Fitzwater secures second term with 55.3% of county vote
Frederick County voters handed the Democratic Party sweeping victories across the board, including the sheriff's office and council, while data centers remain a flashpoint.
By Tomas Gonzalez ·
Jessica Fitzwater captured 55.3% of the vote, translating to nearly 52,000 ballots, to secure a second term as Frederick County executive. The result came by the close of election night Tuesday, marking a decisive win for the incumbent.
Democratic candidates swept nearly every major race in the county. Six Democrats claimed seats on the seven-member county council, reducing the Republican presence to a single representative. In the sheriff's race, Democrat Karl Bickel defeated incumbent Chuck Jenkins by a margin of 10,000 votes.
The board of education elections also saw victories for Casey Day, Rae Gallagher, Dean Rose, and Heather Fletcher. Although these races are non-partisan, many supporters of Fitzwater viewed their wins as a reflection of the county's political shift.
Data centers dominated the campaign discourse. Residents criticized Fitzwater's backing of a 2,600-acre overlay zone established late last year north of Adamstown. The zone is intended to limit data center expansion to a single location to prevent urban sprawl.
Earlier this year, more than 21,000 signatures were collected for a referendum to reject the zone. That effort failed after an appeal to the Maryland Supreme Court. Stanley, who attended the election night watch party, said he felt Fitzwater has adjusted her approach since that legal loss.
"I’m willing to give her a second chance, give her another chance to make sure she’s the right person," Stanley said. "I have trust in her that she is going to be able to do that." He noted he wants more oversight and a more hesitant approach to development.
Fitzwater stated she does not know the final shape of data centers in the coming years. She plans to use data from an upcoming state study to reevaluate local policies. "From the beginning, Frederick County has led the way on making sure we have strict local regulations, and we are going to continue to make sure that our local regulations are as strict as they possibly can be," Fitzwater said. Congresswoman April McClain Delaney attended the event and described Frederick as the heart of Maryland’s sixth district.
