Buckley Declares Victory In Annapolis, GOP Mayoral Candidate Strawn Concedes

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley (D)* on Wednesday declared that he was re-elected. The incumbent announced that his opponent, Steven Strawn (R), conceded in a phone call.

Strawn has not yet issued a public statement. Officials still have to certify the results.

Buckley leads Strawn by nearly 2,500 votes with about 3,700 ballots left to count. Pending a formal certification, Buckley would serve a second term.

"It is now time for our community to come together to best serve the needs of the residents of our wonderful City of Annapolis," Buckley said in a press release. "I look forward to serving over the next four years and turning today’s challenges into tomorrow’s successes."

Democrats Eye City Council Sweep

Annapolis election officials also posted the second of three vote tallies on Wednesday. Their canvass suggested that Democrats and incumbents have an early advantage in every contest in the city's general election.

Ward 8 Alderman Ross Arnett (D)* was the only incumbent who trailed after the first vote count, which was released after polls closed Tuesday. Arnett has since surpassed challenger Rock Toews (R).

These city council incumbents are either running unopposed or are ahead of their challengers:

• Ward 1: Elly Tierney (D)*
• Ward 3: Rhonda Pindell Charles (D)*
• Ward 4: Sheila Finlayson (D)*
• Ward 5: Brooks Schandelmeier (D)*
• Ward 6: DaJuan Gay (D)*
• Ward 7: Rob Savidge (D)*

Ward 2 is the lone area where the officeholder is not seeking another term. Frederick Paone (R)* currently represents this district, but he is passing the baton.

In the battle for the open seat, Scott Gibson (R) held a preliminary edge over Karma O'Neill (D) on election night. O'Neill sits atop Gibson in the latest tally.

The Ward 2 match-up is the only one with less than 100 votes separating the candidates.

The city council has seven Democrats and one Republican at the moment. The GOP was on track to swipe one of those seats after the first count, but Democrats now lead every race.

When To Expect Final Results

Leaders uploaded the first tally on Tuesday, Nov. 2 to annapolis.gov/elections. This batch only counted the in-person votes cast on Election Day.

The Wednesday, Nov. 3 report included all the dropbox and mail-in ballots received through last Thursday, Oct. 28. Judges have counted 6,059 ballots so far.

Officials will certify the final results on Tuesday, Nov. 9. The remaining dropbox, mail-in and provisional ballots will be added up here. All totals are unofficial until then.

Vote Counts

Patch will tally the votes below. The names of incumbents are bolded and starred*.

Each candidate's name is linked to more information about them. The names of candidates who completed Patch's election questionnaire are linked to their unedited responses. The names of the other candidates are linked to their campaign websites.

The races for Wards 1, 3 and 7 are uncontested.

Ward 2 Alderman Frederick M. Paone (R)* is not seeking re-election.

In Ward 4, Alderwoman Sheila M. Finlayson (D)* beat challenger Toni Strong-Pratt (D) by five votes in the Democratic primary. Strong-Pratt requested a recount. The second tally yielded the same results, sending Finlayson on to the general election without a Republican opponent.

Strong-Pratt now seeks election by write-in vote. For Strong-Pratt to win the race, the number of write-in nominations for her must exceed the number of votes for Finlayson.

Residents are free to write in whoever they want. That means there is a chance that not every write-in vote went to Strong-Pratt. The names of write-in candidates are not yet available.

Debunking Election Rumor

Ward 4 write-in candidate Toni Strong-Pratt (D) claimed that there was only one electronic voting machine at her precinct. She also alleged that this device was not working properly.

This accusation was not entirely true. Annapolis voters mark their ballots by hand and feed them through a scanner, which digitally tabulates the results.

Residents with disabilities can get help filling out their ballot with a vote marking machine. After this apparatus assists them, workers send their completed ballot through the scanner.

The single vote marking machine in Ward 4 had a technical problem, but the city replaced it with a functioning device soon after.

Nobody missed out on casting their vote during the delay. Officials said there was never a problem with the actual ballot scanner, and no votes were compromised.

Election Day Happenings

Candidates turned out to polls across the city on Election Day. Mayor Gavin Buckley (D)* visited Ward 2 with Karma O'Neill (D), who wants to fill the district's soon-to-be-vacated City Council seat. The duo waved signs and talked with voters.

Mayor hopeful Steven Strawn (R) shared pictures of his campaign slogans on Tuesday.

