File:Mayor Nathan Brown at the GBACC Voters Forum, July 16, 2018.JPG

Summary

NOTE: Photo not the one used in the Frederick News-Post article.

Brown elected mayor of Brunswick

By Greg Swatek for The Frederick News-Post, August 5, 2020

BRUNSWICK — On a typical Election Day in Brunswick, they gather shortly after sunrise in City Park for a most-of-the-day affair designed to celebrate the occasion and inform the citizenry. Some last-minute conversations with the candidates have been known to swing votes. Since they couldn't do that due to the coronavirus pandemic, Nathan Brown went to work at his normal job. "I wouldn't call it necessarily productive, but I did get some stuff done," said Brown, who works for the National Institute of Health in Bethesda. "Not the most productive I've ever had, I should say." Hours later, the 32-year-old Brown was elected mayor of the town he was born and raised in after serving the past two years on the city council. The official announcement was made shortly after the sunset, just before 9 p.m. outside of the front door at City Hall on W. Potomac Street, and brought to a close the first vote-by-mail election in Brunswick's 130-year history. Brown, wearing a dark mask, was among the small crowd that gathered to hear the results announced and greeted supporters and posed for pictures shortly after the announcement was made. "I am very honored," he said. "You know, there was really overwhelming support. I appreciate it. I am very humbled, and I am excited. I think if we can honor our past and take hold of our future, then I will consider that as being a successful mayor." The vote-by-mail election helped drive a record turnout for a Brunswick election, as 2,077 votes were cast, which represents 38 percent of the city's registered voters. Brown garnered 1,647 votes, compared to 389 for his opponent, Richard Gardner. The three city council spots that were up for grabs among six candidates went to first-time elected official Christopher Vigliotti (1,248 votes), Angel White (1,088) and Vaughn Ripley (1,057). White has served on the city council since 2010, while Ripley has been on the council for the last four years. Vigliotti, 47, celebrated his victory while clutching a can of Liquid Death spring water, which he was drinking in spite of Brunswick's poor water and infrastructure, which has become a major issue in town as bills skyrocket for residents. "I'm speechless," he said. "I ran an issues-based campaign and really tried to favor one-on-one interactions." White and Ripley both said they were grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve the town. The 53-year-old Ripley, an inspirational speaker for teens and young adults, spent the day lifting weights, riding his bike and playing his guitar. "That's what I do every day," he said. All of the candidates will be sworn in next week. Brown's election to mayor will prompt a special election before the end of the year to fill his vacant council seat. Among the top priorities for Brown and the city council are fixing the water-and-sewer problem and breathing some life into Brunswick's downtown scene. "I feel like a lot of the issues in town are in front of me already," Brown said. "I kind of know what direction we need to start in."