James has my full support. What sets him apart is not just what he says, but what he does. He helped create Anne Arundel County’s public campaign finance system and then chose to use it himself, putting his principles into practice where many politicians would not. That means he accepts no developer or special interest money, with contributions capped at $250. His opponents in this race have taken over $267,000 combined from the construction and development industry.

The contrast goes beyond money. Both opponents voted against Councilwoman Lisa Rodvien’s bill this spring to cap and require disclosure of developer contributions — a bill that drew zero public opposition and still failed 5–2. Both also voted to gut the county’s Forest Conservation Act in 2019. As Gerald Winegrad recently wrote in The Capital, the county has lost nearly 300 acres of forest per year — outpacing every surrounding jurisdiction — and that destruction is directly tied to who funds these campaigns.

James holds a Ph.D. in Urban Policy and spent years in county government with the Pittman administration. He has the endorsement of the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, the outgoing County Executive, Winegrad himself, and Kyle Nembhard — a regional planner who dropped out of this primary specifically to consolidate support behind James. I look forward to working with James as a genuine partner for Annapolis.

Many of you will know Gavin as our former Mayor, but I want to make the broader case for why he is exactly the right person for this seat and for this moment. Gavin is a genuinely visionary leader who does not just manage what is in front of him — he pushes institutions to think bigger.

During his time as Mayor, he inspired the Council to look beyond Annapolis for sustainable mobility ideas, drawing on examples from cities across the region and the world. Those conversations are now bearing fruit in our expanded bike lanes, streetcar feasibility study, road diet proposals, and regional transit partnerships. He got the City Dock resilience project and the downtown parking garage rebuild across the finish line after decades of stalling — reshaping how our downtown handles flooding and parking for the long term.

He also delivered directly for Ward 7. He helped bring CRAB (Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating) to its home right here on Bembe Beach Road in our neighborhood. He was instrumental in bringing the Annapolis Maritime Museum to the Moyer Back Creek Park campus on our waterfront. And he helped protect the forest at Elktonia-Carrs Beach — securing our first public water access to the Bay for Ward 7 and city residents alike.

We have been fortunate to have an outstanding partner in our current County Councilperson, Lisa Rodvien. As she steps down, Gavin is the person I trust to carry that work forward: safety improvements on Forest Drive and Bay Ridge Road, cross-jurisdictional bike lanes and road diets, and the big ideas this ward deserves at the county level.

Politics is ultimately about relationships — the ability to build them across jurisdictions, across party lines, and across competing interests is what separates people who have good ideas from people who can actually get things done. Gavin is one of the most gifted relationship-builders I have worked with in this business. He loves this city deeply, and that love for Annapolis is, frankly, a primary reason he is running for county council. We need that kind of partner at the county level, and I am glad he is in this race.

Dylan faces a primary challenge this cycle, and I want to be direct: he has my full endorsement. I have had the pleasure of working with Dylan in Annapolis, and I am looking forward to continuing that partnership.

His background with the Department of Natural Resources gives his environmental work real depth — this is not a politician who learned about the Bay from a briefing book. He has been a strong voice on transportation issues that matter to our region, and for a first-term Delegate, his record in Annapolis has been genuinely impressive. District 30A is well-served by Dylan Behler, and I hope you will support him on June 23.

If you have been following the Anne Arundel County Orphans’ Court, you know it has been in serious trouble. Two judges were removed or referred for removal after years of public feuding — yelling at each other on the bench, giving conflicting directions to grieving families, and turning what should be a dignified proceeding into something that embarrassed the legal community and, more importantly, failed the people who needed that court the most. The court needs a reset.

Loni Moyer is exactly the kind of person this office needs right now. I have known Loni for years. She is a fourth-generation Anne Arundel County resident with a long family history of public service, a small business owner, and one of the most grounded and level-headed people I know. Her approach to public life — patient, principled, genuinely oriented toward the people in front of her — is precisely what that courtroom has been missing.

I strongly encourage you to support her on June 23.

This is a race I would ask you to look into carefully. The incumbent, Anne Colt Leitess, personally led the prosecution of the 2023 Paddington Place mass shooting — a hate crime that killed three members of our community — and her conduct during that trial resulted in a mistrial, with the judge finding several serious transgressions that compromised the proceedings. That case, and those victims, deserved better. Carolynn Grammas is a former longtime Anne Arundel County prosecutor, and I believe she deserves serious consideration.