1974 Maryland county executive elections

1974 Maryland county executive elections

← 1970 November 5, 1974 1978  →
All 6 of Maryland's county executive seats
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 3 3 Seats won 4 2 Seat change 1 1
Democratic   50–60% Republican   50-60%   60-70%

The Maryland county executive elections of 1974 took place on November 5, 1974. Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County elected county executives.

Anne Arundel County

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Robert A. Pascal, state senator ^[1]

Results

Republican primary results ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Robert A. Pascal	Unopposed

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• John H. Downs, county councilmember ^[3]

Eliminated in primary

• Richard N. Hambleton, attorney and perennial candidate ^[4]

Results

Democratic primary results ^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John H. Downs	14,253	61.7%
	Democratic	Richard N. Hambleton	8,856	38.3%

General election

Results

Anne Arundel County Executive election, 1974 ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Robert A. Pascal	49,566	69.5%
	Democratic	John H. Downs	21,706	30.5%
	Republican hold

Baltimore County

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Ted Venetoulis, political strategist and author ^[6]

Eliminated in primary

• Louis Ambrosetti, business owner ^[7]
• Francis C. Barrett, county councilmember ^[8]
• Frederick L. Dewberry, incumbent county executive ^[9]
• William F. Harrison, insurance executive ^[7]
• George P. Mahoney, perennial candidate and nominee for governor in 1966 ^[10]
• Joseph J. Weir, beauty parlor operator ^[7]

Results

Democratic primary results ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ted Venetoulis	44,460	44.9%
	Democratic	Frederick L. Dewberry (incumbent)	28,068	28.3%
	Democratic	George P. Mahoney	18,335	18.5%
	Democratic	Francis C. Barrett	4,933	5.0%
	Democratic	Louis Ambrosetti	1,301	1.3%
	Democratic	Joseph J. Weir	1,002	1.0%
	Democratic	William F. Harrison	930	0.9%

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Jervis S. Finney, state senator ^[12]

Eliminated in primary

• Joseph U. Kauffman Jr. ^[13]

Results

Republican primary results ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jervis S. Finney	13,212	86.1%
	Republican	Joseph U. Kauffman Jr.	2,132	13.9%

General election

Results

Baltimore County Executive election, 1974 ^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ted Venetoulis	94,801	51.9%
	Republican	Jerves S. Finney	88,027	48.1%
	Democratic hold

Harford County

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Charles Anderson, incumbent county executive ^[15]

Eliminated in primary

• Monroe Duke, management expert ^[15]

Results

Democratic primary results ^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charles Anderson (incumbent)	7,187	52.7%
	Democratic	Monroe I. Duke	6,453	47.3%

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• John H. O'Neill, president of the Harford County Council ^[17]

Eliminated in primary

• Michael C. Johns, pharmaceutical salesman ^[18]

Results

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John H. O'Neill	2,669	77.3%
	Republican	Michael C. Johns	786	22.7%

General election

Results

Harford County Executive election, 1974 ^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charles Anderson (incumbent)	16,303	55.1%
	Republican	John H. O'Neill	13,285	44.9%
	Democratic hold

Howard County

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Edward L. Cochran, county councilmember ^[20]

Results

Democratic primary results ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Edward L. Cochran	Unopposed

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Howard G. Crist, businessman ^[22]

Eliminated in primary

• Georgia L. Baublitz, member of the Howard County personnel board ^[23]
• Herschell C. Doss, perennial candidate ^[24]
• Robert E. Watson, newspaper editor ^[24]

Results

Republican primary results ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Howard G. Crist	1,323	34.1%
	Republican	Robert E. Watson	1,089	28.0%
	Republican	Herschell C. Doss	944	24.3%
	Republican	G. L. Baublitz	528	13.6%

General election

Results

Howard County Executive election, 1974 ^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Edward L. Cochran	12,821	53.3%
	Republican	Howard G. Crist	11,235	46.7%
	Republican hold

Montgomery County

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• James P. Gleason, incumbent county executive ^[26]

Results

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	James P. Gleason	Unopposed

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Idamae Garrott, county councilmember ^[27]

Eliminated in primary

• John P. Hewitt, executive director of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission ^[28]
• William E. Sher, county councilmember ^[29]

Results

Democratic primary results ^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Idamae Garrott	28,689	50.0%
	Democratic	William E. Sher	14,787	25.8%
	Democratic	John P. Hewitt	13,908	24.2%

General election

Results

Montgomery County Executive election, 1974 ^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	James P. Gleason (incumbent)	84,919	53.0%
	Democratic	Idamae Garrott	75,163	47.0%
	Republican hold

Prince George's County

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• William W. Gullett, incumbent county executive ^[32]

Results

Republican primary results ^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	William W. Gullett	Unopposed

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Winfield M. Kelly Jr., county councilmember ^[34]

Results

Democratic primary results ^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Winfield M. Kelly Jr.	Unopposed

