Two years into his first term as a state delegate in the Maryland General Assembly, Eric Bouchat, 56, said Wednesday he does not intend to seek a second term, because it’s virtually impossible to effectively lobby for his constituents in Carroll and Frederick counties as a Republican in a chamber where Democrats hold the majority.
“I’m a businessman, and I do not see the logic of investing my time and effort, and the good people’s money, to go down there if I can’t get anything done,” said Bouchat, who is a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Bouchat, who represents District 5, served one four-year term on the Board of Carroll County Commissioners, representing District 4 from 2018 to 2022, before being elected to the General Assembly in 2022.
“It’s such a dead-end street to be in the 3-to-1 minority where the majority rules,” said Bouchat, who describes himself as a political science nerd. “You must follow the rules to be the most effective. What we’re faced with is an entrenched opponent who outnumbers us 3 to 1. The Democrats not only outnumber us, but also are in possession of the fortress.”
The state legislature in Annapolis is made up of 188 senators and delegates. Of that, 47 are senators and 141 are delegates. In the Senate, there are 34 Democrats and 13 Republicans. The House consists of 102 Democrats and 39 Republicans.
Bouchat has argued for years that if Carroll County went from its current form of government — in which a board of five commissioners is responsible for legislative and executive policy decisions — to a charter government, in which a county executive rules with a county council, Republicans would fare better in Annapolis.
“Nobody really cares what a commissioner says in Annapolis,” he said. “A countywide elected official has more power and can then meet with a chairman of a committee, any elected official.”
Bouchat said he will leave the General Assembly and consider running for a statewide office where he can represent all of Maryland. His life experiences make him “extremely marketable” to residents going through similar circumstances, he said. Bouchat’s daughter died of an opioid overdose in February 2017; and when he was a juvenile, he was incarcerated for assaults that occurred in Howard County. Both experiences taught him a lot, he says.
“I’m not stepping away from politics,” he said. “In two years, I will make a decision on what I want to run for.”
For months the delegate has been sending emails to his colleagues on the all-Republican Carroll delegation talking about his frustrations and calling them out.
Dels. April Rose and Christopher Tomlinson, who both represent District 5, said Wednesday they do not agree with Bouchat’s reasoning.
“There is no connection to our form of government, and whether Republicans can pick up more seats in the Maryland General Assembly,” Tomlinson said. “(Democrats) gerrymander every 10 years and that has cost us seats every 10 years. Unless they’re able to change things, nothing will happen.
“I do not feel I am ineffective,” Tomlinson said. “I introduced four bills my first term, and two passed. I introduced four bills my second term, and one passed. Eric has passed zero bills.”
Rose said she disagrees with Bouchat’s arguments and the way he makes them.
“His problem is that he wants to be a de facto county executive. We all don’t agree with what he wants to do,” Rose said, adding that she’s proud of how well she works with Democrats.
“I prefer to have an open dialogue and work with my colleagues,” she said. “We may all not agree, but I don’t believe in the name calling. The insults are unprofessional. We’re in the severe minority in the legislature, but by being a professional, by working with our majority partners, I’m not going to say we get everything done, but we try.”
