County

Chair, Frederick County Board of Supervisors

Special election (term ends 12/31/2027)

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The chair is elected countywide, presides over the Board of Supervisors and votes with it on Frederick County's budget, taxes and land use.

Candidates Compare by issue

Alexander M. Ritter

No party listed

Factory technician

The gist

Opposes data centers and heavy industry in the county
Proposes plain-English summaries of applications on county website
Proposes a multi-year study to diversify the tax base
Pledges town hall meetings and outreach to young voters

More about Alexander

View sources (1)

Opposes data centers and heavy industry in the county
Anti-data center activist Alexander Ritter running for board chair
News coverage · The Winchester Star · winchesterstar.com
“I don't want data centers, and I would prefer not to also see heavy industrial... [but] I'm not anti-technology at all”
Proposes plain-English summaries of applications on county website
Anti-data center activist Alexander Ritter running for board chair
News coverage · The Winchester Star · winchesterstar.com
“I think that people should have, you know, more plain English summaries on the website of what an application is.”
Proposes a multi-year study to diversify the tax base
Anti-data center activist Alexander Ritter running for board chair
News coverage · The Winchester Star · winchesterstar.com
“Ritter thinks the county should conduct a multi-year effort to determine how to diversify its tax base”
Pledges town hall meetings and outreach to young voters
Anti-data center activist Alexander Ritter running for board chair
News coverage · The Winchester Star · winchesterstar.com
“he would be open to holding town hall meetings and getting out in the community and talking with people”

John F. Jewell

No party listedIncumbent

Chairman, Frederick County Board of Supervisors; IT consultant

The gist

Opposes the Valley North 765-kilovolt transmission line
Supports another industrial park to raise county revenue
Supports planned residential growth the county controls
Supports a county communications department to inform residents
Voted to remove data centers from county zoningIn office

In office = from the candidate's own official statements or legislation as an officeholder, not their campaign.

More about John

View sources (2)

Opposes the Valley North 765-kilovolt transmission line
John Jewell seeking to stay on as Board of Supervisors chairman
News coverage · The Winchester Star · winchesterstar.com
“Jewell also reinforced the board's opposition to the proposed Valley North Transmission Project”
Supports another industrial park to raise county revenue
John Jewell seeking to stay on as Board of Supervisors chairman
News coverage · The Winchester Star · winchesterstar.com
“Jewell would like to that happen through approving another industrial park and supporting small businesses”
Supports planned residential growth the county controls
John Jewell seeking to stay on as Board of Supervisors chairman
News coverage · The Winchester Star · winchesterstar.com
“We either control growth, or growth controls us. I'd rather control growth”
Supports a county communications department to inform residents
John Jewell seeking to stay on as Board of Supervisors chairman
News coverage · The Winchester Star · winchesterstar.com
“He believes the new communications department is important because the board needs to improve the dissemination of information to the public.”
Voted to remove data centers from county zoning
Data centers stripped as allowable use in Frederick County
News coverage · The Winchester Star · winchesterstar.com
“removes data centers as a permitted or conditional use in Frederick County was approved by the Board of Supervisors on a 6-1 vote”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 6 issues covered in this race.