Frank Gunsallus, now running for one of five seats on the Talbot County Council, is a former Easton Town Council President who was defeated for re-election in 2025 by Don Abbatiello.
Among the major issues facing Talbot residents, as voting has begun with mail-in ballots having already gone out and early in-person voting beginning on Oct. 22, are the same issues that apply to races for Congress and Governor and other statewide offices. Namely, voters are most concerned about the inflated cost of living, exacerbated by the undeclared war against Iran with no end in sight.
Our First District Representative Andy Harris, a Republican, fully supports President Trump’s ruinous tariff policy, in which he has started a trade war against Canada as well as the shooting war with Iran, which he says will magically go away, along with runaway inflation, once midterm elections are over.
As with almost all Republicans running for any office this year, Mr. Gunsallus has nothing to say that might offend supporters of the president or his partisan enablers in Congress. But he does have something in common with the president. He is a convicted felon.
Voters should be reminded, as they were in May of 2025, when Mr. Gunsallus ran for Easton Town Council re-election. One of the issues in that campaign was his opposition to town expenditures on the annual Delmarva Pride Festival in Easton, supported by Mayor Megan Cook. So far as I know, the only attention to Mr. Gunsallus’ criminal record was in a Talbot Spy letter to the editor.
On Dec. 2, 2014, Mr. Gunsallus was charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. Bail was set in District Court at $500,000, and the case on the felony charge was transferred to Circuit Court (Case No. 23-K-15-000026), where he pleaded guilty.
He was sentenced to five years in prison with three years suspended, leaving a judicial order of two years to be served.
Mr. Gunsallus has paid for his past actions. And while even recreational marijuana is legal in many states today, it was a felony in 2014 to possess with intent to distribute. The law applies to us all, or should — U.S. Supreme Court presidential exceptions notwithstanding.
Steve Parks
Easton
30 Responses
Young people do not care about cannabis convictions.
Convicted felons should stay out of government and should not be permitted to vote.
Allowing that is a slap in the face to all who are not felons.
Your past record is who you are.
Next, please.
Time to go fishing.
Cast your vote.
Wow. So Í guess you’re not a Christian? Christians believe in forgiveness and grace. The man paid the price. Now you want more punishment for a man who has shown himself to be a good, strong contributor to the community and someone who has turned his life around? That’s pathetic.
Frank Gunsallus is a great human being and this hit piece is why new leadership is needed in Talbot county. He has paid for his crime and has made every effort to make up for his past mistakes. This argument is repetitive and is a non issue for most people today. Maybe find another pasttime instead of beating a dead horse.
I think this is backwards. The criticism of Frank isn’t really about his record on local issues or the policies he’s proposing for Talbot County. It’s about a felony conviction from more than a decade ago that is public, well known, and that he has already paid the legal price for.
Voters are free to consider that history. But if the argument against him is strong, it ought to be made on his record in office, his judgment, or the ideas he’s putting forward for Talbot County today.
If his policies are bad, explain why. If his record in Easton was poor, make that case. Simply repeating “convicted felon” avoids the more relevant political argument.
Norman Bauer – Proud support of Frank Gunsallus’s leadership
I’m sorry, but this political election and every political election is biblical in my opinion and in my opinion, the best people that I’ve met in this world are people that have made big big mistakes and have learned their lesson and turn their lives so I think whoever is viewing this kind of evil and hate to be examining their own life and their own dark secret that they have that maybe they haven’t been caught for you is all I can say very sad that such an incredible member of this community is helping and people would be evil just over political side
What exactly are you smoking Mr Parks ? Or better still , what type of political toxic “cool aid “are you drinking . ? Your scurrilous attacks on a hard working , honest and effective public servant , lose all credibility, when your current Candidate Brian Naranjo , deletes his ethnic PUTDOWN comments on his vile social media pages , and when your own county Committeeman is in self imposed exile while being sent to Coventry by the entire community in Talbot . county , for doxing long established Talbot business owners .
You are indicative of the ill written gobbledygook hand written graffiti on the windows of your HQ. Guess when your failed campaigns have no money , no support and no message , the democrats answer is character assassination , property destruction ,and stealing signs and domain names .Etc
Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King once stated: “…what happened yesterday should never dictate your capacity to act today.” He further explains that that true judgement of a man shouldn’t be what once was, but what it can be. And not to use past mistakes as an excuse for the inaction of tomorrow. Democratic leaders have time and time again, released violent criminals back on the street. They applaud illegals entering this country while protesting those that try to uphold the law. The hypocrisy oozes from articles like this, because this isn’t you stepping up for justice, it’s an agenda to block those you disagree with.
