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Karen Lewis Young, wife of former Frederick mayor Ron Young, has joined the ever-growing, predominantly Democratic race for the city's Board of Aldermen.

Young, 57, filed and announced her candidacy on Tuesday.

The Democrat has lived in Frederick city for 13 years, and said that it wasn't her spouse who encouraged her to run for public office. She credits a book she recently read, "Team of Rivals," by Doris Kearns Goodwin, for prompting her to make the move.

Young grew up in Montoursville, Pa., and attended Franklin and Marshall College, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in American history. She then attended Columbia University, where she earned a master's degree in American history and a master's of business administration before going on to work for years in New York City in marketing for major corporations.

She owns her own market research and consulting business, Karen Lewis Market Research, in Frederick.

Young came to Frederick in 1996, when she was recruited by Farmers and Mechanics National Bank as its chief marketing officer. Young's strong background in finance and communications is what she believes makes her qualified to take up a post at City Hall.

"We're not a small town anymore, we're almost like a large corporation where we have an $80 million budget, and it's become increasingly clear to me that we need people who have strong management and financial skills," she said. "I thought it was time to take it to the next level as the city faced 21st century challenges."

Young listed a host of city issues that she's passionate about, elaborating on the fact that she believed the city should invest in its existing parks before building a regional one, make its public meetings more accessible to residents and practice smarter development.

In response to the question of how her husband of three years took the news that she was entering the political ring, Young said: "I was pleasantly surprised. I expected him to discourage me, but he was very supportive — which is convenient, because I was going to do it anyway."

Kuzemchak attempts re-election

Alderman Donna Kuzemchak (D) announced Monday that she would seek a fourth term on Frederick's Board of Aldermen.

"I'm running again because I think we need experience mixed with new ideas, and I think I have the ability to bring those two tasks together," said Kuzemchak, a 24-year-resident and mother of two.

Kuzemchak, 48, joined city politics as a concerned mother, trying to get a traffic light installed at the intersection of East and 16th streets. She got a crossing guard instead. Kuzemchak said she has maintained the same ideals that she had before she took a seat at City Hall.

"I am proof that one person can make a difference," Kuzemchak said. "What is important to a community should be what is important to their government."

Having served on three mayoral administrations with varying legacies, Kuzemchak said that she has learned that it's OK to be the lone dissenter, to leave debates in the boardroom and to be an open book to constituents.

"What you see is what you get," Kuzemchak said. "I'm not going to pretend to be anybody else, because I'm no good at it."

Kuzemchak drew on her track record for championing issues that residents bring to her attention, such as overcrowding and residential parking regulations. Legislation on both issues, Kuzemchak said, "has been lost in the black hole of bureaucracy for over two years.

"Although the mayor seems to thwart every attempt to move this forward … as shown, I have the tenacity to continue to push these issues even when the city's CEO doesn't want to move them through the process," she said.

She said that among her top issues for her next campaign are advocating for a new headquarters for the Frederick Police Department, a carefully planned comprehensive plan for the city, and promoting open government. Kuzemchak is employed at Volunteer Frederick.

Kuzemchak is the only sitting alderman to announce a re-election bid. She joins Republican Senitta R. Conyers and Democrats Karen Young, Andrew Kotkin, Michael O'Connor and Kelly Russell on the aldermanic ballot.

The filing deadline for candidates is July 7. The primary election is Sept. 15; general election is Nov. 3.

E-mail Erica L. Green at egreen@gazette.net.