A certified planner and a volunteer firefighter, both apparent newcomers to politics, have entered the race for Anne Arundel County’s top elected office.

Democrat Kyle Nembhard, a Glen Burnie resident, and Republican Dave Crawford, the fire chief at the Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company, joined three other candidates who are running to succeed County Executive Steuart Pittman.

Pittman, a Democrat, has led Anne Arundel for more than seven years but cannot seek a third term because of term limits.

Meet the 5 candidates running for Anne Arundel County’s top office

As the only Republican running for county executive, Crawford is guaranteed to advance to November’s general election.

Nembhard, on the other hand, joins a competitive Democratic field. He faces an uphill battle against three other contenders, who boast better name recognition, endorsements, more time on the campaign trail and more money raised ahead of June’s primary.

Having only filed his campaign papers Monday, Nembhard hadn’t raised any money or earned any endorsements. He was among the leaders of a group of Glen Burnie residents who unsuccessfully advocated to scale back a proposed townhouse development at the site of a former bus depot in their neighborhood.

He told The Banner that the experience served as a crash course in local government, sparking an interest in running for office. He described his bid for office as a “long shot.”

“I am running because I feel like I know what it’s like as a citizen to sometimes feel unheard, and I feel like citizens of Anne Arundel County should be made to feel their concerns are heard, that their elected officials are listening to them,” Nembhard said. “I’m also running because I think my planning background can influence sustainable planning policy.”

Crawford did not respond to requests for an interview. The volunteer fire chief has worked in food service sales for more than four decades, according to his campaign website, and is touting himself as pro-small business and education.

He had roughly $4,000 in his electoral bank account as of Jan. 14, campaign finance records show.

The filings by more established, better-funded Democrats, coupled with the limited interest on the GOP side, suggest that Democrats are in a strong position to retain the county’s top job come this fall.

In 2022, Pittman, the incumbent, prevailed over his Republican challenger with about 54% of the vote. Now any Republican candidates must face the headwinds arising from President Donald Trump’s low job approval rating. Trump has enacted policies that have hit close to home in Anne Arundel, like downsizing the federal workforce. Some 60,000 families in the county rely on federal incomes.

Both Nembhard and Crawford have a long way to go to catch up to their more well-established opponents.

County Councilwoman Allison Pickard, a Glen Burnie Democrat, had about $345,000 in her electoral bank account as of Jan. 14, which appears to be the most of any other candidate in the field, according to campaign finance records.

Pickard, who previously served on the school board, has been a champion of housing policy and is running on a platform that emphasizes her experience in that arena.

Describing herself as “battle-tested” in an interview last summer, Pickard said she has “the vision, leadership skills and track record to get things done.”

James Kitchin, a Democrat from Crofton, leads the Office of Community Engagement and Constituent Services in Pittman’s administration. He boasts the endorsement of his boss.

Unlike his opponents, Kitchin is using Anne Arundel County’s nascent public campaign financing program. That makes determining exactly how much money he’s raised difficult because Kitchin hasn’t received matching funds yet.

Campaign finance records show Kitchin had about $218,000 in his electoral bank account as of Jan. 14. However, he said he is expecting at least $80,000 in matching funds from the county for 2025 alone — which would bring his total to $298,000.

Kitchin touted his experience in Pittman’s administration in a June interview.

“I have been a part of the team making things run, so I think that gives me some unique preparation to come in and do it,” Kitchin said.

Councilman Pete Smith, a Democrat who represents northern Anne Arundel, had about $150,000 in his electoral bank account as of Jan. 14, campaign finance records show.

An intelligence officer in the Marine Reserves, Smith, like Pickard, has helped to shape Anne Arundel County housing policy during his time on the council.

“As I thought about the legacy of my life and what I’m for, I’m running because I want to create this culture of excellence that speaks to every person in Anne Arundel County,” Smith said in an interview last summer.