Acting Wicomico County Executive John Psota Files For Election To Full Term

Acting County Executive John D. Psota — chosen by the Wicomico County Council more than a year ago to fill the term of the late Robert L. “Bob” Culver — has decided to ask county voters to keep him in that position for another four years.

Psota, a Republican, formally filed Friday to be placed on the 2022 ballot, after earlier in the week declaring his intention to run at an event in front of the Government Office Building in downtown Salisbury. He faces competition in next June’s primary from Julie Giordano, a teacher in the Wicomico County Public Schools and a member of the county’s Republican Central Committee, who also filed her candidacy Friday.

There could be at least one more contender in the GOP primary: Del. Carl L. Anderton Jr. (R-Lower Shore) — who unsuccessfully sought appointment as acting county executive following Culver’s death and later indicated he was seriously considering running in 2022 — said Monday he is continuing to weigh whether to enter the executive race.

Since going through the application process seeking the appointment more than a year ago, “so many folks have reached out in the community that I owed it to everyone to look at this. So that’s what we’re doing,” Anderton said in a telephone interview. He added that “I don’t have a timetable” for making a decision.

No candidate has yet filed for the Democratic nomination for executive in a county where Democrats enjoy a narrow edge in voter registration. But Democrat Ernest F. Davis, currently the only Black member of the seven-person County Council, is said by knowledgeable sources to be interested, and is expected to announce his plans in the near future.

Under the county charter, because Culver was a Republican, only members of that party were eligible for the appointment to succeed him last year.

It will be the first run for elected office for the 58-year-old Psota, who spent 25 years as a trooper and administrator with the Maryland State Police prior to being named manager of the city of Fruitland in Wicomico County. He was appointed as the county’s director of administration less than two months before Culver’s death of liver cancer in late July 2020.

In a telephone interview Sunday, Psota said his interest in seeking election in his own right “evolved over time” after having to take charge so soon after his arrival in county government.

“When I said that I would fill out the rest of County Executive Culver’s term, at the time I was new to the position [of director of administration],” he explained. “Coming in…it’s a large complex entity, a lot of departments. In the past 15 months or so, it has been an absolutely amazing experience.”

In turn, he added, “That has led me to realize that my experience — both in law enforcement as well as my government experience — has positioned me well…to help lead the county forward. And, as a county, we’re extremely well-positioned to continue moving forward.”

Psota listed maintaining fiscal discipline while increasing investment in the local education system as among his top priorities, along with growing the commercial tax base by attracting more businesses to the county.

Giordano — also making her first run for office — touted her teaching experience.

“As a teacher, some people say ‘What makes you think you can run the county?’,” she acknowledged in a telephone interview. “I think people sometimes forget as teachers that we can effectively communicate with people of all socio-economic backgrounds, and we do have tremendous problem-solving skills. And we know how to manage human resources, and get people to perform at their very best.”

“I don’t look it as a lack of political experience. I look at it as a lack of political baggage. I don’t owe anybody in this county a favor.”

After putting politics “on a backburner” as she focused on her teaching career and family, Giordano — who turns 40 next month — recounted that “I saw the way things were going, and I told my husband, ‘I have to do something.’ I was kind of getting frustrated with the school district; I wasn’t loving the direction of the government here.” She said she began seriously thinking about a run for county executive after the idea was suggested to her by a local elected official a couple of months ago.

Giordano, on her Facebook page and in a press release, referred to herself as a “constitutionalist,” which — in an interview — she said was a nod to her strong support of the Second Amendment.

She also gave voice to other issues emphasized by today’s conservatives, complaining about mandating masks in schools — “I think people feel like freedoms are being taken away, and I do feel like they want that choice to mask their kids or not mask their kids” — and the teaching of critical race theory. “We’ve been told several times that ‘Oh, critical race theory is not in our school system,” Giordano said. “But there are some things sprinkled in.”

Giordano was generally restrained in her criticism of incumbent Psota, but complained about several high-profile positions currently unfilled in the county government. “I’m not going to speak poorly of our county executive, but I’m just stating facts — they can’t even fill the positions,” she said. “Right now, the county’s running on a skeleton crew. I feel very confident that I can bring in the very best people to run this county.”

