HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Republicans swept all five seats on the Washington County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, returning three incumbents to office and electing two challengers to four-year terms. Yet, the turbulent issues the commission have faced remain to be addressed.
Incumbent Randy Leatherman led the field with 23,689 votes, followed by Dan Young with 23,270 and Charles Burkett with 22,740. Incumbent Jeffrey Cline finished fourth with 21,291 votes, while board President John Barr secured the fifth seat with 20,111.
The results, with all 47 precincts reporting, leave Republicans in control of every seat on the five-member board. Leatherman, Cline and Barr will return alongside Young and Burkett.
Democrat Lara Shepherd led her party’s candidates with 19,256 votes, finishing sixth overall, 855 votes behind Barr. Dave Williams followed with 17,554 votes, Les McIntosh Sr. with 17,517 and Jonathan Fish with 17,094.
Teri Pailen, a Democrat who withdrew from the race in September but remained on the ballot, received 14,442 votes. Unaffiliated candidate Taj Smith received 9,380 votes.
The totals are unofficial. Provisional ballots had not yet been reported.
3 incumbents retain seats
Barr, 73, the board’s president, secured a fifth term after a closely watched contest that briefly placed him outside the top five as early returns came in. First elected in 2006, he served three consecutive terms before returning to the board in 2022.
Cline, 70, the board’s vice president, also won another term. He campaigned on infrastructure improvements, public safety and managing the county’s growth.
Leatherman, 65, joined the board by appointment in 2025. A former fire and emergency medical services official, he advocated additional funding for fire and rescue services, including consideration of a local income tax increase.
2 challengers take wins
Young, 35, a Smithsburg resident and fire and rescue captain, finished second in his first successful bid for commissioner. He emphasized public safety, road improvements and requiring data center developers to pay for infrastructure needed by their projects.
Burkett, 59, previously served on the board by appointment and is a member of the Washington County Board of Education. He campaigned on school funding, economic development and greater scrutiny of proposed data centers.
Data centers, spending loom large
The incoming board will face decisions on data center development, school funding, fire and rescue services, county taxes and public participation in government.
In June, commissioners approved a 12-month moratorium on new data center development while county officials worked on permanent zoning regulations. Candidates differed over how much development to permit and what costs developers should bear.
The county also faces questions about funding emergency services and schools while balancing demands for infrastructure improvements against concerns about higher taxes.
Public comment at commissioners’ meetings became another campaign issue after the board restricted the practice. Candidates across party lines called for restoring opportunities for residents to address commissioners.
The five commissioners serve at-large, with voters permitted to select up to five candidates. The candidates receiving the five highest vote totals won the four-year terms.
