{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Charles M. Freel | image = | alt = | state_house = Delaware | district = 4th | term_start = March 5, 2022 | term_end = November 8, 2022 | predecessor = Gerald Brady | successor = Jeff Hilovsky (redistricting) | prior_term = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | spouse = | children = 2 | profession = | education = }} '''Charles M. Freel''', often known as '''Bud''', is an American politician who served as a member of the Delaware House of Representatives from the 4th district in 2022. He previously served on the Wilmington City Council. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
==Education== Charles M. Freel attended Salesianum School and the University of Delaware.<ref name="citycouncil-bio">{{cite web |title=Charles M. "Bud" Freel |url=https://www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/WilmCC-Charles-Freel-8th-District.pdf |website=Wilmington City Council}}</ref>
==Political career== Freel served on the Wilmington City Council for 24 years, starting in 1997:<ref name="citycouncil-bio" /> first as an at-large member for 16 years, then representing the 8th council district for 8 years. Freel also worked at the Delaware Department of Transportation. He retired from both positions in 2020.<ref name="freel-nominated-special">{{cite news |last1=Battaglia |first1=Roman |title=Bud Freel nominated for State House special election |url=https://www.delawarepublic.org/politics-government/2022-02-08/bud-freel-nominated-for-4th-district-special-election |access-date=October 24, 2023 |work=WDDE |date=February 8, 2022}}</ref>
Freel was selected by the Delaware Democratic Party to run in a March 5, 2022, special election to fill the 4th district in the Delaware House of Representatives for the remainder of Gerald Brady's term, who had resigned after being diagnosed with PTSD. He defeated Republican candidate Ted Kittila, a lawyer who had previously run for attorney general in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McAneny |first1=D. J. |title=Bud Freel declared winner of 4th Representative District special election |url=https://www.wdel.com/news/bud-freel-declared-winner-of-4th-representative-district-special-election/article_646c5266-9ce1-11ec-931b-2fb92bdc628d.html |access-date=October 24, 2023 |work=WDEL |date=March 5, 2022}}</ref><ref name="freel-nominated-special" /> Freel did not seek reelection in the 2022 Delaware House of Representatives election, which was held using new districts.<ref>{{cite news |title=Freel wins Delaware's 4th District seat in special election |url=https://baytobaynews.com/stories/freel-wins-delawares-4th-district-seat-in-special-election,73034 |access-date=October 24, 2023 |work=Delaware State News |date=March 7, 2022}}</ref>
==Personal life== Freel has two daughters.<ref name="citycouncil-bio" />
==Electoral history== {{Election box begin no change| title= 2022 Delaware's 4th House of Representatives district special election<ref>{{cite web |title=4th State Representative District Special Election - Saturday, March 5th, 2022 |url=https://elections.delaware.gov/elections/special/20220305_rd04/20220305_StateRepresentativeDistrict4_SpecialElection_OfficialResults.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307204942/https://elections.delaware.gov/elections/special/20220305_rd04/20220305_StateRepresentativeDistrict4_SpecialElection_OfficialResults.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 7, 2022 |publisher=Delaware Department of Elections}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = Charles "Bud" Freel |votes = 2,210 |percentage = 68.42 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Theodore "Ted" A. Kittila |votes = 1,015 |percentage = 31.42 }} {{Election box write-in with party link no change |votes = 5 |percentage = 0.15 }} {{Election box total no change |votes = 3,230 |percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{ballotpedia}} *[https://legis.delaware.gov/AssemblyMember/151/Freel Charles Freel], Delaware House of Representatives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freel, Charles}} Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party members of the Delaware House of Representatives Category:People from Wilmington, Delaware Category:20th-century Delaware politicians Category:21st-century members of the Delaware General Assembly Category:Year of birth missing (living people)