Another factor that came up during the 2025 Easton Town Council election was Mr. Gunsallus’s rude, hostile, and disrespectful behavior toward other members of the Town Council. That behavior was filmed as Town Council meetings were streamed. I don’t know if those recording are still available, but if they are, take a look. Mr. Abbatiello won the election by 3-2. A theme of Mr. Abbatiello’ campaign was that we needed people on the Council who behaved with civility.
It did not surprise me that the Republicans ran a convicted felon for office in Easton. (Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Parks) Their Dear Leader, Donald J. Trump, is lawless and a convicted felon. What was surprising then was that he was nominated by our local Republicans despite the fact that people in this area used to take pride in the civil behavior of the population and local politicians. Today, Mr, Gunsallus’s past obnoxious behavior is fully in line with the Republicans’ Dear Leader. If you want our Shore culture to become a toxic wasteland, vote Republican
Mr Davis , let us remind you of some of the laws you and your party continue to violate
8 U.SC 1424
8 U.S.C 1325
Laws against ICRA act of 1986
CRM 8 USC 1325
Not to mention the unconstitutional passing of senate Bill 29 , we suggest you get your popcorn ready for the litany of criminal court dockets stacked up by your followers . Unlike the bogus and fictitious claims you make about Trump , these are actually happening in real time . Again you and your party have nothing to offer . Except calumny , lies and personal attacks
In what way do you think Frank supports anything to do with the national republican party and the likes of our current federal government? Frank is a hardworking man who is Talbot minded and wants what is best for the community. Baseless attacks lumping him in with those people is unwarranted and frankly just a vehicle for fear mongering against someone with a different point of view. The real issues facing the country is from the top and should be the main focus of the collective ire of the country. Issuessuch as the exponentially rising cost of food, fuel and housing is a real problem and Frank is not responsible for any of that. Maybe we can also look at the county and town taxes that are crushing everyday people just trying to eek out an existence.
It’s frustrating that it seems hardly a day goes by without feeling the need to defend myself—or, in this case, my friend Frank Gunsallus—simply because someone happens to see things differently politically.
What troubles me most today is seeing a personal attack on someone who has chosen to step forward and try to serve his community in a meaningful way. Frank’s past is not a secret, nor is it recent. These events occurred 12 years ago, and, as you yourself have acknowledged, he paid a significant price for his mistakes.
I’m not suggesting that anyone should ignore someone’s past. People have every right to ask questions and consider them. But I also believe in fairness, perspective, and the possibility that people can learn from their mistakes and move forward. At some point, we have to decide whether we believe people should be judged forever by the worst chapter of their lives—or whether we should also consider the person they have become in the years since.
I didn’t know Frank 12 years ago, but I do know him now. What I can tell you is that no matter the time, the inconvenience, or the circumstances, he is always willing to help people. I’m relatively new to the political arena here in Talbot County, and Frank has always been willing to answer my questions, give me a ride, put up signs, or simply lend a hand when I need one. I’ve seen how much he loves his wife, his children, his father, and the rest of his family. And in my experience, he tries to make decisions based on facts and common sense rather than simply following a political label.
None of that erases the past, and I’m not asking anyone to pretend that it does. I’m simply asking that we allow room for something I hope we would want for any human being: the opportunity to acknowledge our mistakes, accept the consequences, learn from them, and do better.
Political differences are one thing. Personal attacks are another. We ought to be able to disagree without trying to tear people down.
Anne,
Well said. Personal attacks are out of line. I agree Frank’s past transgression has no bearing. He paid the price along with too many others for what today would likely be a misdemeanor. Any judgement should be made based on policies and present behaviors. In that regard, a few of the comments on his time on the Easton Town Council may have some relevance. I do wish he had been more forthcoming about his mistake when he first ran for public office. That said, maybe he can use that experience and possible position if elected to support others who were also penalized too harshly.
Few things are as darkly humorous as seeing Democrats clutch their pearls about the moral failings, real or imagined, of Republicans. The Democrats are a party which has made “women’s health” aka *abortion rights* a keystone of their talking points; abortion is about killing babies. Democrats passionately advocate the rights of young children to change their gender without parental input, including surgery and drugs. Democrats in many states have pushed for assisted suicide for the elderly, disabled, and mentally ill. Democrats insist that federal agents are wrong to arrest and deport those who are in our country illegally. Not long ago our sitting Democrat US Senator traveled to a foreign country to comfort an illegal alien deported for human trafficking, while in his district two women were raped and murdered by another illegal alien. Did their families receive a word of consolation? Not as of this writing. Indeed, Democrats wallow in a morass of crime and, to use a politically incorrect word, immorality.
