Robin Ficker
Politics
Politics
--------

Ficker has run for various state and local offices since the 1970s. In 1972, he ran for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in , blanketing [Montgomery County](/wiki/Montgomery_County%2C_Maryland "Montgomery County, Maryland") with "Our Friend Ficker" campaign signs on utility poles, trees and traffic lights, which resulted in county officials seeking an injunction to stop the placement of these signs on public property. He lost the Democratic primary to Joseph G. Anastasi.

In 1976, Ficker ran as an independent in [Maryland's 8th congressional district](/wiki/Maryland%27s_8th_congressional_district "Maryland's 8th congressional district"). He finished third, with 11\.0% of the vote, behind Republican [Newton I. Steers, Jr.](/wiki/Newton_Steers "Newton Steers"), with 46\.8% and Democrat [Lanny J. Davis](/wiki/Lanny_Davis "Lanny Davis") with 42\.2%.

In 1978, Ficker was elected to the [Maryland House of Delegates](/wiki/Maryland_House_of_Delegates "Maryland House of Delegates") as a Republican, representing [Montgomery County](/wiki/Montgomery_County%2C_Maryland "Montgomery County, Maryland") from 1979 to 1983\. He lost a 1980 primary in the [8th congressional district](/wiki/Maryland%27s_8th_congressional_district "Maryland's 8th congressional district") to former congressman Newton Steers (who had been defeated for re\-election in 1978\). Ficker lost his bid for re\-election to the House of Delegates in 1982\.

In 1984, Ficker secured the Republican nomination in the [6th congressional district](/wiki/Maryland%27s_6th_congressional_district "Maryland's 6th congressional district"). He was defeated in the general election by Democratic incumbent [Beverly Byron](/wiki/Beverly_Byron "Beverly Byron"), 65\.1% to 34\.9%.

He ran for the [United States Senate](/wiki/United_States_Senate "United States Senate") in 2000, claiming to have shaken hands with more than 560,000 people before officially announcing his candidacy. Ficker unsuccessfully ran for [Montgomery County Executive in 2006](/wiki/Maryland_county_executive_elections%2C_2006%23Montgomery_County "Maryland county executive elections, 2006#Montgomery County"), receiving just under 10% of the vote.

In 2009, Ficker moved from his primary residence in Boyds to his childhood home in [Colesville](/wiki/Colesville%2C_Maryland "Colesville, Maryland") to run for the Montgomery County Council in District 4, where he won a three\-way Republican primary with 58% of the vote. He lost to Democrat [Nancy Navarro](/wiki/Nancy_Navarro "Nancy Navarro") 61% to 35%. Moving back to Boyds in 2010, Ficker ran as a Republican for the Montgomery County Council seat in District 2\. Ficker lost to State Delegate [Craig L. Rice](/wiki/Craig_L._Rice "Craig L. Rice") (D\-Dist. 15\), of [Germantown](/wiki/Germantown%2C_Maryland "Germantown, Maryland"), 59% to 40%.

Ficker was a candidate in the 2012 Republican primary for the newly redrawn [6th congressional district](/wiki/Maryland%27s_6th_congressional_district "Maryland's 6th congressional district") seat held by 10\-term incumbent [Roscoe Bartlett](/wiki/Roscoe_Bartlett "Roscoe Bartlett"), finishing fifth in an eight\-candidate field.

Ficker ran unopposed for the 2014 Republican nomination for the District 15 State Senate seat in western Montgomery County. Running with his son Flynn Ficker on a candidate slate for the Maryland Senate and House, the Fickers in May reported visiting 20,000 homes. Ficker lost the District 15 State Senate election to Democrat [Brian J. Feldman](/wiki/Brian_J._Feldman "Brian J. Feldman"), who won 60\.4% of the vote to Ficker's 39\.5%, while his son lost his contest for the House election.

In 2016, Ficker was again a candidate in a Republican primary, but this time for the [6th congressional district](/wiki/Maryland%27s_6th_congressional_district "Maryland's 6th congressional district"). He finished fourth in an eight\-candidate field.

Ficker won the [2018 Republican nomination for Montgomery County Executive](/wiki/Maryland_county_executive_elections%2C_2018%23Montgomery_County "Maryland county executive elections, 2018#Montgomery County") unopposed. He was initially turned down for public matching funds. His campaign filed a lawsuit and was later notified it qualified for the public funding shortly after the primary. Ficker faced [Democrat](/wiki/Democratic_Party_%28United_States%29 "Democratic Party (United States)") [Marc Elrich](/wiki/Marc_Elrich "Marc Elrich") and Democrat\-turned\-[Independent](/wiki/Independent_%28United_States%29 "Independent (United States)") [Nancy Floreen](/wiki/Nancy_Floreen "Nancy Floreen") in the general election on November 6, 2018\. Ficker finished third with 16\.5% of the votes, behind Floreen with 19\.2% and the winner, Elrich, with 64\.3%.

In April 2020, Ficker was present at a rally in Annapolis that protested Governor [Larry Hogan](/wiki/Larry_Hogan "Larry Hogan")'s stay\-at\-home orders. He was photographed holding a sign reading "Robin for Governor", apparently confirming reports that he planned to run in the [2022 Maryland gubernatorial election](/wiki/2022_Maryland_gubernatorial_election "2022 Maryland gubernatorial election"). In July 2022, he lost the Republican primary, placing third behind [Kelly M. Schulz](/wiki/Kelly_M._Schulz "Kelly M. Schulz") and [Dan Cox](/wiki/Dan_Cox "Dan Cox"). Ficker later endorsed Cox in the general election.

In March 2023, Ficker declared his candidacy for [United States Senate](/wiki/United_States_Senate "United States Senate") to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator [Ben Cardin](/wiki/Ben_Cardin "Ben Cardin") in [the 2024 election](/wiki/2024_United_States_Senate_election_in_Maryland "2024 United States Senate election in Maryland"), but in May 2023, Cardin announced that he would not seek reelection in 2024\. Ficker positioned himself as a [protest candidate](/wiki/Protest_candidate "Protest candidate") against former Maryland governor [Larry Hogan](/wiki/Larry_Hogan "Larry Hogan") in the Republican primary, aligning himself with former President [Donald Trump](/wiki/Donald_Trump "Donald Trump"), but has heavily trailed Hogan in opinion polling. He was defeated by Hogan in the Republican primary election on May 14, 2024, garnering almost 30% of the vote.

### Ballot initiatives

Since 1974, Ficker has become known for promoting a series of ballot initiatives. The issues range from term limits, curbing tax increases, to limiting budget waste and duplication. He collected as many as 15,000 signatures for each of 20 initiatives, that together received 2 million votes.

A county initiative he proposed for the November 2008 ballot received 194,151 votes, prevailing by 5,060 votes. The measure requires the nine\-member Montgomery County Council to vote unanimously to raise property tax revenue above the local limit. The victory earned him the [Libertarian Party's](/wiki/Libertarian_Party_%28United_States%29 "Libertarian Party (United States)") Free Market Hero of the week award.

In the fall of 2015, Ficker began campaigning for a ballot measure in the 2016 general election to place term limits on the Montgomery County Executive and Montgomery County Council members. In 2016, Ficker's term limit initiative passed with 69% of the vote, limiting County Council members to three consecutive terms in office.


Did Ficker endorse anyone after losing the Republican primary?