Republican candidates prepare for results in Montgomery County

In the race to fill the open District 4 seat on the Montgomery County Council, John McKinnis and Mark Fennel of Silver Spring are considered the favorites in today’s GOP primary.

McKinnis, the founder and owner of Light Integrations, LLC, an information technology (IT) business located in Beltsville, told PolitickerMD.com that the hardest part of the campaign has been “voter awareness,” but said he received “good responses” from those residents aware of his campaign.

Saying the county was in a “fiscal crisis,” McKinnis said he would work to improve education and root-out wasteful spending, if elected.

“We haven’t seen the true ramifications of the housing downfall,” McKinnis said, adding, “We need to take a look at the (county) budget.”

Fennel, a marketing analyst and the 2006 Republican nominee for the District 4 seat, said he was “feeling great” about his chances.

He said his message of “property tax relief” was “resonating with voters.”

The former director of membership for the group Citizens Against Government Waste, Fennel reiterated his campaign pledge to “not surpass the charter limit on property tax collection.”

Neither candidate referred to their GOP rival by name, but McKinnis said his 12 years of experience in the business world stood out from his opponents.

“We deal with complex problems and have to come up with solutions,” McKinnis said of his IT business.

“I believe I can clearly identify the issues and clearly communicate and work with people to get things done,” he added.

Fennel, for his part, referred to his work with Citizens Against Government Waste, highlighting the organization’s successful bid to force the cancellation of the so-called “bridge to nowhere” project in Alaska.

On other issues, Fennel said water, electric, and metro increases in the county were “unacceptable,” and said he would “make the county more affordable to live in.”

McKinnis, referring to his strong support for the purple line, said transportation projects and public safety would be important to his work on the council, if elected.

Both candidates said they had seen and were told that voter turnout has been low throughout the day.

Polls remain open until 8:00 p.m.