County Executive Jessica Fitzwater has heard the voters. She has taken steps to address their data center concerns; so, what should come next? With the 2026 Frederick County Primary Election now behind us, one thing has become abundantly clear: regardless of where one stands on data centers, many Frederick County voters wanted their concerns to...
Every election tells a story. The results of Frederick County’s 2026 primary election suggest that, beyond the individual candidates, many voters were expressing their views on how data center development has unfolded over the past several years. The votes have now been counted, and one message from Frederick County’s primary election is difficult to ignore....
Over the past several months, Rocky Mackintosh has written a series of articles designed to help residents better understand what is actually happening within Frederick County’s CDI-OZ Data Center District. This twentieth installment focuses on one of the most frequently discussed—and often misunderstood—components of modern data centers: backup power generators. Why Backup Generators Exist Among...
With the June primary election underway, Quantum Frederick and the CDI-OZ Overlay have become central topics in county politics. Candidates, activists, and residents have raised concerns about water consumption, electric demand, diesel generators, transparency, farmland preservation, and the long-term impact of data centers on Frederick County. Public debate is healthy and necessary. Large-scale projects deserve...
This is the fifth in a series of MacRo Report articles examining candidates and issues in the 2026 Frederick County election cycle. Frederick County Council District 3 lies primarily on the western and northwestern side of the City of Frederick. It encompasses key precincts including areas around Hillcrest, Waverley, Whittier, and Monocacy Elementary/Middle Schools. As...
This is the fourth in a series of MacRo Report articles examining candidates and issues in the 2026 Frederick County election cycle. The June 23, 2026 Frederick County Council primary in District 2 offers voters clear choices within each party. While the Democratic contest features two capable candidates with broadly aligned visions, the Republican race...
This is the third in a series of MacRo Report articles examining candidates who are contending for a county council seat as they debate the issues in the 2026 Frederick County election cycle. The Democratic primary for Frederick County Council District 1 features three candidates: Jenn Alcorn, Louisa Conklin, and Eric Smothers. The winner will...
This is the second in a series of articles examining the candidates and issues that will shape Frederick County’s future. Six candidates are seeking the two At-Large seats on the Frederick County Council. Four Democrats — incumbents Brad Young and Renee Knapp, along with challengers Tiffany Grant and Sam Newhouse — are competing in the...
This is the first of several posts that discuss the county government candidates and issues in this year’s election cycle, beginning with the race for Frederick County Executive and the contrasting visions offered by incumbent Jessica Fitzwater and the two Republican primary candidates Jeff Holtzinger and Diane Fouché on growth, fiscal management, and the future...
This is the 18th in MacRo’s AI Corner series on data centers in Frederick County. In our April 15th post, we examined the lawsuit filed by Quantum Maryland, LLC and Frederick County voter Joan Aquilino — a compelling case arguing that the data center zoning ordinance is not legally subject to a citizen referendum. That...