12/06/2006

Reporter's Notebook 

Beau Oglesby
Pulling off a squeaker in the State’s Attorney race
By Bob Lassahn

Following the November 2006 General Election residents of Worcester County have a new buzz term for any near miss: an "Oglesby." In the recent election there were definite losses, but in Beau Oglesby's case a near win is a more appropriate term.

As the polls closed on Election Day Beau Oglesby was trailing Joel Todd by only one vote. Then, when the Board of Elections began the process of totaling absentee ballots the count seesawed to a two vote lead for Oglesby. It all came down to the final batch of absentee ballots, and when they were tallied Todd came out on top by a 14 vote margin. It would have required only eight voters going Oglesby's way to change the outcome. While close only counts in horseshoes, such a slim margin of the more than 19,700 total votes cast for the office speaks volumes about Oglesby's appeal.

Beau Oglesby is a young prosecutor, currently employed in Wicomico County, who set his sights on the State's Attorney office in Worcester County. Foiled by a residency requirement in the 2002 election, he returned in 2006 as the Republican candidate to challenge Democratic incumbent Joel Todd. That challenge represented a formidable task.

The 2006 election marked a point in time when Republicans were reeling from the situation in Iraq and with an ill timed scandal creating a somewhat negative attitude toward the party in general. At least some voters may have been inclined to demonstrate their displeasure at the polling place. Although the extent of this factor is pure speculation, it is definitely something to at least consider.

With three terms under his belt Todd was also formidable on a personal level. Quite frankly, Worcester County is probably not envisioned by most residents as a hotbed of crime and the media has never, at least to my knowledge, carried a story where Todd's office was held responsible for losing a high profile case through mishandling. Todd's professional record is simply not fraught with blunders to exploit and he also carried endorsements from some high profile individuals and organizations.

All things considered Oglesby waged a good fight and managed to score well. It simply fell a little short of the mark.

I caught up with Beau on a Sunday afternoon at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club. He was relaxing a bit, the football games were on TV and many of his friends and supporters stopped at his table to say hello. Obviously he was not a man shattered by the recent election results. He seems very comfortable with who he is and what he has accomplished.

Beau explained that while he does wish the voting had gone in his favor, he sees no reason to bemoan his fate. Commenting, "You don't go into something like this if you don't intend to win." He also says that while he fell short of a new goal, he has not "lost" anything. He still has his career in Wicomico County, his family and has suffered no embarrassment as a result of his election bid. He also has a widespread group of people who expressed their trust and belief in him by bringing him very close to a victory with their vote. Above all else he provided those voters with a choice.

Beau also says that Worcester voters are likely more aware of issues such as illegal drugs and gangs as a result of the dialog during the campaign. He believes people will be paying closer attention to the happenings in the Snow Hill courtrooms and taking steps to become better informed. Illegal drugs and gangs are not just something that might come; they are already here and bear a watchful eye to control their spread. He wishes Joel Todd every success because Worcester County is where he lives, and he wants to see his own family safe and secure.

As to the burning question about another run for the office in four years, Beau simply says it is not out of the question. But he also points out that a lot can happen in four years so he is not yet inclined to utter that immortal line from "The Terminator"…"I'll be back!" But in my opinion it is pretty certain that Beau Oglesby will be in the spotlight…somewhere…again.

As for Joel Todd, he can breathe a sigh of relief and return to his job as Worcester County State's Attorney. But perhaps he should realize this election was a real squeaker and people may have rather high expectations from him during this new term. Whether it is Beau Oglesby or some other challenger, in four years the voters will be deciding if he has met those expectations or should be replaced. Some strategizing might be in order.