In a mid-April newsletter, the Harford County teachers union urged its members to “flip” their party registration, telling Democrats, independents and unaffiliated voters to switch to Republican so they can “impact” upcoming primaries. The page features a large red arrow and a QR code that links directly to the state voter portal, pitching a quick party change as a simple way to gain more say over who lands on local primary ballots. The pitch arrives just as Harford County heads into a crowded primary season.
As reported by FOX Baltimore, Project Baltimore requested an interview with Harford County Education Association leadership and did not receive a response. County Executive Bob Cassilly, the Republican whose primary field the newsletter appears designed to influence, told Project Baltimore the campaign "makes everybody cynical about our government, about democracy" and called it "arrogant."
Inside the 'Flip' Page
The HCEA membership newsletter leans in right from the headline: "It may be time for a party flip!" It then walks readers through how to change their party affiliation, including a QR code that sends them to the Maryland State Board of Elections portal. In HCEA's April newsletter, the union frames a switch as a way to have a say in who the next County Executive is and to boost members' influence in primary contests.
According to federal records, the Harford County Education Association is registered as a 501(c)(5) labor organization, with a mission "to work for the welfare of the educators and students of Harford County, Maryland," as listed in ProPublica's nonprofit profiles. That status covers labor unions, which routinely engage in political activity on behalf of members, but it also comes with expectations about what counts as core mission work versus primarily political activity.
Why the Timing Matters
Timing is central to the union's push. The Maryland State Board of Elections' 2026 calendar sets the primary for June 23, with June 2 as the deadline to register or change party affiliation for that election. Those key dates are laid out in the Maryland State Board of Elections' 2026 election calendar. The newsletter lands in a county that has recently tilted Republican, with the GOP carrying Harford County by roughly 55% to 42% in the 2024 presidential race, according to official SBE results. In that environment, shifting voter registration could change who actually decides the nominees in what is often the dominant primary.
Local Reaction and Next Steps
The newsletter has sparked criticism from county leaders and raised eyebrows over whether a member communication should be used to steer voters into a specific partisan primary. Project Baltimore reported that HCEA leaders did not respond to requests for comment according to FOX Baltimore. On its face, HCEA's newsletter does not spell out how encouraging members to flip parties fits into the union's stated welfare-focused mission.
Legal Questions For The Union
Unions with 501(c)(5) status may engage in political activity, but federal guidance and legal analyses draw a line between acceptable advocacy and political intervention that becomes a primary activity for a tax-exempt group. The Congressional Research Service has detailed how various 501(c) categories are treated when it comes to political and lobbying work, noting that unions have more room to maneuver than charities but can still draw scrutiny. The CRS analysis outlines that landscape.
With the party affiliation deadline falling just days before early voting and the June 23 primary locked in on the calendar, the newsletter offers members a concrete way to change how they participate in local politics. At the same time, it has placed county leaders on opposite sides of the question of whether this is savvy organizing or a stretch of a nonprofit's mission. The union has not publicly elaborated on the strategy, and county officials say they will be watching to see whether the "flip" push actually moves votes in the weeks ahead.
