More News

More voters are registering Democrat in Frederick County than ever before, and one group hopes to make those numbers go even higher.

A newly revived Frederick County Young Democrats, held its first meeting in early August and since then members have been working to usher in a new era in county politics.

"The energy, diversity and drive that the members of this organization boast as individuals has only increased my excitement for the prospects of what we, as a whole, can accomplish in the future," said Burke Miller, 23, president of the fledgling club. "We will be the driving force in Frederick County's ongoing transition from red to blue."

Though Frederick County Young Democrats is part of the Young Democrats of Maryland, the local organization has been stagnating for several years.

Miller, new to the political scene in Frederick, decided it was time to revive the group and give 20- and 30-somethings a voice in local politics.

"I was working down in Annapolis and I decided to come back [to Frederick]," said Miller, a graduate of Frederick High School. "I went to several Democratic events and I noticed there really was a lack of young people."

Miller lived briefly in Annapolis, working for Democrat Del. Ben Barnes of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties.

He now lives in downtown Frederick and works at Fort Detrick's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center. He also volunteers at Heartly House, a domestic abuse center, and is on the governing board of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Abuse.

On the political front, Miller is volunteering for the 6th District Congressional campaign of former Frederick Mayor Jennifer P. Dougherty (D).

Dougherty is hoping to unseat longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett of Buckeystown.

At one time, it might have been easy, since Democrats vastly outnumbered Republicans in Frederick County. In 1982, 54.8 percent of the voters in the county were Democrats, according to the county's Board of Election; roughly 36.5 percent were Republicans.

By 1998, as more residents moved to the county, Democrats claimed only 39.1 percent of registered voters, while Republicans jumped to 46 percent.

Democrats elected to office in Frederick County also declined during the 16-year period. In 1982, 15 Democrats were elected to office in the county. Only four Republicans were elected that year. But in 1998, three Democrats were elected, compared to 17 Republicans.

The Republican party has dominated the political landscape of Frederick County ever since. But after years of Republican domination, the tide may be changing.

From Jan. 1 to June 30 of this year, 3,116 county residents registered Democrat, compared to 2,095 who registered as Republican, according to the county's Board of Elections.

As of this week, the number of registered Republicans is at 55,279, according to the county's Board of Elections. The number of registered Democrats is 48,751.

Of the eight-member Frederick delegation to the Maryland General Assembly, two are Democrats. Del. Sue Hecht and Del. Galen Clagett. Both represent the City of Frederick.

Of the five-member Frederick Board of County Commissioners, two are Democrats: Board President Jan H. Gardner and Kai J. Hagen. David "Kip" Koontz, a Democratic alderman in the City of Frederick and a former member of the Young Democrats in Hagerstown, remains hopeful that Democrats can regain their stronghold in the county.

"The trend, according to the [county] election board, is that more people are registering as Democrat than Republican," he said. "We've still got a long way to go to catch up, but I believe that with what we've experienced in the last eight years, the fatigue has caused many people to rethink their priorities. With that said, I am hopeful the Democratic trend will continue until we are the majority party in Frederick County again."

The average age of Young Democrats members is 21, with a few who are 18 and a few 30 year olds, Miller said. The group has between 15 to 20 members.

Joe Welty, 22, said he joined because he wants to give young Democrats a means of getting more involved in county politics.

"Growing up in Frederick, we never had a strong young Democratic group," Welty said. "… We want to try and represent young people as much as possible."For now, Welty said the group is focused on the Nov. 4 election."After the election we want to put together a legislative agenda to go to Annapolis," he said.

Koontz believes it is vital that young people exercise their right to vote. "I am enthused," he said. "I've met them and they're really working hard for the future and for this election."