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County Commissioner · Kent County · 2026 Primary
County Commissioners act as both the lawmaking body and the executive branch for their county, meaning they pass local ordinances and oversee all county departments. They are responsible for setting property tax rates and adopting the annual budget, which determines funding levels for essential services like public schools, road maintenance, and emergency responders. Their decisions on land use and zoning also directly influence how your community grows and what types of businesses or housing can be built.
View all candidates in this raceThad L. Bench is a Worton resident and Democratic candidate seeking election to the Kent County Board of County Commissioners in 2026. A graduate of St. Mary's College of Maryland, he is a longtime Chestertown community member and founder of Benchworks, a healthcare marketing and pharmaceutical commercialization firm that grew to become one of the preeminent firms in its field before he sold it in May 2024. He describes himself as a conservative Democrat who is pro-business, pro-environment, and pro-arts, and hopes to bring entrepreneurial and creative thinking to county government. He and his wife Rene have been active volunteers and community pillars in Kent County for many years. He is running in the June 23, 2026 Democratic primary alongside fellow challengers John T. Carroll of Galena, David Foster of Chestertown, and Sam Shoge of Chestertown, with the top vote-getters advancing to face Republican incumbents Ron Fithian, Albert Nickerson, and John F. Price in the November 3, 2026 general election for the three available commissioner seats.
External coverage from The Chestertown Spy highlights Thad Bench's decision to run for County Commissioner as an admirable step toward citizen involvement. Deirdre LaMotte notes that Bench and his wife Rene have been dedicated volunteers in Kent County and are considered community pillars who care deeply for residents. The source emphasizes that serving on the local level demonstrates a true public servant mindset with decisions impacting zoning, job growth, and schools.
“decisions that have the most immediate impact on our daily lives, zoning, job growth, the environment, schools, how laws are applied and much more”
Source“decisions that have the most immediate impact on our daily lives, zoning, job growth, the environment, schools, how laws are applied and much more”
Source“decisions that have the most immediate impact on our daily lives, zoning, job growth, the environment, schools, how laws are applied and much more”
Source“decisions that have the most immediate impact on our daily lives, zoning, job growth, the environment, schools, how laws are applied and much more”
Source