Andrew Burgoyne
Deborah Carter
Deborah Carter, a lifelong Democrat, previously served on the Central Committee from the 2010 primary through the 2022 general election, eight years as secretary and the remaining time as chair. During that time, Frederick Democrats were honored by the state party for being the only DCC in Maryland to add "blue seats" by electing more Democrats in a year (2014) when most counties were seeing their Dem elected officials defeated in record numbers. Before the end of her term as chair, she saw Frederick County trend blue, as Democratic voter registration outpaced that of Republicans for the first time in decades.
She has lived in Frederick County since 1987. She taught for 30 years at Linganore High School followed by several years part-time at Frederick Community College, and also wrote a column for the Frederick News Post for seven years in the early 2000s.
You are welcome to email her at thedeborahcarter@gmail.com.
Deborah Carter, a lifelong Democrat, previously served on the Central Committee from the 2010 primary through the 2022 general election, eight years as secretary and the remaining time as chair. During that time, Frederick Democrats were honored by the state party for being the only DCC in Maryland to add "blue seats" by electing more Democrats in a year (2014) when most counties were seeing their Dem elected officials defeated in record numbers. Before the end of her term as chair, she saw Frederick County trend blue, as Democratic voter registration outpaced that of Republicans for the first time in decades.
She has lived in Frederick County since 1987. She taught for 30 years at Linganore High School followed by several years part-time at Frederick Community College, and also wrote a column for the Frederick News Post for seven years in the early 2000s.
You are welcome to email her at thedeborahcarter@gmail.com.
Patti Clements
Patty has spent most of her life in Frederick County, only leaving for a brief five-year period when she lived in Massachusetts. Her roots and close ties to the community have shaped her commitment to local issues and involvement. She works in the Information Technology sector, serving as a contractor for the National Institute of Neurology Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In addition to her IT role, she is also a part-time group fitness instructor, demonstrating her versatility and dedication to both health and technology. Following the 2024 election, Patty became actively involved as an activist and organizer, leading protests and rallies in Frederick. Patty writes a weekly email newsletter that keeps recipients informed about the latest events happening in Frederick. Through her newsletter, she ensures that community members are aware of important local developments and opportunities for involvement. With her activism in place working behind the scenes, she decided to make it official and support the Democratic Central Committee in an official capacity. This step marks her transition from informal activism to active participation in local party leadership.
Stephen Duckett
Stephen Duckett is a healthcare consultant, nonprofit leader, and Frederick County resident committed to strengthening Democratic engagement through transparency, collaboration, and accountability. With more than 16 years of healthcare experience and over a decade in management consulting, Stephen currently serves as a Senior Manager in healthcare advisory services, specializing in organizational transformation and change management.
Stephen also brings nonprofit and governance experience, having served as Board Chair of a federally qualified health center and President of a philanthropic nonprofit organization focused on community impact and public service. He holds a Master of Public Health degree from UTHealth and is a Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (FHFMA). His work has focused on improving systems that affect everyday people — from healthcare access and mental health support to organizational accountability and long-term sustainability.
As a candidate for the Democratic Central Committee, Stephen hopes to strengthen transparency and communication within the local party, modernize digital outreach and infrastructure, and support long-term candidate and volunteer development.
Taylor Elder
Milton Hallin
Milton Hallin moved to Frederick County in 2020 for work. After COVID lockdowns were beginning to lift, he made contact with the Frederick Democrats and started getting involved in local activities. Milton is a proud member of the rainbow community, passionate about progressive politics, and wants to see the Frederick County Democratic Party move our cities, county, state, and country forward and beyond the authoritarian coup currently underway. It all starts right here at home, and Milton is thrilled to get the chance to work for the Democrats and Democrat-aligned activists at the grassroots level. Thank you!
Bassant Kadry
Bassant Kadry is a business consultant, organizational trainer, and community advocate committed to strengthening communities through leadership, education, workforce development, and mental health initiatives in Frederick County and its surrounding areas. She serves as the President of a consultancy and training firm and the Executive Director of a mental health group dedicated to providing compassionate, culturally responsive, and evidence-based care to diverse populations.
Bassant serves on the boards and advisory boards of multiple organizations, contributing to leadership development, civic engagement, and public service initiatives that uplift communities whose voices are often overlooked. Deeply engaged in community advocacy and civic leadership, she believes in helping residents better understand their rights, amplify their voices, and engage meaningfully in the democratic process.
Bassant recently graduated from Emerge Maryland Cohort 2026, the premier Democratic training program for women preparing to run for public office and lead in civic life.
As a mother of four, including a daughter with special abilities, Bassant brings both professional expertise and personal conviction to her work. She believes that when systems are improved for those facing the greatest barriers, we create stronger, more equitable communities for everyone.
