Blue wave meets blue line in Frederick, as sheriff’s race just one of Democrats’ wins

In the end, it wasn’t even close.

After three consecutive losses to longtime Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins (R), by sometimes sizeable margins, Democratic challenger Karl Bickel swamped the 20-year veteran sheriff. As of Friday returns, Bickel had 67,164 votes to Jenkins’ 45,939, a 59% to 41% margin.

It was the clearest evidence that the blue wave that swept the county last week also washed over Frederick County, a once-solidly red county that has steadily been turning purple.

It is comfortably purple after last week, if not outright blue now: Except for Del. Jesse Pippy, the House minority leader, and State’s Attorney Charlie Smith, who was running unopposed, the only Republicans to win in Frederick where those whose districts also included parts of neighboring counties.

Jenkins said in a Friday interview he wasn’t totally surprised at the Democratic victories across the county, but he was surprised by the margins.

“Democrats came out because they were angry. Democrats came out in larger numbers,” he said. “I don’t think it was particularly me as much as it was the Republicans in general.”

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With the effort he put into campaigning and speaking with county residents, Jenkins said he was disappointed in the result and concerned about his successor. When asked if he thought the county would be less safe with Bickel taking the lead, Jenkins responded with, “Two words: Hell yes.”

“The election was just a week ago, I don’t know what the future is going to be for me. I’m still a county resident now, I still care,” Jenkins said. “As much as [Bickel] criticized me over the past how many years, you can bet your ass I’ll be on the sideline criticizing him.”

Before this year, Bickel lost to Jenkins by 20,085 votes in 2014; 4,137 in 2018; and 2,950 votes in 2022, a 2.8% margin. Yet, throughout their campaigns this year, Jenkins out-raised Bickel.

Bickel was not available for comment on the race, after repeated requests over the course of the week. But other advocates were more than happy to talk about Jenkins’ loss.

Jenkins reputation was, to a large degree, wrapped around his stance on immigration enforcement and his defense of 287(g) propgrams, which let local police cooperate with federal immigration authorities. That ran up against a Frederick County population that was 11.8% Latino in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2025, it said, 15.6% of the population was foreign-born and 43.4% of that population were not U.S. citizens.

Ninfa Amador-Hernandez, We Are CASA Maryland’s policy manager, said she feels voters, especially immigrants, were “tired of living under that pressure” of Jenkins’ support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Sheriff Jenkins ran that department with terror and fear,” she said Tuesday. “He did not build trust with working class Black, Latine immigrant communities.”

Progressive Maryland spokesperson Christianne Marguerite said last week that Frederick County voters are beginning to be more perceptive of ICE’s “violence.” She said Progressive Maryland, a nonprofit advocacy organization promoting racial and social justice, first endorsed Bickel in his third run for sheriff, in 2022, and has been doing grassroots organizing for his campaign since.

“Frederick County became almost a symbol of the kind of local collaboration with ICE that immigrant communities have been fighting against for years under Jenkins, and I think that people started to see that,” Marguerite said. “This victory really represents an opportunity for big changes in how the Frederick County sheriff’s office approaches working with the community.”

Under Jenkins, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Department had been in a partnership with ICE since 2008. When the General Assembly this year succeeded in banning 287(g) agreements, Jenkins became one of the main voices in opposition.

Jenkins said it isn’t accurate to paint him as “MAGA conservative,” as he’s been making the same decisions and holding the same ideals since before President Donald Trump’s campaign made MAGA a movement. He said he will always stand by his belief that the county’s partnership with ICE was an effective way of improving the county’s safety, and doesn’t regret expressing it, even if that opinion is what could’ve cost him reelection. 

“I am who I am in this county, and people know that,” said Jenkins, a county native.

Jenkins had other issues to deal with in this latest election. He faced a federal indictment in 2023, along with 2026 GOP lieutenant governor nominee Rob Krop, on five counts for conspiracy and making false statements to acquire machine guns on behalf of a county shooting range, The Machine Gun Nest. Krop was acquitted on all charges in October 2024, and federal prosectors dropped all charges against Jenkins just a few weeks later.

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Amador-Hernandez believes this race’s outcome is a local example of the winning streak of Democrats across the nation this fall. But she noted the race result was also a product of advocacy efforts from various organizations sparked by Jenkins’ immigration stance.

We are CASA doesn’t endorse candidates, but Amador-Hernandez said it continues to show opposition for any police department’s partnership with ICE. 

“This particular race just shows that voters are ready for a politic of love, a politic of community, and leaders that build trust, particularly when it comes to public safety,” Amador-Hernandez said. 

Marguerite said the win doesn’t end the work. Progressive Maryland and those who supported Bickel’s campaign will continue holding him to his promises to combat ICE collaborations and operations in the county. 

Still, the vote signifies a broader shift in how county voters feel about their elected officials, she said.

“Beyond Frederick County, this also makes a statement for our state and how people want to see leadership that aligns with their community values,” Marguerite said. “Hopefully, Bickel holds to that with the outcomes of his work in the sheriff’s office, and we’ll set a good example for transparency and community-focused solutions.”