Schuler announces council run
Del. Todd Schuler announced Saturday that he will run for the County Council rather than seek a second term in the House of Delegates.
The announcement, made over the weekend at a campaign fundraising event, was not entirely unexpected. Schuler talked to me about running for the seat back in February 2008.
Schuler, a Democrat from Overlea, now represents the 8th District in the House of Delegates. He said he will run in 2010 for the 6th District council seat currently held by four-term Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder, who is running for county executive in 2010.
Schuler, 32, said he was drawn to running for the seat because of “the effect you can have on local issues.”
“These kind of opportunities don’t come along every day,” Schuler said, referring to the seven-member council that includes one five-term member and four others who have held their seats for four terms.
Schuler said he hopes to replace Vince Gardina as the “environmental conscience on the council.”
Gardina, a who is finishing his fifth term, has announced he is not running for re-election.
County Republicans didn’t waste much time welcoming Schuler to the race.
“It must be Halloween! Delegate Todd Schuler’s announcement to run for County Council should strike fear into all the residents of Council District Six,” County Republican Central Committee Chairman Chris Cavey wrote in a press release sent out late Sunday night. “Hopefully they will not be tricked by this Delegate’s attempt at wearing a Councilman’s costume.”
The release goes on to describe Schuler as “a ghost” that “hides with his liberal friends in the dark tax filled reaches of Annapolis.”
Schuler laughed as I read him the press release Monday morning.
“That’s awesome,” Schuler said. “There’s a lot of good Halloween imagery in there. Maybe there’ll be a Thanksgiving release full of stories about liberal pilgrims.”