Oh, but Frank Gunsallus used to sell pot on Port Street, over a decade ago, in a past he has put behind him. And Democrats are shocked because none of them EVER smoked pot, and if they did they would not have bought it from Frank. Because last election they accused him of being a Nazi and KKK member. In fact, I am getting the strong impression that Democrats in Talbot County NEVER used marijuana or any other drugs, because if they had, they would never have the audacity to call out Frank about his past mistakes. Never mind that Frank has courageously rebuilt his life, started a family and a business, has proven himself to be a loyal friend and hard-working civil servant. But because he has embraced Conservative values, made family life a priority, and is a strong supporter of law enforcement, he shall never be forgiven by the Left. The Democrats in Talbot County are obsessed with bringing Frank Gunsallus down, without listening to his very practical and creative ideas for maintaining and building the life we cherish on the Shore. Such Democrat hypocrisy will backfire eventually, as most of us have made mistakes in the past.
UPDATES: I have been informed that Frank G did not sell weed in Talbot County at all but was arrested in Ocean City.
This is not to say that what Mr Gunsallus was found guilty of was ok. The courts passed judgement according to the law and he served his sentence. I lost a brother to addictions so some would say I have a right to feel a certain way about his charges. What feel is glad that he’s a young man set free from his choices at that time. We should all be glad that at the end of our days we will stand before a just, holy and loving God and not a human. Humans are not very good at forgiveness. Jesus tells us to forgive in the same way we want to be forgiven or He will judge us in the same way that we judge others. That’s a pretty strong warning. I believe that in that dark period of Mr. Gunsallus’ life God allowed him to be separated from the path he was on by allowing him to receive the two years mentioned above. In those two years Mr. Gunsallus had a lot of time to think about his actions and more to find forgiveness and freedom in Christ. Is he perfect? I am sure that Mr Gunsallus knew that sooner or later his past would be brought up. I hope he has been freed of that weight now that it has so that he can tell his redemption story. There are people who need to know that Gods grace and forgiveness is for everyone who asks for it. God has blessed Mr Gunsallus with a beautiful family, and hope for a future in Him. I hope that this comment thread is filled with people who know the love of Christ and who choose to love like Jesus does.
You people are unbelievable. Your comrades lobby to support cannabis use yet condemn someone who was involved with the use years ago. WTF?
Yes, Frank made a mistake. There is no reason to pretend otherwise, and he has never been given a free pass for it. But one mistake even a serious one should not become the only thing we ever say about a person. As Christians, we are called to remember that none of us are without sin, none of us have lived a perfect life, and all of us have needed forgiveness at some point. The Bible reminds us in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Frank paid the price for what he did. He served his sentence, faced the consequences, and has continued to move forward with his life and serve his community. People can acknowledge that what he did was wrong while also recognizing the person he has become since then. I know Frank to be someone who genuinely cares about Talbot County and the people who live there. You don’t have to agree with him on every issue, and you certainly don’t have to forget his past, but I believe people deserve the opportunity to grow, change, and prove themselves through their actions.
We should be careful about judging someone solely by the worst chapter of their life. If we’re going to believe in accountability, we should also believe in redemption, forgiveness, and second chances.
Frank is human. He made a serious mistake. He paid for it. And today, he is still a person who cares deeply about his community and is willing to serve it. That deserves to be acknowledged too.
As Jesus said ” Let the one without sin cast the first stone”. I’m sure Mr Parks is not an innocent person however he is a very vindictive one.
Mr Gunsallus has paid for what he did when a teenager. What teenager can say they never did anything wrong? I’d guess they weren’t caught. It’s very obvious the Talbot County Socialist Democrat party is getting nervous and so they should. Just look at the bureaucrat running who has been here for twelve years yet knows what is good for the residents of the county.
Spare me the lies and get a life Mr Parks
He was not a teenager. He was 26.
Mr. Gunsallus is running on transparent governance. It’s on his website. And yet the only people who have ever explained his record to the voters are a commenter under an endorsement letter last year and Mr. Parks this week. That isn’t transparency. That’s being found out, slowly, by other people.
If the story is what his supporters say it is, a young man who made a mistake dealing on Port Street, paid two years for it, and came home to build a family, a business, and a public career, then he should be the one telling it. Under his own name, in his own words: what happened, why a court set bail at half a million dollars on a marijuana charge, what it cost him, and what he learned. Say it before a moderator asks. Say it to the people who would never ask.
A candidate who lets other people narrate his past has already decided it’s a liability to be survived rather than a chapter to be owned. You can’t run on transparency and leave the hardest page blank. Tell us the whole thing. We’re voting, and we have a right to know, transparently.
