After announcing last summer that he would run for state delegate in the 36th legislative district, Crumpton native and longtime Chestertown resident Arthur Hock, 61, officially filed for office February 18. In July, Hock, a democrat, said agriculture and the environment are two of the most pressing issues facing the district, which includes all of Kent and Queen Anne’s counties and parts of Caroline and Cecil counties. The two issues are completely entwined because the activities of farmers have a direct impact on the Chesapeake Bay.

An independent businessman since his teens, Hock said his experience includes sales, manufacturing, construction and property management. In addition, Hock has served on a variety of local boards and volunteer organizations, such as the Kent County Bay Bridge Watch Commission, the Chestertown Historic District Commission, the Maryland Judicial Nomination Commission, the Eastern Shore Youth Lacrosse Association and the Kent and Queen Anne’s Hospital Foundation, among others. He was the president of the hospital foundation and is currently the president of the Bay Bridge Watch Commission.