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Reier, Hopkins, Burdette elected to Bel Air town board

From left, Rob Reier, Susan Burdette and Edward Hopkins were elected to the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners Tuesday night.
From left, Rob Reier, Susan Burdette and Edward Hopkins were elected to the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners Tuesday night. (NICOLE MUNCHEL AEGIS STAFF, Patuxent Publishing)

Bel Air voters returned two incumbents to office Tuesday, but dumped the third in favor of a political newcomer whose husband is a former town commissioner.

Incumbents Robert Reier, with 463 votes, and Edward Hopkins, with 422 votes were re-elected. Susan Burdette was elected to the third seat with 368 votes. Gregory Adolph, who ran unsuccessfully in 2009, finished fourth by 56 votes with 312, in the race for three spots on the town board. Incumbent commissioner Terence Hanley received the fewest votes with 206.

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There were 693 votes cast.

Tuesday's election results are unofficial, with 13 absentee and provisional ballots to be counted Thursday at 10 a.m., according to Joyce Oliver, Bel Air's director of administration.

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For those candidates who won, the unofficial tally was enough to celebrate. Reier, who was elected to his second full term, said he was "humbled and honored" by the "faith and trust" Bel Air residents placed in him.

"I look forward to getting working and putting in another good four years for the folks," he said.

Hopkins, too, was re-elected to a second term and said he was "very excited" that the residents put their faith in him for the first four years and again for a second term.

"It means a lot to me," he said.

As the newcomer, Burdette may not have any direct experience, but her husband, Stephen, is a former Bel Air town commissioner. After the results were read, Burdette said she was "thrilled" and "really anxious" to be a commissioner.

Through the campaign, she was able to meet many new people, Burdette said, who she also thanked for their support on election day.

"I just hope I can meet their expectations," she said, adding that the whole experience was "unbelievable."

Hanley had the most experience on the board, serving two full terms, including two times as chairman of the town board, which is the town's unofficial mayor. Although he didn't win, Hanley said he felt "fantastic" and equated it to athletics where "you don't win every game."

"I'm going to get back to the basics and spend some good old quality family time," he said, adding that he had no plans to run for any office again.

The 693 votes were the result of a slow day at the polls. Tuesday's lunchtime rush was barely a trickle into Bel Air Town Hall to vote for town commissioner.

A little after 11:30 a.m., 251 Bel Air residents had voted since the polls opened at 7 a.m., Ginny Ostheimer, an election volunteer, said. Fewer than 20 quickly walked in and out of the polling area between then and 12:10 p.m. If it weren't for the handful of people holding up campaign signs on N. Hickory Avenue, passers-by would have had a hard time knowing it was election day.

Phil Hopkins, brother of incumbent Hopkins, proudly held up a sign in support for voters to see as they walked to town hall.

"You [have to] support family ties," Hopkins, 47 ,of Forest Hill, said of his brother. Hopkins, who mentioned that the two were "Bel Air born and bred," said "community is very important" to the incumbent town commissioner.

In addition to being there that morning, Hopkins had also taken the photos that appear on his brother's fliers and had worked for his previous campaigns.

"We'll be very pleased if he's elected," Hopkins said, adding that his brother "has very sincere values." If he doesn't win the seat, however, "we'll certainly support the candidates elected."

Another supporter with personal ties to a candidate was James "Doc" Wood. Wood, 30 of Bel Air, was out supporting family friend, Hanley, another incumbent.

Wood had been standing on the sidewalk with his sign supporting Hanley since polls opened and had so far "met a lot of people saying positive things about him." Wood also mentioned those he had met so far that day had been "super kind" and even had people from cars honking and shouting in support.

While Wood admitted that he wasn't "really a person" who was into politics, he wanted to do "a nice gesture" for his friend.

"Character is very important," he said of what he looks for in a candidate, adding that Hanley had a lot of character. "He seems like someone who is very active in talking to people."

First District Congressman Andy Harris also showed up to speak to a few people on Election Day.

"This is what America's all about," Harris said about the people out campaigning. "It's as close to grassroots as you get."

Despite the small turnout, Harris commented that he has seen more constituents "paying attention a lot more" to the candidates and are "more careful" with who they elect.

Inside town hall, three women checked in voters as they arrived. No one had to wait in line. Ostheimer, who is 67, said the majority of people coming to vote were senior citizens.

"It's very good to see them come out," she said. When asked why she thought most of the voter turnout were seniors, Ostheimer said, "They recognize the importance of it [voting]." Tuesday was her second time volunteering to work during a municipal election.

Former state senator Catherine Riley was out that afternoon along with her mother, Kitty.

"I feel pretty strongly about doing my civic duty," Riley said, which she "pretty much tries to" do every election.

Riley, who left the senate in 1990, said her family has always been very involved in politics.

"My parents raised me to believe not to wait for someone else to do it," she said of getting involved and making her voice heard.

Allen Ault, 76, of Bel Air, had previously worked with Riley when he was with the State Highway Administration.

He said coming out that day to vote was "just the thing to do," and if a person decides not to vote, then "you have no one to complain to but yourself." Ault, who is now retired, said he only missed voting in one election — during the early '50s while serving in the Army.

Although there are 6,173 registered voters in Bel Air, town elections do not typically draw many the polls. In the last election, in 2009, there were 871 votes cast, and in the 2007 election 919 votes were cast, so Tuesday was another instance of participation numbers trending downward.

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