I first met Frank at a gas station where he introduced himself and talked about his hope for our community. In the years since, I’ve watched him love his family, invest in this community and make honest efforts to engage with people on opposing ends of cultural issues. That conduct should matter as well, right?
If we want to live in a place where a person can’t grow out of the shadow of their past, there won’t be many qualified to lead.
There are many reasons why I would not and did not vote for Mr.Gonsallus-but his prior conviction for marijuana with intent to distribute is not one of them.He has served his sentence and paid his dues.
His status as a felon and a member of self help groups was outed in the last election.
I do wish he had taken his story and used it as a cautionary tale, gotten ahead of all the “discovery” of his status as a convicted felon but he didn’t choose that route.
Let’s quit beating a dead horse.
Wow, Frank must be doing really well in campaigning. The attacks are really coming out now. Steve Parks – this is old news. It came out in the last election. Let’s move on. Frank is genuinely a good guy who has a vested interest in our community. Check his voting record when he was with the town council. Frank has my vote!
We all have a past. We all have a present. And we all have a future.
Our past is part of who we are, but it does not have to define who we become.
America has long been called the land of opportunity. I also believe we are the land of second chances.
We see second chances throughout our lives. We can fail at school and try again. We can stumble in our careers and start over. We can make mistakes, accept the consequences, learn from them, and choose a different path.
A second chance doesn’t erase the past. It gives us the opportunity to build a better future—to contribute to our families, our communities, and the lives of others.
We should remember the past, but we should also recognize who a person is today and leave room for who that person can become tomorrow.
People change. People rebuild. And that counts.
Rene van Erven
Easton, Maryland
I’ve read every comment here, and I agree with more of them than you might expect.
Mr. Gunsallus served his sentence. People can change, and no one should be defined forever by the worst chapter of their life. Some commenters have said that if the case against him is strong, it should rest on his record and judgment. Fair enough. Others have said this isn’t about marijuana being legal now. On that point, I agree. Selling twenty pounds without a license is still a crime in Maryland.
So here is the record, without adjectives. In December 2014, at 26, he was arrested at a McDonald’s in Ocean City, sitting in a car he had bought three days earlier under an alias, with more than 20 pounds of marijuana worth roughly $200,000 at the time. Bail was set at $500,000. He pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute and served two years. That is not a young man’s mistake in a school hallway or on Port Street. It is wholesale weight. Twenty pounds doesn’t move without a network.
He then asked Easton voters for their trust three times. He lost the Ward 1 race in 2023 and won the special election for Council President later that year. In 2025, voters who had watched him in the job turned him out in a massive landslide that went against him, 2,025 to 976. Now he is seeking for a county council seat.
Redemption is real, but it isn’t the same as just allowing the passage of time. Redemption has to be shown, has to be earned. As several people here have noted, Mr. Gunsallus has never told this story himself: how it started, how long it went on, where the product was going, and what he has done since to make amends to the community it touched. I’ve looked, and I can’t find his account anywhere.
That isn’t a smear. It’s the question any employer asks before handing someone responsibilities. His friends say he has changed, and I hope they’re right. But that story is his to tell, and Talbot deserves to hear it from him before we vote.
Brian Naranjo
St. Michaels
Thank you for the details. I certainly have no issue with people smoking marijuana, even before it was legal, but possession of twenty pounds of drugs with intent to distribute is a serious offense. In my opinion, it should not be taken lightly or dismissed simply because he did his time.
Brian,
You are seasoned diplomat. Im a seasoned investigative journalist and author. Ive covered politics longer than some in the arena.
In 2023, Frank Gunsallus and I spoke about his conviction. He was willing to go on camera and address it and what he learned. He was upfront with me about his past. Approximately 96 hours before that interview occurred on-camera, I learned the name of a man, who betrayed Frank Gunsallus, Sr.’s confidence and friendship when he became his son’s political opponent that year. Anonymous tips had been passed to Talbot Spy and Star-Democrat about Frank’s conviction. So, I interviewed both father and son. Here’s their on-camera interview. I extend the grace to you and others if you missed it. Full disclosure. I do not work for Easton Gazette today. I do not even endorse its link on the Talbot County Republican Central Committee website. That violates journalistic ethics in my world.
https://eastongazette.com/politics/2023/08/28/the-easton-gazette-frank-gunsallas-running-for-mayor/
There has been a pattern of sleazy politics at times in Talbot County. It matters not whether it involves democrats or republicans. The KKK smear targeting Frank Gunsallus, Jr. during the last go-around ended up in court. Calling the former Wiley a crook in mailings in 2023 was unacceptable. I spoke out then.
