Man enters Howard Co. council race weeks before Election Day

Oakland Mills resident enters as a Republican

Only five weeks remain before the November general election, but Reginald G. Avery's campaign for Howard County Council is just getting started. The 56-year-old Oakland Mills resident became a Republican county council candidate Monday after an earlier candidate nominated in the primary officially withdrew.

Avery admitted his chances of unseating incumbent Democrat Calvin Ball in East Columbia's District 2 election are slim at best, but he said "I believe residents should have a choice." He's got no money, but county Republican party chairwoman Joan Becker said the party would help him financially.

Anthony Jordan, the first person to file for a county council seat back in January, withdrew from the District 2 race due to the time constraints at his job, but he did it too late to have his name removed from the ballot. The official change had to wait for the primary results and for Jordan to officially withdraw, followed by Avery's selection by the party central committee. All that was completed Monday, confirmed Guy Mickley, assistant county elections administrator.

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