According to sources, her criticism echoes complaints from several members of the County Council about the lag in hiring a public works director, along with Psota — in addition to his duties as acting county executive — continuing to perform the duties of director of administration as well as deputy director of administration.

One point of consensus between Psota and Giordano appears to be the need to beef up the county’s law enforcement apparatus.

“Public safety right now is faced with some challenging opportunities, specifically in regards to recruitment, retention, and the challenge of the Police Accountability Act,” said Psota, referring to the police reform law passed by the General Assembly this year that took effect in October.

Citing the needs of 911 and emergency response services as well as those of law enforcement, he added, “I believe that, with my background, understanding all of those entities, it gives me a unique perspective to do what I believe that the people want — and that is to keep them safe.”

Sheriff Mike Lewis — regarded as a politically influential force in Wicomico County — was present for Psota’s announcement of candidacy last week, although Lewis has not made a formal endorsement in the county executive contest.

Giordano, citing a significant number of vacancies in the county sheriff’s office and Salisbury police force, said: “I’m a big proponent of law enforcement and first responders. After what happened in Delmar with one of our officers being bludgeoned, I think I would have expected just a little bit more of a push to make sure we are reaching out to get these positions filled.”

Her reference was to an incident in the town of Delmar, just north of Salisbury, in June, when a police officer was killed after being assaulted while responding to a call.

Under the Wicomico County charter, Psota immediately began exercising the duties of county executive upon Culver’s death. But he was not voted by the council to serve out the rest of the term until September 2020, after a two-month process of seeking applicants produced a standoff among the seven council members.

Anderton was seen as the early frontrunner for the acting executive position in the summer of 2020, but lost in a 4-3 vote to another applicant, Salisbury cardiologist Rene Desmarais. Desmarais, whose political experience was limited to an unsuccessful run for House of Delegates in 2014, declined the appointment four days after it was offered, amid widespread public blowback over the council’s handling of the process.

The process was then reopened, but attracted only two entrants, including a second application by Anderton — prompting the council to turn to Psota.

“If the community lets me know they want me to make a move, we’ll make a move. If not, I’m more than happy to stay where I’m at,” Anderton said Monday, referring to the option of running for a third term in the House of Delegates in 2022.

At the same time, he said he is getting widespread encouragement to run for executive. Referring to last week’s candidacy filings by Psota and Giordano to run, Anderton added: “I will say the phone calls and everything have increased since the candidates have announced. I’m meeting regularly with community leaders who…are asking me to run.”

The lobbying, Anderton said, extended to prior to Sunday’s Baltimore Ravens game, when he was tailgating with friends. “While I’m making scrapple in the parking lot, I had three separate families from the Shore stop me and tell me to run for county executive,” he chuckled.

Part of what is motivating him to consider the race, he indicated, is the fractious relationship that has existed between the county’s executive and legislative branches in recent years. “We would go about being county executive from a completely different [perspective] that we haven’t seen before,” he said.

“It seems like it’s two very distinct camps: You have the council and you have the executive. Instead of growing closer together, it seems to constantly grow further apart. The goal would be to be inclusive with council, and also with the community.”

Anderton insisted that the outcome of next month’s special General Assembly session on redistricting — and the possibility that his district’s lines could change — would have “no bearing” on his decision of what office to seek. “In no way is running for county executive a fallback option. It’s either going to be first and foremost — or not at all,” he declared.

Wicomico is among nine counties in the state with charter government, eight of which — Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s in addition to Wicomico — face elections of county executives in 2022.

Of the nine counties, Wicomico has the lowest annual salary for its executive — $85,000. Under current law, Psota — who has been continuing to draw the $120,000 annual salary paid to the county’s director of administration — would have to take a $35,000 pay cut if elected to a four-year term next November.

However, under the terms of the county charter, a salary review commission for the county executive and County Council will convene in early 2022. Any increases for the executive and council resulting from that process would apply to the winners of next year’s election.

Editor’s Note: This post was updated to include comments from Del. Carl L. Anderton, who was interviewed after this story initially published. 

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