Blaine Young.
Frederick.
It’s a tale as old as time.
A Quick Blaine Young Bio
Blaine Young is a former Frederick County Republican commissioner and conservative talk radio show host.
Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner (D) defeated Young in the 2014 Frederick County executive general election.
Did you have Blaine Young’s political comeback on your 2021 Bingo card?
Sorry – but a Blaine Young political comeback is relegated exclusively to the year 2020.
Blaine Young’s City of Frederick Write-in Campaign
The Frederick News-Post reported on Oct. 19 that longtime Frederick County Republican activist Hayden Duke is organizing a Blaine Young mayoral write-in campaign.
Why?
Blaine Young explains the genesis of the write-in movement in an Oct. 18 Facebook post.
There’s plenty of excellent restaurants in downtown Frederick City!
Did you know that Blaine Young has a Facebook group cheering on his mayoral write-in campaign?
The movement is real!
However, as Young explains in the group, he has “no campaign fund, no committee, no formal organization” and he’s “not even on the ballot…”
Why Is Hayden Duke Organizing Blaine Young’s Mayoral Write-In Campaign?
Frederick City Republicans nominated Steven L. Hammrick to take on incumbent City of Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor (D) in the November general election.
(What is a City of Frederick election without Democrat Jennifer Dougherty, a former Frederick City mayor, running a write-in campaign?)
Hammrick’s legal name is Steven Hamrick Jr. (with one “m”) for the record.
Mr. Hammrick, however, requested a legal name change “because he no longer associates with his family,” the News-Post reported.
What the hell does that even mean?
Why Did Frederick City Republicans Nominate Steven Hammrick For Mayor?
Who knows why Republicans do some of the things they do.
Our friends at the Frederick Local Yokel offer some interesting thoughts on Blaine Young and the Frederick mayoral/alderman race.
Does anyone know precisely why Steven Hammrick defeated Steve Garrahy in Frederick’s September primary?
Did Frederick Republicans confuse the two Stevens?
In September, Republican mayoral candidate Steve Garrahy told Frederick County radio station WFMD that he’s a U.S. Army veteran” and “a medic.”
“I got a lot of leadership skills with working in the fire services and military,” Garrahy said during an interview with the same radio station.
A Miner Detail is fishing for explanations.
Why did Steven Hammrick topple Steven Garrahy by 102 votes in the City of Frederick’s Sept. 21 Republican mayoral primary?
Please email us your theories.
Steven Hammrick’s Legal Challenges
Mr. Hammrick is facing an uphill battle – in more ways than one.
Hammrick was indicted in October 2021 on several charges after allegedly pointing a rifle at a group of people during a July confrontation at his City of Frederick apartment complex.
He’s facing the following criminal charges:
– First-degree assault;
– Second-degree assault;
– Firearm possession with crime of violence/felony conviction (two counts);
– Regulated firearm illegal possession (two counts);
– Rifle/shotgun possession with disqualification (two counts);
– Rifle/shotgun possession with crime of violence conviction (two counts);
– Firearm use – felony or violent crime;
– Illegal possession of ammo;
– Reckless endangerment;
Steven Hammrick is innocent until proven guilty by a jury of his peers.
Some Frederick City Republicans Swap Steven Hammrick for Blaine Young
Mr. Hammrick’s criminal indictment is apparently too much for Frederick City Republicans to swallow.
Hayden Duke told the News-Post that Hammrick’s charges, “as well as his lack of participation in a campaign, were his reasons for mounting the write-in campaign for Young, as was a desire not to see O’Connor have a clear path to re-election.”
Can you argue with Duke’s logic?
Hayden Duke, a former City of Frederick alderman candidate himself, is keenly strategizing Blaine Young’s mayoral write-in prospects.
Nevertheless, Frederick City Republicans this year are stuck with the criminally indicted Steven Hammerick, formally known as Steven Hamrick Jr. (one “m”).
Frederick City Republicans’ Moral Awakening
Hayden Duke’s moral reckoning around Steven Hammrick is commendable.
But one must inquire whether Republicans like Hayden Duke will do the “right thing” should future moral conundrums present themselves, especially on our national political stage.
Surely Mr. Duke’s political morality extends beyond the City of Frederick’s boundaries, right?
Self-reflection is complicated, don’t we know.
But the so-called law-and-order political party might need a few moments to consider how to practice what they preach.
Of course, Steven Hammrick believes his criminal indictment is politically motivated.
