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Hartman has competition in race for Delegate 38C

Wayne Hartman

By Rachel Ravina, Staff Writer

(Nov. 1, 2018) Republican Wayne Hartman, 50, has no opposition on the ballot voters will see on Nov. 6, but he continues to actively campaign for the seat representing 38C in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Hartman, who is currently serving as a member of Ocean City Council, said he hopes to use “my experience as a small business owner and my experience in elected office and take that combination of experiences to Annapolis.”

He’s is originally from northern Baltimore County, but moved to the Eastern Shore approximately 20 years ago. He said the quality of life is the area’s biggest draw.

“I think just the environment creates a friendly atmosphere and just the people are great,” he said. “The opportunities that we have here are enormous, and our natural surroundings just make for a great lifestyle.”

Hartman, who owns apartment buildings in the area, said mounting tax expenses have affected his real estate dealings, and said that was part of what got him into politics.

“The local government was growing too big, and it was getting too expensive” from a property owner’s perspective, he said. “As taxes increased, it affected me exponentially because of the number of properties that I owned, and that’s what inspired me to get involved.”

Hartman stressed the importance of this year’s election for Maryland’s legislature.

“I think increasing the amount of conservative representation in the House, and creating that balance, I think that’s the best thing that could happen for Maryland,” he said.

Hartman also praised Hogan’s efforts and said he “want[s] to be a part of the momentum that he’s started.”

If elected, Hartman said his plan is to use his conservative, fiscally responsible, approach to work to fix what’s already broken.

“The big thing is, as a legislator, that I don’t think we need more legislation,” Hartman said. “I’m not in a hurry to go up there and create legislation.”

On the campaign trail, Hartman said he went door-to-door and has heard the concerns of area residents. If elected, he said he’d continue to make himself available to his constituents.

One concern of his, he said, is the area’s growing senior population.

“I want to make sure that we can offer some kind of tax relief to seniors on their pensions so that we retain more seniors here as opposed to them leaving for Delaware or Florida,” he said.

Special event restrictions, small business protections, vocational training, minimum wage issues, and the recently passed paid leave bill also rank high on his list of things to that need to be addressed.

“As far as the business community, it’s been loud and clear that the recently passed paid leave bill is very cumbersome to our business owners,” he said.

What does Hartman see for the coastal Maryland’s future? Tourism and economic prosperity.

“I want to see it continue to grow and evolve as far as a tourist destination,” Hartman said. “I want to make sure that the business community continues to thrive and that we have job creation and that there are opportunities here.”

Ed Tinus

He’s not without some competition for District 38C. Ed Tinus, 59, has mounted a write-in campaign as a constitutionalist.

“If Wayne wins, there’s not going to be any change,” Tinus said.