Dark horse Billy Boniface carried the Republican primary for Harford County Council president by staying above most of the negative campaigning and pushing hard for undecided voters at the last minute, analysts said Wednesday.
Despite informal polls showing incumbent Robert Wagner with a solid lead before the election, Boniface got more than 50 percent of the vote and left Wagner to split the other 50 percent with former Gov. Ehrlich campaign contributor Aaron Kazi.
“I?d thought the race was going to be much tighter, having added up the numbers in my head and seen that turnout was low,” Boniface said. Voter turnout was just under 32 percent, according to the Board of Elections.
The steady stream of negative statements and mailers Kazi directed at Wagner made a difference by dragging both candidates down, said Republican Central Committee Chairman Bill Christoforo.
“Aaron Kazi definitely hurt Rob Wagner and didn?t help himself much with the attacks, and the person that [was] helped most was Billy Boniface,” Christoforo said.
“I?m just glad Wagner was out … I?m sure the attacks reverberated against me in the polls,” Kazi said Wednesday.
By having volunteers at many polling places, Boniface likely swayed voters who wereundecided until the last minute ? and in a year with a record number of Republican hopefuls, more choices meant more undecided voters, Christoforo said.
Cheryl Walter, a Bel Air Republican voting at Hickory Elementary school Tuesday, was one such voter.
“I find it really, really hard to vote any longer because you don?t know anyone personally anymore, unless you know their family,” she said. “Everyone has their spiel and it?s hard to tell one from the other.”
Boniface?s Darlington family was well-known in the horse-farming community for having several winning horses on the racing circuit.
Though new to political office, Boniface said he has experience lobbying in Annapolis. He pledged to work with County Executive David Craig more closely than the current council, which had butted heads with Craig over the failed comprehensive rezoning bill and the creation of several new county office positions. Though Craig never formally endorsed any candidates, Boniface said he was always willing to answer questions and offer advice.
County treasury employee Charles White, who was drafted unopposed into the Democratic primary for council president, said his campaign would continue as usual against Boniface.
“We?re the ones with a real platform of senior tax credits and halting crime in Edgewood … he?s the one running on his family name and how long he?s lived in Harford County,” White said.
