Hukill says
We were blessed to have Wayne Gilchrest for those 18 years, and now our local children are blessed with his teaching. If anyone wants to understand integrity in a “politician”, just look at Wayne. He truly cared about his constituents, no matter what their political party affiliation was. He deserves his “heaven” for all the service he provided us. Thanks so much, Wayne.
Ann-Marie Remillard says
At one time, Wayne Gilchrest was my Congressman and I, even as a long-time Democratic activist, looked upon him with great respect. Listening to this interview, it makes me sad that the State of Maryland lost this wonderfully indepentent thinker as a legislator. Our elected officials need to follow his advice to ditch the pre-cooked platitudes that have become the public propaganda of today; we need to take the time to think through issues. It amazes me that in this age of an abundance of communication that there are so many people unable or unwilling to select officials who are more than mouthpieces of someone’s dogma instead of searching for earnest, farsighted thinkers who can see real problems and come up with realistic, practical solutions for the common good. Campaign time should be “study time” for all of us. Thank you for this interview….and many thanks to Wayne Gilchrest for sharing his thoughts with us.