The following candidates for seats in the Maryland General Assembly were endorsed by vote of the Maryland Horse Council Board of Directors at its Quarterly Meeting on August 26th in New Market, Maryland.
This is the first time that MHC has endorsed candidates for office. The endorsement decisions were based on the candidates’ proven track record of support for MHC and our issues and concerns, including support for: equestrian training and competition facilities and equestrian sports; farmland preservation; the Thoroughbred industry, breeders and racing; opposition to Sunday hunting; and attendance at MHC events.
- Senator Thomas V. (Mike) Miller – Senate
- Delegate Michael (Mike) Busch – House
- Senator Thomas (Mac) Middleton – Senate
- Delegate Maggie Macintosh – House
- Delegate Sheila Hixson – House
- Senator Joan Carter Conway – Senate
- Senator Roy Dyson – Senate
- Delegate Susan Aumann – House
- Senator J.B. Jennings – Senate
- Delegate Stephen Lafferty – House
- Delegate Eric Luedtke – House
- Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith – House
- Delegate David Rudolph – House
- Guy Guzzone – Senate
- Steve Arentz – House
The MHC endorsements are truly sad. Not just looking at the fact that 12 of the 15 candidates endorsed are Democrats and the Republicans running against them also have track records or are on record for supporting equestrian activities. The big issue to me is how the MHC could forget that is was Mike Miller and Mike Busch who kept the slots legislation from ever being voted upon during Robert Eurlich’s Republican administration in a purely partisan effort to keep Eurlich from saving the day.
As a result, the day was lost, the move by Miller and Busch cost Maryland thousands of jobs, hundreds of horse farms and could easily be blamed for the $400 million deficit we our currently facing, although I am also sure the two Mikes would have figured out a way to spend it.
I am sorry to see the MHC turning into a political action committee, especially one that is so blinded by it politics that it would endorse two men that are so anti-horse industry.