Saint Mary's County Republican committee holds public interviews to recommend replacements for District 29C seat

The Saint Mary's County Republican Central Committee convened a public hearing to interview candidates and assemble a list of names to send to the governor to fill the District 29C legislative vacancy created when Delegate Tony O’Donnell was appointed to the Maryland Public Service Commission.

Committee chair Julie Burke Greer opened the evening and described the committee’s duty: “This is a responsibility that we take very seriously,” she said, explaining that the panel evaluates application packages and conducts timed interviews before sending recommended names to the governor.

The committee received nine applications, excluded one applicant for incomplete paperwork and scheduled a series of 14‑minute interviews for the remaining hopefuls. Each interview followed a standard format: a two‑minute opening statement, a 10‑minute question‑and‑answer period and a two‑minute closing statement. The order was set by lottery, with an accommodation that allowed a sitting committee member who applied to go first and then observe the other interviews before voting with the committee on Saturday.

Candidates repeatedly raised three themes: transportation funding formulas, local tax relief…