Anna Tache

Editorials Editor

During the last Midterm Elections, held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, the nation voted to elect candidates for positions such as Senator, House Representative, Governor, and even County Executive. These elections determined our country’s Congress for the next two years and were crucial to the future of our

nation. I had personally hoped for a Democratic takeover of both the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Maryland State Government, and the Howard County Government, and I was not completely disappointed. Although the Democrats did lose the Senate by a few members, they did take over the House with a 26-person lead over the Republicans. In Maryland, Republican incumbent Larry Hogan won the race for governor; however, Maryland elected a Democrat for Attorney General, as well as majority Democrats for the State Senate and the House of Delegates.

When it comes to Howard County, former Council member and Democrat Calvin Ball won against Republican incumbent Allan Kittleman for the seat of County Executive. Ball is the first African American county executive for Howard County, and in my opinion, I think it’s a huge step in the right direction for Howard County. I feel that Ball can speak up for those who have been underrepresented, especially minorities.

On this issue, my reasoning comes from personal experience. In early 2017, a few students from around Howard County, including me, got together to form the Howard County Young Democrats. Our focus was to create and pass a bill that would make Howard County a sanctuary county, which means that we would help protect many immigrants’ immigration statuses. The person who sponsored this bill was Calvin Ball. He helped a small group of high school students take their bill to the Howard County Council for a week-long hearing. Ball was extremely supportive of our efforts and stood beside us the entire time. Eventually, the bill was vetoed by Kittleman. Based on my encounters with both Ball and Kittleman, I feel that Ball has the potential to be a distinguished leader for the county because of his unchanging care for those who tend to be underrepresented.

Ultimately, after following the midterm elections closely on both the national and local level, I feel that I’ve formulated a strong opinion on who I believe should have won. Some of my hopefuls did win, but unfortunately, some did not. In my opinion, although it may seem that while the national government still has a lot of room for improvement, I feel like Howard County is headed in the right direction. 

Want to share your thoughts on topics that matter to you and Hammond students?

The Bear Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. The editor reserves the right to edit material for brevity, grammar, and style. Any obscene, intolerant, or  inappropriate letters will be not be printed. All letters must have the writers name and class. Email letters to hhsbearpress@gmail.com.