After a hard-fought campaign for Harford County Council president, it seemed the two challengers could not get their attacks to stick to incumbent Robert Wagner ? at least according to what voters were saying as they left the polls Tuesday.
Many said they were unfazed by attempts by hopefuls Aaron Kazi and Billy Boniface to unseat Wagner by questioning his party loyalty and attacking his stance on development.
But as results started coming in from the precincts about 9:30 p.m., Boniface quickly took the lead with about 50 percent of the vote. Kazi and Wagner were splitting the other 50 percent.
“It wasn?t myself alone; it was the team of friends and volunteers who helped me,” Boniface had said earlier in the evening.
“I?m proud of what we accomplished in little more than 100 days, win or lose.”
Neither Kazi nor Wagner could be reached for comment as of press time.
Over the course of the campaign, Kazi attacked Wagner for not being true enough to his Republican affiliation, pointing to his clashes with County Executive David Craig and his endorsement from by the Sierra Club as evidence that the incumbent was out of touch with the party line.
Voter Steve Pasko said Wagner was a “sellout” for developing part of his Bel Air farm, and that disdain for Wagner earned Kazi his vote. Kazi?s work to paint himself as the truer conservative also appealed to him, he said.
“The more conservative, the better,” Pasko said.
However, Wagner?s alleged lack of party lock-step was touted as an asset by his campaign, and voter Chris Boggs of Bel Air said he voted for Wagner because of it.
“I don?t support Republicans who vote party line all the time,” Boggs said. “Iappreciate that Robbie Wagner didn?t always go the same way as other Republicans on development.”
Boniface, the owner of Bonita Farm, generally ran a less negative campaign than Kazi though he did imply criticism of Wagner for selling off part of the incumbent?s land to developers, but several voters who spoke to The Examiner still saw Wagner as the controlled-development candidate.
Bel Air Republican Doug Shulte said that the county?s juggling of growth and school crowding led his children to be redistricted three times since they entered school, and he saw Wagner as working to help that. The party ties were not as big an issue to him, he said.
“You see Ehrlich helping Schaefer, and you see where Democrats and Republicans can get along. The whole attitude of ?me against you? wasn?t there for me this year,” Schulte said.
