Feldmark Out Of Howard Executive Race, Harris Out Of Hospital, Nagel Leaving MABE, In Notes

By Christine Condon, Maryland Matters

December 9, 2025

Del. Jessica Feldmark (D- Howard) pulled out of the Howard County executive race Monday, citing a breast cancer diagnosis.

“My prognosis is good, and the cancer is curable. My doctors confirm I’ll be back to full strength after treatment, but the next several months will be difficult to say the least,” Feldmark said. “While I remain committed to serving Howard County in Annapolis, with a heavy heart, I must withdraw from the County Executive race.”

Feldmark said she plans to run for reelection to her House of Delegates seat, instead.
She leaves behind a fairly crowded field in the race for Howard’s top post, including Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) and two members of the Howard County Council, Chair Liz Walsh and District 4 representative Deb Jung.

Feldmark began her House of Delegates tenure in 2019, serves on the Ways & Means Committee, which Atterbeary leads.

Harris: From hip to head to hospital and out

Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st) got a clean bill of health after being briefly hospitalized Friday when he experienced a bout of dizziness, his office said this weekend.

Harris, 68, had hip surgery a little less than two weeks ago. When he experienced a bout of dizziness Friday, “out of an abundance of caution, [he] was taken to the emergency room for evaluation,” spokeswoman Anna Adamian said. Her statement did not say where he was treated, but that he was doing well this weekend.

Harris, in a statement, thanked the health care providers who took care of him, and said he was “glad I can return to normal activity after being given a clean bill of health.”

The Eastern Shore Republican, now in his eighth term in Congress, serves as chair of the conservative Freedom Caucus in the House. He must be back to normal, because he took the opportunity to get in a political plug in a statement Saturday: “After receiving a clean bill of health from my healthcare providers, I’m grateful to return to normal activity – including representing my constituents on Capitol Hill and advancing President Trump’s America First Agenda.”

School board association looking for new CEO

Milton (Milt) Nagel is leaving his job as executive director of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education to become vice president for administrative services at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, the association has announced.

Nagel will stay on board until late spring to help with the transition for a new executive director. The MABE board plans to launch a search for his replacement next month.

Nagel joined the association as deputy director in 2021. MABE President Diana Hawley, who also serves as president of the Cecil County Board of Education, said Nagel has modernized MABE during his time there, singling out his ability to expand programs and cost-saving services for school board members throughout the state while keeping dues stable.

“He’s leaving MABE in great shape for our next Executive Director. To that end, we expect to launch a search for MABE’s new Executive Director in January 2026,” Hawley stated. “We will be searching for a strategic, experienced leader who will continue to strengthen the positive culture Milt grew, and ensure MABE remains the ‘go-to’ entity for sustaining and improving public education throughout our state.”

Before MABE, Nagel spent nearly three decades with Caroline County Public Schools. for nearly three decades, as a Staff Accountant with Jefferson, Urian, Doane & Sterner, P.A.; and for eight years as a U.S. Army Reserve Officer.

“I love everything about what MABE does and stands for,” he said in a statement from the association. “Stepping away is not easy, but it’s time for me to focus more on my family, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity presented by Chesapeake College.”

Hawley asked those interested in applying to visit the MABE website in early January for position details and application information.