UPDATE: Pocomoke officials share next steps after City Councilmember wins MD House District 38A
POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – Pocomoke City officials are sharing their next steps after City Councilmember C.L. Marshall III won the seat for State House Representative for District 38A.
On Wednesday morning, Marshall celebrated the win on social media, saying in part, “I’m humbled and extremely grateful for the support the folks in District 38A have extended in allowing us to represent our Eastern Shore way of life in Annapolis. The work begins today.”
Marshall also congratulated his opponent, Shelley Johnson, on running a great campaign, thanking her for her commitment to the Lower Shore. He will go on to represent Somerset County and parts of Worcester and Wicomico counties at the state level.
Marshall has served on the Pocomoke City Council since 2024. Pocomoke Mayor Todd Nock also celebrated Marshall’s win on social media, saying he looks forward to working alongside Marshall in a new capacity.
“Pocomoke City’s loss on the Council will certainly be our region’s gain in Annapolis,” Mayor Nock said, in part. “Having someone in the Maryland General Assembly who understands the challenges and opportunities facing our small municipalities is important, and I look forward to working with C.L. as we continue advocating for Pocomoke City and the entire Lower Eastern Shore.”
Nock added that Marshall is expected to be sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates in Jan. 2027, at which time he will vacate his seat on the Pocomoke City Council, where he currently represents District 5. No discussions or decisions have been made at this time regarding how the vacancy will be addressed, but the council has the three following options under the city charter:
- Leave the seat vacant until the next election for that district.
- Appoint a qualified individual to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.
- Hold a special election, either in conjunction with the next general election or at another time designated by the Council.
Marshall has garnered the vote by a little over 60 percent, while his opponent Democrat Shelley Johnson garnered 39 percent of the vote. The official vote totals are as follows:
Image Courtesy of Maryland Board of Elections
To read more about the race between Marshall and Johnson, view WMDT’s coverage here.
This article was originally published on Nov. 3 at 10:25 p.m., and has since been updated with statements and vote totals.
