Arguably the most important elections in Allegany County are the Republican primary contests. With the vast majority of registered voters in the county being Republican, the primary often decides the election. Candidates from other political parties rarely appear on the open election ballot, and they are rarely elected.
This election cycle is a little bit different with a marked increase in, what can be called ‘do-it-yourself’ parties. A great example is our fascinating little town of Alma where they have a bunch of DIY parties: the Patriot Party, Staedt for Alma, Make Alma Great, Pye For Council, and Smith For Highway. Almost all of the candidates using a DIY party line, are also running as Republicans. The strategy allows those Republicans to be on the ballot in the open election regardless of the primary results.