No, Judge, we’re didn’t break into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and ransack the place with the sole intent to stop a free and fair election in the world’s most advanced republic at the behest of a now-twice impeached former president who avoided paying taxes for years because he’s a shitty businessman.
Uh, huh.
Perhaps Steven Hammrick is the perfect representation of today’s modern Republican Party: Blame somebody else and never take responsibility.
What more could Steven Hammrick do to demonstrate to Frederick Republicans like Hayden Duke that he’s loyal to the Republican cause and would make for a fine mayor?
How about a tweet labeling former Vice President Mike Pence (R) “a traitor?”
A tweet like that could launch Steven Hammrick’s 2022 Maryland gubernatorial bid in no time!
Maryland Republicans, here’s your guy!
But Steven Hammrick is wise to spend his time hiring an aggressive and qualified attorney to represent him and mount a serious defense on his behalf.
A Miner Detail is aware of one particular Frederick County attorney skilled in creating alternative realities.
If Elected Frederick City Mayor, What Is Blaine Young’s Platform?
More to the point, what does Blaine Young hope to accomplish if Frederick City voters elect him mayor?
A lot.
But don’t count on Blaine Young committing to a full-time mayoral schedule.
Mr. Young told the News-Post that if elected, he intends to keep his full-time job as vice president of franchise sales and business development at NaturaLawn of America.
For Hayden Duke, Blaine Young, a Republican, serving as a part-time mayor is far better than Michael O’Connor, a Democrat, serving as a full-time mayor.
What else is Blaine Young planning to do if elected mayor of Frederick City?
He’d hire former Frederick County manager Barry Stanton to manage the day-to-day affairs of the City as the City’s chief administrative officer, or the “deputy mayor,” as Young described to the News-Post.
Young told the News-Post that he’d serve only one mayoral term and accept no compensation from the City.
Wasn’t There Some Talk A Few Years Ago About A Blaine Young Political Comeback?
Yes, there was talk of a Blaine Young comeback just over two years ago.
In September 2019, the News-Post published a letter written by Blaine Young.
Young titled his letter, “It’s time,” and he declared, “It’s time to clean up our great city before it gets out of hand.”
In his letter, Young proposed stationing police officers on the “Square Corner.”
Young said he’d place “blue phones on Carroll Creek and in the parks like they do on college campuses,” creating an “adopt a block program by businesses.”
And he said he’d develop a “power washing program” for the City’s sidewalks.
“I don’t have all the answers,” Young said.
He said he’d “try to be part of the solution and not just complain.”
Take Heart: Forever Young On A Frederick Ballot
Blaine Young, now 50, served as president of the Frederick County Board of Commissioners from 2010 to 2014.
He even considered running for governor in 2013.
In fact, Mr. Young drew one of the largest crowds in Maryland GOP state party convention history at the 2013 MDGOP spring convention.
Young and his testing-the-political waters campaign team threw a massive “speculation party” that year in the ballroom. It was a barnburner of a party.
It was at that spring convention when Dan Bongino threatened to lay the smack-down on former state Del. Don Murphy. Then again, Dan Bongino threatened a lot of Maryland Republicans whom he considered insufficiently loyal.
Young, though, decided to remain local in 2014, running instead for county executive.
And the rest is history.
In 2016, Young found himself in legal hot water.
Mr. Young’s indiscretions are well-known and not worth repeating.
A Miner Detail is an advocate and proponent for personal redemption; otherwise, the unforgiving political establishment would have written off this Maryland political blog years ago.
Human beings are complex and nuanced. We all make mistakes. We learn to correct our errors and grow in ways that we didn’t think were possible.
Before sentencing, Blaine Young publicly apologized for his actions and vowed to become a better citizen. A judge sentenced him to probation before judgment.
Young has kept a relatively low public profile since the 2016 incident.
Blaine Young is unlikely to win a write-in campaign, despite Mr. Duke and other Republicans’ best efforts.
Take heart, though: In Frederick City and Frederick County, the name Young is still likely to appear on future election ballots.
The City of Frederick holds its election on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.
About A Miner Detail
Ryan Miner is the Editor, Founder, and Publisher of A Miner Detail, a Maryland politics and news blog featuring Maryland Maryland political news and opinion.
Feedback/News Tips: Ryan@AMinerDetail.com.
Follow Ryan on Twitter: @RyanRMiner.
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Yes, Blaine has my vote and I’m a democrat