My contact info: Bassantkadry@gmail.com
Mari Lee
Mari, a wife, mom, and mimi, has dedicated approximately 15 years to advancing human rights and social justice. She joined the Democratic Central Committee (DCC) in 2012, has been re-elected three times, and has served as chair since 2022. Working with DCC members, candidates, and volunteers, Mari contributed to key Democratic victories: Frederick City municipal sweeps in 2017, 2021, and 2025; consecutive County Executive wins; a Council supermajority; the re-election of the District 3 legislative team; Orphans’ Court judgeships; and a Board of Education majority. In 2020, Democratic voter registrations surpassed Republican registrations, a trend that continues today.
Mari appreciates the previous chairs’ leadership. Under her guidance, the DCC has become more active and visible both locally and statewide, doubled its volunteer base and email list, grown its social media presence, and ranks as Maryland’s top county Democratic fundraising Committee each year. Mari is committed to getting more people engaged and fostering a party that includes and serves everyone, supports communities and candidates, and protects democracy. She would love to hear your ideas about how the local party can better serve you. You can reach her at therealmarijlee@gmail.com. Your support truly matters. Mari would be honored to have your vote.
William White Tison Pugh
Tison Pugh moved to Frederick on Christmas Eve, 2025, with his husband David and their rescue mutt Fiddlesticks. Soon after unpacking, Tison began volunteering with the Frederick County Democratic Party. He recently retired from the University of Central Florida after teaching English literature there for twenty-five years, with courses addressing Geoffrey Chaucer, the Legend and Literature of King Arthur, and Harry Potter Studies. He is the author or editor of several academic books, including Bad Chaucer: The Great Poet’s Greatest Mistakes in the Canterbury Tales and Southerners Acting Southern: On Celebrities and Their Star Personas in the Imagined South, and his current project focuses on Judy Blume. An avid hobbyist in the fiber arts, Tison is always stitching, knitting, hooking, or crocheting on something or another. Tison and Dave are enjoying orienting themselves to the abundant social, cultural, and outdoor opportunities of their new Maryland home, and they recently adopted another rescue mutt, Shenanigans, who lives up to his name every day and in every way.
Deb Reynolds
Deb Reynolds was appointed to the DCC in 2017 and re-elected for two consecutive terms, currently serving as vice chair. She has worked alongside her fellow DCC members to increase local Dem representation, including:
*all-Dem Mayoral and Board of Alderman elections (2017/2021) and increased Dem representation (2025);
*re-election of Dem County Exec (2018/2022) and Dem County Council supermajority (2022);
*D3 State Senate and legislators re-elections (2018/2022) with an increased percentage of votes each time.
There is much work to be done in parts of our County, but Deb is proud that our elected leaders include increasing numbers of women, minority, youth and LGBTQ members. She believes that we all succeed when we uplift the wonderful diverse voices in our community.
Our DCC is in a great position to achieve even more in the 2026 election, particularly since we have worked hard to exceed our fundraising goals, grow our volunteer base, and continue our outreach work with affiliate groups.
Deb asks for your vote to return her to the DCC for the 2026-2030 term and thanks you all for your continued activism.
Dave Schmidt
David Schmidt is a veteran, advocate, organizer, and local business-owner. He has served on governmental boards at the city, county, and state levels as well as numerous non-profits with a focus on workforce development and economic mobility. He is known for his ability to help organizations modernize, change, and become more impactful. David shares the views of many Democrats that the Democratic Party has significant work to do to be more effective, deliver clear messaging, and drive positive change for our community and country. He spent years as the “Left’s voice” on WFMD’s Frederick’s Forum and a decade publicly pushing back against Christian Nationalism and Fascist take-over of our government. He is very concerned that the vote share of Democrats in Frederick County has gone down over the last four years; this should be a glaring alarm bell to every Democrat. David has built a team and a comprehensive plan to build the local Democratic Party into an effective organization that recruits excellent candidates, trains campaign staff/volunteers, and raises the funds required to guarantee that we elect Democrats to every single local seat. Please schedule a time to meet with him and learn about his plan @ www.voteschmidt.com
Jessica Tuel
A lifelong resident of Frederick County, Jessica Tuel is proud to stand as a candidate for the Democratic Central Committee. As a phlebotomist working in healthcare for the past decade, Jessica has seen first-hand how important it is for government and its policies to respect and reflect the needs of the people they serve. Accordingly, Jessica considers herself a Democrat in the vein of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, supporting the ideals that government exists to protect the most vulnerable individuals in society, not to serve the elite. Jessica lives in Frederick with her spouse, Will, their 3 cats Louise, Elvira, and Calypso, as well as their cornsnake Oblisque.
"Hope is like the sun, if you only believe in it when you can see it, you'll never make it through the night"-Leia Organa