This year, the Talbot County Republican Central Committee leadership targeted Lynn Miekle in a nasty humiliating way. It matters not that their justification was for her voting record. It lacked the acumen of sophisticated political operatives. Shunning Lynn and not allowing voters to hear from Lynn at their GOP events was not right. TCRCC attacked other parties in recent years. I know that to be an absolute fact.
In 2018, the Talbot County Republican Central Committee went after one of their own and submitted anonymous letters – two letters to the Star Democrat Editor in those days. The local CLUE game took off. Those involved were outed in the Star Democrat. The shenanigans backfired. It is all in the public record.
During the 2018 local elections in Talbot County, Maryland, Sears Wheeler was a fake persona created and used by Matt Albers, then a newly elected member of the Republican Central Committee.
“Sears Wheeler” submitted letters to the Star Democrat Editor and posted on social media support for specific Talbot County Council candidates. Namely, Jennifer Williams, Chuck Callahan, Frank Divilio, and Corey Pack, while harshly attacking Laura Price.
The first letter was published in the Star Democrat on October 21, 2018. Jon Grief was the Star Democrat Editor at the time. When it came to light that no one knew Wheeler in the county, the investigation ensued. Some of journalists living here leaned in and helped Jon at the time. The investigation outed Matt Albers.
https://www.stardem.com/spotlight/paper-investigating-person-behind-fake-letter/article_3a32118a-c24e-5b49-876c-1f8a39d17abe.html
https://www.stardem.com/spotlight/unmasked/article_9e66bc5b-4758-53ca-b9fd-ca4aa5431a2b.html
I spoke out then as I am speaking out today because sleazy politics in a small community I find to be despicable. It does not bring the community together.
https://www.stardem.com/opinion/columns/are-callahan-williams-and-pack-worthy-of-your-support/article_df47a2ce-41e4-591a-b7a6-276bcee45879.html
https://www.stardem.com/opinion/columns/talbot-gops-deceitful-charade-of-leadership/article_2cf31c7c-eeb0-54a5-8734-708cc701786c.html
In light of COVID especially, voters need to figure out priorities on the local level, and also, state and federal policies that impact them. It is tres importante to remember we live in a small community and anyone of us can fall off the horse. As Frank stated in his 2023 interview, getting back up is important and helping others get back on their feet is worthwhile. It is good for those who need to get back up and it is good for the community to help those get back up on their feet. It is a good message to youth.
Years ago, Father Bill Ortt at Chris Church embraced folks who had lost their way and former drug addicts. He gave them an opportunity at Christ Church. When the Talbot Interfaith homeless shelter was in the process of being approved by the Easton Town Council, there were heated arguments about its location on Goldsborough Street in Easton. Father Bill and Rabbi Peter invited me to attend. To my horror, one man mentioned how someone referred to the homeless as “those people.” One man stood up, dressed like a preppie and gave his testimony, and reminded the public in attendance that someone had referred to him as “those people.” He had hit hard times and people helped him.
All this throwing of stones needs to come to a screeching halt. Everyone in this community has a role to play, including those who are examples of successful Second Chances especially. Younger generations will have their own challenges in life. Some will fail and some will not. Turning one’s life around is a blessing and THAT is what should be applauded. If you dont believe me, perhaps, you should sit down with Sheriff Joe Gamble. His efforts on Talbot Goes Purple was a real reckoning 10 years ago. As one of the Co-Founders of American Conversations townhall, I was all in. No matter what Joe and I disagree on, I agree with Joe on preventing the slippery slope of drugs and helping those whose lives have been flipped upside down. There are lessons for all of us who have not walked in Frank Gunsallus’ shoes. Never give up on yourself and never give up on others.
God Bless,
Christine Dolan
I don’t know Mr. Gunsallis, except that he is running for a position of public trust.
I know that Mr. Gunsallis’ is running thanks to his forest of oversized campaign signs that seem to have been up since before Memorial Day.
I don’t know Mr. Gunsallis except for his electoral record at the Town Of Easton. Why did the Easton voters turn against him in 2025 – one year ago – in such overwhelming numbers ?
I don’t know why Mr. Gunsallis wants to serve on the Talbot County Council
I know nothing about Mr. Gunsallis’ politics except that he seems to align closely with the MAGA agenda.
I know nothing about Mr. Gunsallis’ character – except what I read in the public record – which suggests he is a serial entrepreneur. Character counts.
What does Mr. Gunsallis do for a living? What is his record of community service? How long has he lived in Talbot County?
I am open-minded : I would love to hear all about Mr. Gunsallus. I would welcome a lengthy op-ed piece that speaks directly to all these questions.
Who is Frank Gunsallis?