ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Ahead of the 2026 general election in November, Patch has invited candidates running to represent Anne Arundel County to complete a questionnaire touching on a variety of key issues.
Candidate responses will be published verbatim in the run-up to Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
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Questionnaire responses for Dave Crawford, who is running to serve as the next county executive, can be found below:
Name: Dave Crawford
Age: 66
Hometown: Fairborn, Ohio
Political Affiliation: Republican
Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please explain how it will influence your time in office if elected. How do you differ from other candidates running against you?
I am not a career politician. I am a manager, a leader, and a public servant. For more than 35 years, I have dedicated myself to serving our community as a volunteer firefighter and Fire Chief at Earleigh Heights. At the same time, I have spent 40 years in the private sector managing budgets, leading teams, overseeing operations, and solving real-world problems.
In emergency services, when a crisis strikes at two in the morning, nobody asks about political affiliation. You trust your team, focus on the mission, make tough decisions, and get the job done. That is the kind of practical, hands-on leadership I will bring to Anne Arundel County.
I believe county government should answer to the people it serves, not the special interests that fund political campaigns. My opponent has received financial support from commercial developers, raising legitimate questions about potential conflicts of interest. I have made the decision to refuse developer campaign contributions because my commitment is to the residents, families, and taxpayers of Anne Arundel County.
How would your work experience benefit the goals/objectives you've outlined in your campaign and/or the office you're seeking?
Leading Anne Arundel County is not about partisan politics or political posturing. It requires proven executive leadership, fiscal responsibility, sound decision-making, and the ability to respond effectively when challenges arise.
My 40 years in the private sector have taught me how to manage budgets, operate within tight margins, identify unnecessary expenses, lead teams, and work alongside local businesses rather than burdening them with excessive regulations.
My 35 years in public safety have taught me how to coordinate large teams, make difficult decisions under pressure, manage critical resources, and understand firsthand what our frontline personnel need to do their jobs safely and effectively.
Together, these experiences have prepared me to take a hands-on approach to county government. That means examining the county budget line by line, identifying wasteful spending, demanding accountability for taxpayer dollars, and ensuring that essential services, including public safety, schools, and critical infrastructure, have the resources they need.
What do you believe is the single-most important issue facing voters in the district you're looking to represent? How do you intend to address those issues?
The single most important issue facing Anne Arundel County residents is affordability. Simply put, the cost of living has become too high, particularly for working families, retirees, and seniors living on fixed incomes. Between rising property assessments, increasing electric and utility bills, and steadily growing county taxes and fees, residents are feeling the financial pressure from every direction. Families are being forced to make difficult choices, and too many longtime residents are struggling to afford to stay in the communities they have called home for decades.
As County Executive, I will approach this challenge with genuine fiscal discipline and a commitment to protecting taxpayers. That means taking a hard look at departmental spending, identifying and eliminating government waste, reducing unnecessary administrative overhead, and holding the line on county taxes and fees.
What is your opinion of the work being done by the current officeholder, and how will you improve on it?
County government should serve the people of Anne Arundel County, not be used as a platform for partisan politics. I have serious concerns about the current administration's approach to governing, including increased spending, the handling of state mandates, and what I believe has been a failure to adequately address the financial pressures facing our residents and taxpayers.
The County Executive has also faced ethics-related scrutiny over the alleged use of government resources for political commentary and criticism of opponents. Public resources should be used to serve the public, never to advance personal or partisan political interests.
Equally concerning is the way small business owners have been treated when raising legitimate concerns about rising fees, complicated permitting processes, and unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles. These business owners are the backbone of our local economy. They deserve to be heard, respected, and treated as partners in our county's success — not dismissed or treated as an afterthought. As County Executive, I will bring a different approach to county government, one grounded in professionalism, accountability, transparency, and respect for ALL of the people we serve. I will respect the separation of powers, work collaboratively across party lines, honor the legislative process, and ensure taxpayer-funded resources are used for their intended purpose.
How do you believe Anne Arundel County should address data centers? What type of legislation — moratorium or temporary pause — should be put in place? Explain.
Everywhere I go across Anne Arundel County, I hear the same message from residents: No to data centers without clear protections for our communities, infrastructure, and taxpayers.
I support the current moratorium because I have serious concerns about whether our existing power grid, electrical infrastructure, and water resources can accommodate the enormous demands of these facilities without compromising reliability, increasing utility costs, or harming our environment.
Before any additional development moves forward, we need a comprehensive assessment of our infrastructure, a clear understanding of the long-term environmental and financial impacts, and enforceable protections to ensure residents are not left paying the price.
Our residents should not be expected to shoulder higher utility bills, strained infrastructure, or environmental consequences for the benefit of private development.
What steps would you take to offset data center impacts to residents' standard of living, such as rising energy prices?
First, the moratorium provides an opportunity to protect our existing power capacity from the significant demands of large-scale data centers while we assess the potential impacts on our infrastructure and residents.
Second, if state agencies or regional grid operators move forward with projects that place additional strain on our electrical infrastructure, my administration will actively oppose efforts to shift the costs of expanded power capacity, transmission lines, or other infrastructure improvements onto residential ratepayers. Anne Arundel County families should not be forced to subsidize the energy demands of private industrial developments.
Third, we will rigorously enforce our Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances and zoning regulations to ensure that large industrial energy users are held accountable for their infrastructure needs. My position is that developers should be responsible for 100% of the dedicated infrastructure costs associated with their projects, rather than passing those expenses or financial risks on to local taxpayers.
How would you distinguish between a good vs. bad data center?
