Hutzell: How to pick the next Anne Arundel exec in 3 easy steps

A few dozen voters spent a cool spring night in Mayo, filling a linoleum-floored, fluorescent-lit Kiwanis hall to hear the major Democratic candidates for Anne Arundel County executive.

James Kitchin, Allison Pickard and Pete Smith took turns standing, talking and sitting for an hour, fielding questions about housing, affordability, traffic and education.

At the end, moderator Marie Del Bianco pointed to a man in a blue ballcap and work hoodie, saying he’d get the final question.

“So what’s in you that frustrates you?” Patrick Stevens asked. “What have you got that’s going to make you go, so that you’ve got a running start when you’re sworn in?”

It’s as good a way as any to pick the next executive.

When Democratic votes are counted after primary election polls close June 23, one of these three will be on an inevitable path to becoming the next county executive.

It’s not fair. Independents and Republicans will be left out. But it’s politics.

There are alternatives, sure. Amtrak program manager Kyle Nembhard is running in the Democratic primary, too. The winner will face Republican Dave Crawford in November.

But winning the first competitive Democratic primary for county executive in 40 years requires a well-organized, deeply rooted campaign.

That sets Pickard, Smith and Kitchin apart from Nembhard. Crawford, a volunteer fire chief, will be his party’s sacrifice when national politics has made it a toxic year for Republicans.

So, if you’re a Democrat, how do you choose?

After attending forums, reading questionnaires and talking with the leading candidates, I can help. Here are three easy steps to picking the next county executive.

Pickard and Smith are Anne Arundel County Council members who campaign on their experience. Kitchin is a top aide to County Executive Steuart Pittman. He wants to build on the past eight years under Pittman.

The choice has divided the party but not over ideals. They all talk about affordability, support for immigrants, education and jobs.

If you see yourself in a political tribe, you could follow the fissures this race has opened. Here’s a rough map, although the boundaries blur enough to keep it interesting.

Many women in elected office and their supporters line up behind Pickard. Many Black Democrats support Smith, who would be the county’s first Black executive. Progressives and teachers, by and large, are with Kitchin.

Pickard is from Glen Burnie and Smith from Severn, a region where two-thirds of the population lives among the county’s big economic drivers. Kitchin is from Crofton, the quintessential suburban community.

Their differences are in the details, if you want to get granular. Smith, Kitchin and Pickard spell them out in voter guides and community forums like one last month at Asbury United Methodist Church in Annapolis.

Pickard presented herself as a workhorse. She served on the school board, flipped her council seat from red to blue and helped deliver historic funding for schools, fair housing and environmental protections.

She talked about progress in revitalizing Glen Burnie and the importance of streamlined development approvals. She wants better execution instead of sweeping changes.

“I think voters can really look to that track record, saying Allison is a bold leader, doesn’t back down from challenging issues and has gotten results,” she said.

Smith said he’ll bring lessons to the job from service in office, as a community volunteer and in uniform. He’s a Marine Corps Reserve captain who works at Fort Meade.

Those experiences inform his priorities — economic development spreading out from the defense sector and creative housing ideas such as his legislation allowing tiny homes that redefine affordable.

“The 28 years that I’ve been in the Marine Corps, and the 14 years I’ve been involved in county government, the 20 years I’ve been involved in around the county — that presents us as the better candidate for this position,” he said.

Kitchin staked his own claim to government experience, seven years leading community engagement and constituent services under Pittman. He was part of the county’s response to the pandemic, a defining crisis for proactive government.

He says affordability is holistic — housing and grocery prices but also transportation, child care, school capacity and utilities. He distinguished himself by his decision to use public campaign financing.

“You’re in communities, like, just listening to people, solving that level of problems every day,” he said.

If policy and identity are too much, style is the simplest route to a vote.

Kitchin comes across as earnest, talking about traffic studies and a living wage for teaching assistants.

“I’m going to take a more proactive approach to some of the constituent-level issues, traffic and different things like that,” he said.

Smith peppers his conversations with references to his childhood poverty, a formative experience that included a family eviction and homelessness. It makes him seem committed.

“Since 2012, I have voted over every single housing policy that has impacted Anne Arundel County to increase that number, so my record is clear,” he said.

Pickard sees her strength as bringing many voices together, an assembler of perspectives and approaches. Her image is that of an organizer.

“I have built a very strong coalition from all levels of government, and they trust me because of the results-oriented work that I’ve been doing and my ability to build coalitions and tackle hard issues,” she said.

At Mother Asbury, one of the state’s oldest Black churches, and at the Kiwanis hall, candidates earned cheers and applause.

Kitchin, Pickard and Smith are using events like these to convince undecided Democrats. We’ll soon know who succeeded.

So what’s the answer to that final question from Stevens? It’s as good a test as any.

Kitchin is excited to solve problems without the strings of big-dollar donors. Smith sees the job as a mission and wants to see it through. Pickard is motivated by collaboration and results.

None won Stevens’ primary vote.

He’s a Republican. He won’t vote until November.