MacShane decides against another term on Frederick City Council
MacShane said he wants the council to have fresh perspectives.
Nine people are currently running for seven City Council positions and two are running for mayor.
The filing deadline for candidates for mayor and City Council is July 1.
Council Member Donna Kuzemchak has also said she is not running.
The council is set to expand this year to seven members from its current five.
Candidates
The candidates for Frederick City Council, with links to their profiles.
This means the council would have at least four new members following the general election in November.
Currently, all five members of the City Council represent the city at large.
However, after elections there will be seven council members. Five will represent districts and two will be at large representatives.
This is due to the then-Board of Aldermen approving a new charter in September 2024.
Mayor Michael O'Connor has filed to run for a third term. He is challenged by fellow Democrat Ron Beattie, a former city planning commissioner.
District 1 encompasses an area in the west part of the city, north of the Golden Mile area. Only current City Council President Katie Nash, a Democrat, has filed to run in District 1.
District 2 is the area around the Golden Mile in the southwest portion of the city. Only immigrant advocate César Díaz, a Democrat, has filed to run in the district.
District 3 is made up mostly of the downtown area. Peter Brehm, the treasurer for The Frederick Center, which serves the LGBTQ+ communities, and Wag's Restaurant co-owner Dave Schmidt — both Democrats — have both filed to run in the district.
District 4 contains the northern part of downtown and the northeastern portion of the city. Only Joe Adkins, a former deputy director of the Frederick Planning Department, has filed for the district. Adkins is currently the only Republican to have filed.
District 5 includes the northwestern part of the city. Sculptor Sarah Hempel Irani, a Democrat, is the lone candidate who has filed for the district.
Incumbents Derek Shackelford and Kelly Russell and Medicaid policy analyst Libby Taylor — all Democrats — have all filed to run for the council's two at-large seats.
The primary election is scheduled for Sept. 9 and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 4.
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