Pittman Files For Re-Election, Seeks 2nd Term As Anne Arundel County Executive

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Steuart Pittman on Thursday filed for re-election as Anne Arundel County executive. Pittman announced his re-election bid on Sept. 22, but he formally submitted his candidacy paperwork this week.

The Democrat thinks his track record warrants a second term in office. He believes some of his biggest achievements are navigating the coronavirus pandemic and expanding public services "while keeping taxes lower than any other central Maryland county."

"We’ve reduced violent crime while it’s risen elsewhere," Pittman said in a press release. "We’ve reduced opioid overdose and death while it’s increased in the state and country."

The county executive first took office in 2018. He won 52.3 percent of the vote that year, upsetting GOP incumbent Steve Schuh.

Pittman knows his re-election campaign will be tough. He faces three Republicans who have fought his platform throughout his first term.

"The people who have expressed interest in replacing me opposed every one of our budgets, even though we ended each year with a significant surplus," Pittman said. "They opposed our resilience authority, our workforce housing legislation, our land use plan, and every action that we took at the request of our Health Officer to save lives from COVID-19."

Pittman also questioned the GOP's voting record during his tenure. He said all three Republican County Council members voted against state grants to vaccinate kids and battle the opioid epidemic.

"Their dislike of local government is so intense that they want to shut down our services," Pittman said of his GOP colleagues, indirectly referencing Republican opponent and District 7 Council Member Jessica Haire.

The County Executive was born and raised in Davidsonville. He grew up on his family farm before graduating from the University of Chicago and becoming a community organizer in Illinois and Iowa.

Pittman eventually returned to Maryland and started his own business as a farmer and a horse trainer. In 2010, he launched the Retired Racehorse Project. This national nonprofit helps racehorses transition into second careers.

The Anne Arundel official thinks these 35 years of experience prepared him "to make county government more efficient, more transparent, and more effective."

"I will not step aside for people who have never run an organization or a business," Pittman said. "I care too much about our teachers, our firefighters, our police officers and our public servants to walk away from this job. I care too much about the homeowners, the renters, the small business owners, and the visitors to this county to walk away from this job. And I care too much about the land, the water, and the wildlife of this county to walk away from this job."

The Competition

Pittman does not yet have a competitor in the Democratic Party. Haire and two other Republican candidates, Chris Jahn and Herb McMillan, already announced their bids for county executive.

Haire is finishing her first term representing southern Anne Arundel on the County Council. She is an attorney and an engineer who wants to cut through bureaucratic red tape.

The Edgewater native's web profile said she is running to "pass legislation that lowers tax burdens, eliminates unfounded regulations, and improves the quality of life for residents."

Jahn is a political newcomer who works in business management. The Republican noted that he is frustrated with partisan divides.

"I have enjoyed frequent debate with people on both sides of the aisle over the years," Jahn said on his campaign website. "In the last twenty years or so, I have watched as the two major parties have all but refused to work together. It’s time for a change."

McMillan is a former state delegate who represented the Annapolis area during two stints between 2003 and 2019. He has frequently criticized Pittman for being too liberal.

"The Pittman Administration’s excessively restrictive, unscientific Covid policies, coupled with his tax increases, have been devastating to our children, our businesses, and our workers," McMillan said on his webpage. "You can count on my proven record of strong values, independent thinking, and fiscally conservative principles to get Anne Arundel County back on course."

Campaign Finance

Pittman understands that McMillan carries some name recognition, but he is confident in his platform.

"We will likely be up against a very well-funded opponent with a very different agenda," Pittman said of McMillan before Haire announced her run. "But I can assure you that our story and our values are the ones that will truly make Anne Arundel County The Best Place For All."

The most recent campaign finance reports showed that Pittman had $237,497.18 in his account. Haire had the second-most in the bank with $122,912.21. McMillan posted $27,522.99. Jahn's data will show during the next reporting period because his political action committee, or campaign fund, debuted after the previous cutoff.

These filings came out on Jan. 13. Every candidate has likely raised more money since then.

Important Dates

Candidates will file their next campaign finance reports by Jan. 19, 2022.

Early voting for the primary election will last from June 16, 2022 through June 23, 2022. Primary election day is June 28, 2022.

The general election will host early voting from Oct. 27, 2022 through Nov. 03, 2022. Election day is Nov. 08, 2022.

The full election calendar is available at this link.

Candidate Information

To learn more about each candidate, click on their name to visit their campaign website.

• Jessica Haire
• Chris Jahn
• Herb McMillan
• Steuart Pittman

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RELATED:

• Anne Arundel County Executive Announces Re-Election Campaign

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