A single mom and master electrician is poised to take a District 19 House seat

Christa Tichy — master electrician, small business owner and vocational teacher— is likely to be one of the new faces on the Montgomery County delegation to the General Assembly.

Tichy is currently in third place with about 13% of the vote in the race to select three Democratic nominees in the House of Delegates’ District 19.

Some ballots have yet to be processed, but last week Tichy declared victory in the Democratic primary for the seat now held by Del. Bonnie Cullison, who plans to retire after 16 years in the House.

Tichy, who lives in Rockville’s Norbeck neighborhood and runs her own business, C&T Contracting LLC, said she’s going to advocate for working people in the county and across the state.

“I am deeply humbled and incredibly honored,” Tichy told The Banner in a text Tuesday from her vacation on a Wyoming dude ranch. “I understand the desire for a delegation that prioritizes working families, equity, and sustainable growth.”

District 19, in the mid-county, includes Aspen Hill, Laytonsville, Derwood, Shady Grove, Olney, Glenmont and Wheaton, among other neighborhoods. Tichy is expected to represent the district with incumbent Dels. Charlotte Crutchfield and Vaughn Stewart and state Sen. Ben Kramer, all of whom are Democrats.

No Republicans ran for the seat, which means Tichy would not face opponents in the November election.

Who is Christa Tichy?

The secretary of the county’s Democratic Central Committee, Tichy has immersed herself in local politics for several years but has never held a major elected office.

She said she enrolled in Montgomery College as a single mother to study to be an electrician and earn a better salary to support her children. Now she teaches the same classes she once took as a student at the college. She also previously taught in Montgomery County Public Schools.

Tichy initially filed in August to run for an at-large county council seat, but after Cullison announced her retirement, decided to switch races in January.

In 2022 she ran for the District 6 seat in the House of Delegates, which represents Aspen Hill, Wheaton and Glenmont, coming in fifth with less than 5% of the vote in the Democratic primary. The District 19 race was Tichy’s political comeback. Endorsed by 14 unions, she centered her campaign on supporting workers, particularly those in blue collar professions.

Tichy has always run promising to strengthen education and unions, but now talks about more priorities, including bolstering vocational education and apprenticeship programs, expanding access to affordable housing and promoting small business owners.

The timing of Cullison’s announcement left a tight turnaround for contenders to campaign for the seat, with less than a month before the state candidate filing deadline.

Four other new Democratic candidates also sought the seat — Sunil Dasgupta, Sebastian Johnson, Gabriel Sorrel and Alec Stone. According to unofficial state elections board results, Tichy beat Johnson, a consultant, by a little less than a point.

Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.

Tichy expressed optimism in the wake of her likely victory.

“Our diversity is our greatest strength, and by working together, there is no challenge we cannot overcome,” she said.