Any facility that threatens residential power reliability, strains local water resources, requires disruptive high-voltage transmission lines through established neighborhoods, or fails to deliver meaningful, long-term employment opportunities for our residents should raise serious concerns.
Large-scale commercial data centers can demand enormous amounts of electricity, water, and infrastructure while creating relatively few permanent jobs compared to their size and resource consumption. We must carefully weigh those impacts against any promised economic benefits.
For a data center proposal to even be considered, I believe it should meet exceptionally high standards. That includes operating on an independent, self-sustaining microgrid that does not compromise residential power capacity, creating substantial employment opportunities for local skilled trades, generating dedicated revenue to support county emergency services, and ensuring that the developer — not our residents — bears the costs of necessary infrastructure.
Most importantly, any project must demonstrate that it will not place additional burdens on our roads, water resources, environment, or residential electric bills.
Economic development should benefit the people of Anne Arundel County, not come at their expense. Until a proposal can meet these standards, protecting our residents, resources, and communities must remain the priority.
Gov. Wes Moore signed bills banning agreements between local police and federal immigration officials in February.
What is your opinion of the legislation? What steps would you take to support or readjust that initiative?
Public safety should never be compromised by political agendas or policies that unnecessarily restrict communication and cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
I have serious concerns about state-level mandates that limit coordination between local and federal authorities. When agencies cannot effectively communicate or share critical information, it can create gaps in enforcement, complicate investigations, and potentially place both frontline officers and our communities at greater risk. As County Executive, I will uphold state and federal law while working closely with local law enforcement leadership to ensure our police department and detention facilities use every lawful tool available to protect our residents.
That means strengthening interagency communication, improving access to relevant criminal history information, supporting our frontline officers, and ensuring that individuals who commit serious and violent crimes are held accountable through the justice system.
What is your stance on the establishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in the county and/or your district? What actionable plans would you undertake to address illegal immigration?
Immigration enforcement is primarily a federal responsibility, but local government has an important role in protecting residents and ensuring public safety.
As County Executive, my approach would focus on several priorities:
My responsibility as County Executive would be to protect the residents of Anne Arundel County, support our law enforcement professionals, uphold the law, and ensure that decisions involving public safety are based on sound policy rather than partisan politics.
Education: What is the biggest issue facing Anne Arundel County Public Schools? How would you address it?
One of the biggest challenges facing our school system is the disconnect between administrative spending and the needs of our classrooms. Teachers and support staff are being asked to do more, while state mandates continue to place increasing financial pressure on county budgets. My wife dedicated her career to serving AACPS students as a special education teacher, so I understand the importance of supporting the educators and staff who work directly with our children every day. Student success begins in the classroom, and that is where our priorities must be focused.
As County Executive, I will advocate for greater state accountability in funding the mandates it creates, while working with AACPS leadership and the Board of Education to examine spending, identify administrative inefficiencies, and prioritize resources where they have the greatest impact. That means competitive teacher salaries, adequate classroom support staff, stronger special education resources, safe schools, and the tools educators need to help every student succeed.
A student brings a gun/weapon to campus without setting off any red flags.
What security measures would you advocate for to prevent such an incident? Do you believe schools need stricter security measures? Metal detectors? Explain.
Yes, I believe our schools need stronger, more proactive security measures. Every parent should be able to send their child to school knowing that their safety is a top priority, and every teacher and staff member deserves a safe working environment.
With more than 35 years in emergency services, I understand that effective safety planning requires multiple layers of protection. We cannot rely solely on identifying warning signs or responding after an incident has already occurred.
School safety cannot be reactive. We must identify vulnerabilities, strengthen prevention, and prepare for emergencies before tragedy strikes. Our children and educators deserve nothing less.
Anne Arundel County is experiencing a housing shortage. What steps would you take to address the crisis? What will you do to encourage affordable/public housing?
The conversation surrounding affordable housing has become increasingly focused on large-scale development, density bonuses, and new construction, often without adequately addressing the impact on existing communities.
I am concerned that some developers use the promise of affordable housing to justify massive townhouse developments that place additional pressure on our already strained roads, schools, utilities, and emergency services. We cannot continue approving thousands of new housing units in areas like the Marley Neck corridor and along Route 2 without fully addressing the infrastructure needed to support that growth. Increased traffic congestion, overcrowded schools, longer emergency response times, and the potential for higher costs to existing taxpayers must all be part of the conversation.
Affordable housing is important, but true affordability means more than simply building more houses. It means ensuring that the families who already live here can afford to stay here. We need a more responsible approach to housing and development. That includes encouraging adaptive reuse of vacant commercial properties, revitalizing underutilized areas, and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on existing homeowners. We need to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with growth.
How will you address crime in the county/your district?
Addressing crime starts with getting back to the fundamentals: supporting the men and women on the front lines who protect our communities every day.
As a Fire Chief who has spent decades working alongside law enforcement and public safety professionals, I understand firsthand the importance of having the right people, resources, and leadership in place.
My priority is ensuring that our police officers, firefighters, and first responders have the staffing levels, competitive compensation, training, and modern equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.
When departments are understaffed, response times can suffer, proactive enforcement becomes more difficult, and public safety resources are stretched thin. We must focus on recruiting and retaining qualified personnel, supporting our officers in addressing crime in high-risk areas, and strengthening coordination among public safety agencies.
We will take a firm stance against violent crime, gang activity, and repeat violent offenders while ensuring that law enforcement has the tools and support necessary to protect every neighborhood in Anne Arundel County.
Public safety is not a partisan issue. Every resident, in every community, deserves to feel safe in their home, on their streets, and in their neighborhoods.
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