Super PAC Reports $550,000 in Contributions as Anti-Holtzinger Ads Draw Pushback

A super PAC with $550,000 in reported contributions is drawing scrutiny for advertising against William “Jeff” Holtzinger in Frederick County’s executive race, with criticism coming from both the Republican candidate and Democratic County Council President Brad Young.

United Frederick reported spending $301,158 on campaign materials and $85,618 on administrative costs in its latest filing, according to The Frederick News-Post. The contribution total is not the same as the amount spent on advertising.

The report lists three contributors: $200,000 from Total Food and Wine Supply Inc., co-owned by former U.S. Rep. David Trone; $100,000 from public-sector union AFSCME; and $250,000 from MSEA’s Fund for Children and Public Education PAC.

Holtzinger, who faces incumbent Democrat Jessica Fitzwater, said the group’s mailers misrepresent his record. The materials make allegations about his political associations and conduct as Frederick mayor and portray him as supportive of data center development.

One mailer excerpted his statement that he was not against data centers. His fuller response in the newspaper’s voter guide qualified that position with concerns about water and electricity demands, financial benefits and government decision-making. He has since said he would advocate reducing the size of the data center zone near Adamstown.

Young publicly criticized the personal tone of the advertising while saying disagreements about Holtzinger’s positions were legitimate. He described Holtzinger as a longtime friend whose integrity should not be attacked.

The Fitzwater campaign defended its criticism of Holtzinger’s record but said it does not coordinate or communicate with United Frederick. Young also added a statement to his post conveying the campaign’s denial of involvement in the ads.

On Tuesday, the Frederick County Republican Central Committee filed a complaint alleging prohibited coordination between the campaign and the PAC. The supplied report describes an allegation, not a finding by election officials.

The complaint points to connections involving PAC treasurer Sophia Silbergeld and her consulting firm, Adeo Advocacy. Silbergeld said a published claim that Fitzwater was an Adeo client was incorrect. She said she serves as the PAC’s treasurer personally and that Adeo had helped with one Fitzwater event involving Trone.

The Fitzwater campaign acknowledged paying Adeo for one event in 2025 and said the firm had done no work for it since.

Separate campaign reports cited by the newspaper show Holtzinger raising $45,566 and spending $38,634, while Fitzwater’s campaign reported raising $771,898 and spending $582,347 over four years. Those figures cover different campaign timelines and should not be treated as identical-period comparisons.