Charles County Too

The Washington Post reports this morning that the sharp rise in Charles County's black population has inspired several new African-American candidacies for public office. Edith Patterson, who became the County's first black commissioner by appointment, is now seeking election to the Commission. Attorney Reuben Collins II is also considered a strong contender for a seat on the Commission. Although candidates are elected from districts, voters from around the county can vote from candidates from all districts, so it will be interesting to see if black candidates can attract sufficient cross-racial support to win election. (Southern Maryland online has a complete list of candidates for Charles County office.)

Incumbent white Democratic State Sen. Thomas Middleton has also recruited African-American Gregory Billups as a candidate for the House of Delegates on his slate. Being on a slate with the County's most powerful politician should not hurt his chances of giving a uptick to black representation in the General Assembly.

The rise the County's black population has also flipped Charles from being Republican to narrowly Democratic in national contests. As the U.S. Election Atlas shows, while Charles went for Bush in 1992 and Dole in 1996, it voted for Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004.