Politics & Government
County Executive Craig Missing Bel Air Parade
David Craig's chief of staff said the decision is not politically related.
Harford County Executive David Craig will not be in Monday’s Bel Air Independence Day Parade.
Michael Blum, the parade’s volunteer vice president of the Bel Air Independence Day Committee, said it is the first time in his 19 years that any county executive has not attended.
Aaron Tomarchio, Craig's chief of staff, said the Republican executive's decision is not political.
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“It’s just a family commitment that’s getting in the way,” Tomarchio told Patch. “Nothing serious, just something that he’d like to make and hasn’t been able to make for many, many years.”
Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, confirmed Friday he would be in Bel Air’s parade for the third time. Blum said O’Malley, who also attended in 2007 and 2009, alternates between the Bel Air and Annapolis parades.
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O’Malley will also be attending parades in Dundalk, Towson and Catonsville earlier Monday.
“People will try to make something political out of this parade and that’s not the case,” Blum said. “We really don’t consider politics at all in any way shape or form.”
Tomarchio said Craig will still appear in Sunday’s Havre de Grace parade.
Blum said it would be impossible to have every local politician attend Bel Air’s parade.
“You never get everybody. We’ve never had every public elected official that represents [every] square inch of Harford County,” Blum said. “We’re very pleased to have the governor.”
O’Malley was not received favorably the last time he was in Bel Air’s parade in 2009, when he was booed by residents.
“I would hope that the citizens of greater Bel Air will respect the office of the governor and the fact that he is coming to the community parade, regardless of whether they personally support him," Blum said.
