Howard County?s former police chief Wayne Livesay failed to win the Republican primary election for the Howard County Council District 5 seat, a loss many attributed to his controversial relationship with the Republican Party.
Greg Fox, who brought in 59.84 percent of the vote, defeated Livesay, who earned 36.06 percent, according to the unofficial count of the Howard County Board of Elections on Wednesday.
Fox will face off against Democrat Don Dunn in the November general election for the seat, which represents the western portion of the county.
“It didn?t go over well with some of the Republicans,” Livesay said, referring to his switch to the Democratic Party in 2002 to support Democratic County Executive Jim Robey?s bid for re-election.
Robey named Livesay police chief in 1998, and Livesay switched back to the Republican Party to run for the District 5 seat.
Livesay was later criticized for speaking out against the Republican Party on its position against gun control. However, Livesay said he was misquoted, and his opponents kept bringing it up, getting his position wrong.
“There was a lot more to that story,” he said, adding that the issue followed him to this campaign, because “some people pushed it.”
David Keelan, former Howard County Republican Club president and political blogger, said some bitterness existed between Livesay and the hard-core Republicans whotend to vote in the primary election.
“No one blamed him for leaving the party to support his friend Robey, but the potshot he took at the party when he left became a campaign issue,” Keelan said.
Livesay should have addressed the party changes and comments, and apologized, Keelan said.
“It was following him,” he said.
Fox said Livesay?s record with the Republican Party was only one reason he prevailed.
“I don?t think there was any one thing,” he said.
Fox declined to elaborate on his plans leading up to the general election and his main campaign issues, citing fatigue from a long and often sleepless past few weeks.
“I?ll take a couple days to relax a bit, but come this weekend, get geared up again,” he said.
Livesay said he hopes to continue working in Howard County, but did not elaborate.
“I?ll take some time and look at my options,” he said.