"I Am the Only Thing Standing Between You and Another Tax Hike," the post stated. "You Deserve to Feel Safe in Your Community."

Scott Gibson (R), a candidate for Ward 2, echoed that call for tax relief. He proposed expanding the homestead tax credit, which would cap how much an assessment can grow on a primary home.

"This is about making sure our budget reflects our values," Gibson explained during a livestream. "There's a real need to find efficiencies within the city's budget, so we can focus on priorities and root out waste."

Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson (D)* said she was the first to vote in Ward 4. She mentioned that this is her Election Day tradition. After casting her ballot, Finlayson greeted voters until the polls closed.

Finlayson's opponent, Toni Strong-Pratt (D), was also out campaigning.

"So many of you have asked for change," Strong-Pratt said in a Tuesday video. "I want to continue the work of building bridges that connect us and tearing down walls that separate us."

Monica Manthey (R) made her rounds in Ward 5 while wearing a T-shirt that read "United." In a Facebook video, the GOP challenger noted that supportive honks from passing cars remind her how important unity is.

"There are lots of negative ads out there, and it's unfortunate that my opponent has decided to use that to gain ground," Manthey said Tuesday of Alderman Brooks Schandelmeier (D)*. "I am not going to feed into that. I am a positive person. I will kick back in kindness. That's how I roll."

Schandelmeier spent most of the day door-knocking in the district. He is feeling good about his early and narrow lead.

"I’m confident when we begin counting the early and mailed in votes we will extend it," the incumbent posted on Facebook. "We won’t declare victory until every vote is counted but we’re feeling good."

Ward 6 Alderman DaJuan Gay (D)* did not share anything on social media on Election Day. Gay's competition, George Gallagher (R), made one last push as a community-oriented conservative.

"It is time for fiscal responsibility [and] a focus on public safety at Annapolis City Hall," Gallagher said in a post.

Over in Ward 8, Rock Toews (R) rallied with his supporters. Toews' opposition, incumbent Ross Arnett (D)*, was not active on social media on Tuesday.

How We Got Here

The city mailed a ballot to every registered voter by Oct. 12. This was the first general election in which Annapolis sent a ballot to all voters. A lawsuit challenged this decision, but a court rejected the appeal and let the city mail its ballots.

Residents could mail their completed ballot back to the indicated address. Officials will count every ballot that was postmarked by the end of Tuesday's Election Day.

Voters could also submit their ballot by placing it in one of eight dropboxes until polls closed. These secured bins were located in each ward at:

• Ward 1: City Council Chambers (160 Duke of Gloucester St.)
• Ward 2: Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library (1410 West St.)
• Ward 3: Mt. Olive Community Life Center (2. Hicks Ave.)
• Ward 4: American Legion Post No. 141 (1707 Forest Drive)
• Ward 5: Roger "Pip" Moyer Recreation Center (273 Hilltop Lane)
• Ward 6: Eastport Community Center (1014 President St.)
• Ward 7: Eastport-Annapolis Neck Library (269 Hillsmere Drive)
• Ward 8: Eastport Volunteer Fire Hall (914 Bay Ridge Ave.)

Residents who preferred to vote in person disregarded the ballot mailed to them. They had to vote at their assigned precinct on Election Day. Anybody in line by 8 p.m. was allowed to vote. The polls were at the same locations as the dropboxes listed above.

Annapolitans had to register to vote at this link by Oct. 4. Locals can check if they are registered and see which ward they live in by clicking here. A map of each district is available on this website.

The City of Annapolis Board of Supervisors of Elections posted more information at annapolis.gov/elections.

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. Download our mobile application from the App Store or Google Play.

RELATED:

• Annapolis 2021 Election Results: 7 Incumbents, 1 Challenger Lead
• Annapolis General Election 2021: Who's Running, How To Vote
• Annapolis Election Preview: Who's Running, How To Vote
• Ballots Sent To Annapolis Voters, General Election Starts
• Annapolis Election Recount Yields Same Results, Winner Stands
• Challenger In Ward 4 City Council Primary Election Formally Requests Recanvass
• Incumbents Defeat Challengers In Annapolis Democratic Primaries
• Annapolis Voter Turnout Up, Early Primary Election Leads Holding
• 2 Incumbents, 1 Newcomer Lead In Annapolis City Council Primaries
• Annapolis Vote-By-Mail Elections Can Proceed After Court Of Appeals Rejects Lawsuit
• Annapolis Board Of Elections Certifies Candidates For 2021 City Municipal Elections

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County news.