County Commissioner Ron Fithian was elected as a Democrat to serve as Kent County Commissioner, a position he has held for the last 20 years. Like every American he has the right to support and eventually vote for the candidate of his choice for governor of our state.
If he wanted to place a quarter-page ad in the Kent County News endorsing the Republican candidate for Governor, he should have done so as private citizen Ron Fithian, not as County Commissioner Ron Fithian, who is also a candidate for office. He bases his support for Governor Hogan on his support for the Commissioners over the past four years. Of course, Mr. Hogan would do whatever he could for the Eastern Shore counties, since they are a major source of his support. While Mr. Hogan has shown himself to be moderate as present-day Republicans go, the fact is that he is still a Republican who puts corporations and the wealthy before the middle class and the poor. Yes, he lowered our bridge tolls, but at the risk of not having the funds to maintain the structures.
Mr. Fithian turns his back on his party’s candidate for Governor. Ben Jealous is a candidate for today and for tomorrow, but he also represents the best traditions of the Democratic Party, the New Deal of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Great Society of Lyndon Johnson before he lost himself to the Vietnam War. If the citizens of Kent County take the time to look at Jealous’s positions, they will see that the county, the entire Eastern Shore and the State can only benefit if he is elected. His policies for educational reform, support for business, improving the environment, and reforming the criminal justice system are forward looking.
Mr. Fithian has shown himself not to be a real Democrat. In choosing to support the Republican candidate, he is aligning himself with the party that is undermining our federal government and our democracy, that would return us to the “good old days” of the robber barons by continuing to favor the wealthiest 1% over the rest of us. Wake up, Mr. Fithian and smell the coffee. You won’t have my vote in November and I would encourage the Democrats of Kent County not to vote for you as well. Every Democrat should vote for Ben Jealous, our Party’s candidate for Governor as the better choice for the future. Democrats like Ben Jealous around the country are gaining support, especially among the young. Our Party is reclaiming its progressive heritage, and in my humble opinion that can only lead to better times.
George R. Shivers
Chestertown
Robert Kramer says
Geez… would you be upset if Commissioner Short, a RePub, publicly supported Jesse Colvin for Congress? I think not.
BTW, Mr Hogan didn’t support our current president and they’re both RePubs.
I congratulate Mr Fithian for being faithful to his beliefs. and aligning himself with an individual who has performed his job admirably regardless of his party affiliation. And I’ll vote for Mr Hogan again as an Unaffiliated voter as I did in 2014. Maybe we all should take a clue from Mr Fithian.
Al Townshend says
Mr. Fithian’s allegiance is to Kent County and the best interest of it’s citizens. He has acted admirably in that capacity for the past 20 years regardless of his [party affiliation. To vote against him solely based on his support across party lines is typical of those filled with hate.
His support for Governor Hogan is also based on what’s best for our county and our state. God forbid we have another tax and spend governor that even tried to tax rain.
Michael McDowell says
Agree. Plus Mr. Fithian should not be both a commissioner and town manager of Rock Hall. This is a clear conflict of interest. He has lost the votes in our household. Time for new blood, no question.
Gren Whitman says
Commissioner Ron Fithian has been heard to boast that he is one of only two Democratic county commissioners remaining on the Eastern Shore, but now, with his well-advertised defection to Larry Hogan’s campaign, I guess that’s been whittled down to one.
As a Democrat, I did not vote for Ben Jealous in the primary, but that doesn’t mean I won’t support and vote for him in November as my party’s candidate.
Before he tapped his own campaign’s kitty for funds to pay for his “sayonara” ad in the Kent County News, Mr. Fithian surely calculated how many Democratic votes he’d lose and how many GOP votes he’d gain.
Because I don’t share Mr. Fithian’s enthusiasm for Mr. Hogan, he can count mine as one of his vanished votes.
(Full Disclosure: Based on the commissioners’ failure to fully fund the Kent County Public Schools’ fiscal 2019 budget request, I was already a “maybe” vote for all three.)
Phil Ticknor says
Mr. Fithian can support whomever he would like. Why Democrats (and everyone else) should question his integrity in terms of his party affiliation is because he has admitted to registering as a Democrat decades ago to support one individual and that he describes himself as more conservative than most Republicans.
https://www.myeasternshoremd.com/kent_county_news/news/fithian-eyes-sixth-term-as-commissioner/article_d33fbafa-94e2-5ad9-978e-fd7f8e41708f.html
Robbi Behr says
I am a Democrat and no fan of Mr. Fithian’s because of his lack of vision and leadership, his lack of support for our public schools, and his complete failure to move our county forward in the many years he has held office (not to mention the conflict of interest mentioned above and the general old boy misogyny I’ve experienced from him first-hand) – however I think he absolutely has the right to endorse a republican Governor who has treated him well. One should applaud this as “working across the aisle” – and as someone else pointed out above, none of us would be complaining about Rs endorsing Jesse Colvin. Commissioner Fithian has given us plenty of actual failures and shortcomings to complain about that have nothing to do with his relationship with Hogan. Honestly, if the worst he did was endorse an R, I’d be delighted. As it is, his inability to address the realities of our dwindling population and the resulting decimation of services for those of us who choose to live here has done far more damage.
Marty Stetson says
What is a real Democrat ? Is that one who falls in lockstep with the party line and party candidate. I am a Republican but I certainly do not support every person my party nominates. Mr. Fifithian did what was in his heart and his mind and I applaud him for doing it. I ask you what would you have him do put in a disclaimer when ever he speaks his mind, he is a County Commissioner and he based his support on how he perceives Kent County has been treated from Governor Hogan’s administration. This deep set, my party is always right is what has created the deadlock in Washington and now Mr. Shivers would like to bring it all the way down to our County government.
Mr. Shivers is the same person who used to put a sign in his yard -” War is not the answer” I always wanted to ask him how he felt about the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and World War Two. If we would have not fought those wars, just think what a different country we would live in today.
Janet Christensen-Lewis says
Being an independent feels like a luxury if belonging to a political tribe, Republican or Democrat, means you are going to be smeared, in a letter to the spy, about your transgression of thinking a candidate in a different party might be a better choice for a county you represent.
I think it is great that Commissioner Fifthian endorsed Hogan. If only we could see more from both sides of the isle do same when warranted. His principals and experiences seems to be his guidance rather than what the “party” dictates. Touché for having a mind of one’s own.
Carla Massoni says
I am no fan of Mr. Fithian. He is a Democrat. I identify as a Democrat and am registered as one. But I have voted for Republicans throughout my years as a voter. I vote for the person best qualified to do the job. Mr. Fithian is free to vote and endorse whomever he feels is most qualified. It may ruffle feathers and disturb the his fellow Democrats – but it is his right. I echo Bob’s earlier comment. I would be pleased if Mr. Hogan endorsed Jesse Colvin. They have far more in common and closer values than Dr. Harris does.
Nancy Jewell says
I totally disagree!!!