Data Center Dispute Shapes Frederick County Executive Race

Frederick County’s data center debate is testing political loyalties as incumbent Democrat Jessica Fitzwater and Republican challenger Jeff Holtzinger make their final arguments to voters.

Maryland Matters reports that anger over development near Adamstown has given Holtzinger an opening despite Fitzwater’s fundraising advantage. The report quotes local political figures who see a more competitive contest, but it does not provide a Frederick County head-to-head poll establishing the candidates’ standings.

Former Democratic County Council member Kai Hagen and Republican former state senator Mike Hough both identified data centers as a significant factor. Residents near the campus described concerns about construction, infrastructure and how county leaders made decisions.

Fitzwater says her administration has responded. She paused new applications, rejected a proposed $110 million community-benefits agreement and says she will work with the next council to reduce the zoning expansion approved in 2025.

The earlier zoning action expanded the designated Adamstown area while prohibiting data centers in other industrial areas of the county. Fitzwater emphasizes the restrictions elsewhere; critics focus on the additional land included near Adamstown.

She told Maryland Matters that voters she meets more often raise affordability, immigration enforcement and national politics than specific county data center decisions. She nevertheless acknowledged that the issue has changed the campaign’s tone.

Holtzinger says rising property taxes and growth planning drew him back into politics. Drawing on his civil engineering background, he questions whether water supplies and roads can accommodate the development and criticizes the county’s handling of negotiations and the resulting litigation.

He also calls for closer scrutiny of school spending, while Fitzwater emphasizes investment in education and her experience as a teacher.

The dispute has attracted outside spending. United Frederick, a super PAC with about $550,000 in reported funding, has run advertising attacking Holtzinger’s record and political associations. Holtzinger rejects the portrayal and says the campaign should focus on local government responsibilities.

The article describes sharply different reactions to Fitzwater’s policy changes. Some supporters view them as responsiveness to residents; critics see reversals that have weakened trust. Those interpretations remain political judgments rather than established explanations of her motives.

Construction continues at projects with existing development rights despite the pause on new proposals. That distinction matters to residents who expected a moratorium to stop activity already underway.

For voters, the contest brings together questions about growth, infrastructure, education and confidence in local leadership. The eventual result will show how those priorities translate into votes.