Master electrician Tichy to join Dist. 19 delegation in Maryland General Assembly
Democrat was first to file candidacy after four-term Del. Bonnie Cullison announced she would not seek re-election
By
Ceoli JacobyJuly 8, 2026 11:35 a.m.
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Christa Tichy, a master electrician and member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, appears to have won the race for an open seat in the District 19 delegation to the Maryland General Assembly.
Tichy, of Aspen Hill, was the first of five newcomers who filed to run as Democratic candidates for one of three District 19 state House seats after four-term Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Aspen Hill) announced her plan to retire at the end of her term.
Cullison’s fellow District 19 Dels. Charlotte Crutchfield (D-Silver Spring) and Vaughn Stewart (D-Rockville) sought re-election as a slate with District 19 Sen. Ben Kramer (D-Derwood). None of the incumbent legislators endorsed any of the five newcomers.
As of Tuesday at 5 p.m., Crutchfield and Stewart were first and second in the Democratic primary for District 19 delegate with about 26.1% and 23.7% of the vote, respectively. Kramer was unopposed in his primary.
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Tichy was third among the delegate candidates with about 13.1% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Maryland State Board of Elections. The next highest vote-getter was Tichy’s fellow central committee member Sebastian Johnson of Glenmont, who had about 12.3% of the vote.
In a post on social media Tuesday, Johnson appeared to concede to Tichy.
“I came just short of being elected to represent District 19 in the House of Delegates,” Johnson wrote in the post. “I offer warm congratulations to [Tichy], who ran an inspiring and hard-fought campaign, and who exhibits grace and integrity at every turn.”
District 19 is in the eastern portion of Montgomery County. It includes Aspen Hill, Kemp Mill, Leisure World and portions of Derwood, Laytonsville, Glenmont and Emory Grove.
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In a Tuesday text message to Bethesda Today, Tichy said Johnson had also reached out to her directly. She said she did not have a chance to speak with him because she is on a dude ranch in Wyoming where cell service is spotty.
Tichy said her campaign was focused on addressing the most pressing challenges facing District 19 residents, including “supporting working families and seniors, increasing workforce opportunities through vocational education and apprenticeship programs, expanding access to affordable housing and promoting our small business owners.”
Prior to joining the District 19 delegate race, Tichy was a Democratic candidate for one of four at-large seats on the Montgomery County Council. Tichy dropped out of the at-large race two days after Cullison announced she would not seek re-election, telling Bethesda Today at the time “I knew right away that I had to change over.”
Also among the Democratic candidates for District 19 delegate in the June 23 primary election were nonprofit manager Alec Stone of Kemp Mill, political science professor and podcast host Sunil Dasgupta of Rockville and software engineer Gabriel Sorrel of Gaithersburg.
As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Stone was in fifth place with about 9.7% of the vote. Dasgupta was sixth with about 9.1% while Sorrell was seventh with about 6.1% of the vote.
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David Naimon, president of the Montgomery County Board of Elections, told Bethesda Today in a text message Tuesday that results from the June 23 primary are expected to be certified at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. All votes have been counted.
There is no Republican candidate for District 19 delegate, meaning Crutchfield, Stewart and Tichy are virtually assured to win the Nov. 3 general election.
Newly elected delegates and senators will be officially sworn on opening day of the Maryland General Assembly session in January.
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine