Carroll County Businessman Challenges Van Hollen

Dave Wallace, a Republican businessman from Carroll County, is planning to run against Rep. Chris Van Hollen in the coming congressional election.

Wallace will announce his candidacy in each of District 8's three counties Thursday, including a stop at the in Rockville at 5:30 p.m.

Van Hollen has won his last four elections with more than 70 percent of the vote, but that was before that splits much of Montgomery County between Districts 6 and 8 and brings parts of Frederick and Carroll counties into Van Hollen's district.

Wallace said in a statement that the people of District 8 deserve a more reliable leader than Van Hollen.

"Van Hollen is irresponsible, incompetent and unwilling to take on the crony corruption taking place in Washington, D.C., and here in Maryland," he said.

According to his website, Wallace wants to rein in federal spending, protect Medicare and Social Security, and reform the tax code.

Wallace grew up in Carroll County and is a small-business owner, managing Chesapeake Kitchen Wholesalers in Randallstown, according to a news release. He is a graduate of South Carroll High School and Salisbury University. He worked at the National Institutes of Health before starting his business.