General election

Results

Prince George's County Executive election, 1974 ^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Winfield M. Kelly Jr.	61,980	53.5%
	Republican	William W. Gullett (incumbent)	53,881	46.5%
	Democratic gain from Republican

References

1. Coltman, Edward (June 8, 1974). "Pascal decides to run for top Arundel post". The Baltimore Sun . p. 27. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
2. "Returns of Anne Arundel county elections". The Baltimore Sun . September 12, 1974. p. 6. Retrieved March 6, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
3. Ruehl, Peter (April 19, 1974). "Alton backs Downs bid". The Capital . p. 1. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
4. Wentzel, Michael (September 4, 1974). "Alton Influence To Be Missing". The Baltimore Sun . p. 48. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
5. "Anne Arundel County Results". The Baltimore Sun . November 6, 1974. p. 71. Retrieved March 4, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Venetoulis blasts his way into county executive race". The Baltimore Sun . June 5, 1974. ProQuest   538927566 . Retrieved March 6, 2025.
7. Kimelman, Donald (September 5, 1974). "Best horse race of '74 likely on county executive track". The Baltimore Sun . pp. 37, 38. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
8. McKerrow, Stephen (May 9, 1974). "Barrett Announces Candidacy For County Executive Post". The Baltimore Sun . p. 61. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
9. McKerrow, Stephen (May 31, 1974). "Dewberry Files As Candidate". The Baltimore Sun . p. 28. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
10. Carson, Larry (June 26, 1974). "County Race Entered By Mahoney". The Baltimore Sun . p. 71. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
11. "Results of primary elections in Baltimore county". The Baltimore Sun . September 12, 1974. p. 7. Retrieved March 6, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Finney launches county GOP drive with blast at corruption, machine rule". The Baltimore Sun . May 24, 1974. p. 33. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
13. Linthicum, Tom (July 2, 1974). "50 county candidates hurry to beat file deadline". The Baltimore Sun . p. 31. Retrieved March 6, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
14. "Baltimore County Election Results". The Baltimore Sun . November 6, 1974. p. 71. Retrieved March 4, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
15. DeGraci, James (June 26, 1974). "Charles Anderson Files; Bars Gifts". The Baltimore Sun . p. 74. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
16. "Harford county voting". The Baltimore Sun . September 12, 1974. p. 6. Retrieved March 6, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
17. Goldberg, Edna (April 23, 1974). "O'Neill files in Harford for county's top job". The Baltimore Sun . p. 31. Retrieved March 6, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
18. Goldberg, Edna (July 2, 1974). "Harford County". The Baltimore Sun . p. 31. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
19. "Harford County Election Results". The Baltimore Sun . November 6, 1974. p. 70. Retrieved March 4, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
20. Hawkins, William E. (April 26, 1974). "Cochran, Democrat, Files For Executive". The Baltimore Sun . p. 34. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
21. "Voting in Howard county for state, local offices". The Baltimore Sun . September 12, 1974. p. 7. Retrieved March 6, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
22. "Crist enters Howard GOP race". The Baltimore Sun . June 28, 1974. p. 32. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
23. Clark, Michael J. (July 2, 1974). "Howard County". The Baltimore Sun . p. 31. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
24. Clark, Michael J. (June 27, 1974). "Editor, self-styled gadfly file for Howard's GOP race". The Baltimore Sun . p. 44. Retrieved March 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
25. "Howard County Results". The Baltimore Sun . November 6, 1974. p. 71. Retrieved March 4, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
26. Bonner, Alice (June 20, 1974). "Gleason Will Seek Re-Election". The Washington Post . ProQuest   146167205 . Retrieved March 7, 2025.
27. Bonner, Alice (January 15, 1974). "Mrs. Garrott to Seek Top Montgomery Post". The Washington Post . ProQuest   146214831 . Retrieved March 7, 2025.
28. Bonner, Alice (February 26, 1974). "Former Plans Director Will Seek Montgomery County Executive Job". The Washington Post . ProQuest   146226105 . Retrieved March 7, 2025.
29. Bonner, Alice (February 5, 1974). "Sher Enters Race for Top County Post". The Washington Post . ProQuest   146209341 . Retrieved March 7, 2025.
30. Baker, Donald P. (September 12, 1974). "Stunning Win in Montgomery". The Washington Post . ProQuest   146142122 . Retrieved March 6, 2025.
31. "D.C. Bedroom Counties Split". The Baltimore Sun . November 6, 1974. p. 72. Retrieved March 4, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
32. Colen, B. D. (June 25, 1974). "Gullett Seeks Re-election As County Executive". The Washington Post . ProQuest   146156123 . Retrieved March 7, 2025.
33. Krause, Charles A. (September 5, 1974). "Gullett Behind Kelly in Raising Funds". The Washington Post . ProQuest   146154101 . Retrieved March 6, 2025.
34. Landers, Jim (March 20, 1974). "Winfield Kelly to Run For County Executive". The Washington Post . ProQuest   146234429 . Retrieved March 7, 2025.