Anne Arundel executive race: Can a political newcomer break through?

Dave Crawford, the Republican candidate for Anne Arundel County executive, has a problem. He’s not sure voters know who he is.

“People see my signs or hear my name, and go, ‘Well who is this guy really?’” said Crawford, a political newcomer. “You just can’t know everybody in this county.”

His continued push for recognition contrasts starkly with the circumstances facing his opponent, Democratic candidate Allison Pickard — a twice-elected County Council leader — ahead of November’s general election.

Pickard has a voting record to speak for and questions to field about her approach to governing. Crawford, on the other hand, is still trying to introduce himself to the public.

Her campaign priorities include expanding access to affordable housing and investing in the county’s school system. Crawford’s campaign is prioritizing increasing the number of police and fire personnel in the county and eliminating “wasteful spending.”

Crawford, who works full time as a food service manager, has been chief of the Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company in Severna Park for about 10 years. He does not have paid campaign staff, but rather a group of “eight or nine” volunteers who help him get out in the community, he said.

Campaigning with volunteers has been “manageable,” Crawford said, an experience he credited to his many years of wrangling volunteers for the fire department.

Still, Crawford faces a tough election in Anne Arundel County, which is leaning increasingly Democratic, a fact the candidate is aware of.

He said he’s given some thought to governing priorities, but his focus is on getting elected.

“Or else it’s all just hot air,” he said.

Meanwhile Pickard is feeling confident — and can set her sights on governing.

The Democratic candidate, sitting with reporters in a small Glen Burnie park, said she feels good about her team, her coalition and her record on the County Council.

“But listen, we have an election in front of us, so we’re going to work really hard, just like we did in the primary,” she said.

Her campaign has continued to hit on issues of funding for schools and public safety, and affordability, which she said, will resonate with even disaffected voters.

“Everybody fills up their gas pump the same,” said Pickard, adding that people are tired of the “messy” national politics.

The councilwoman, who began her tenure by flipping a historically Republican seat, said she has governed in a collegial way with counterparts across the aisle, pointing to the council’s many unanimous votes during her tenure, including a 2020 bill she sponsored to boost redevelopment in Glen Burnie.

It’s part of what Pickard hopes is an era of more streamlined development in Anne Arundel County — she said, for example, she wants to make it easier for people to redevelop vacant lots or outdated structures rather than relying on building something brand new.

She as pondered calling for more analysis of whether county code and current incentives are sufficient to meet sometimes competing goals for affordable housing and environmental protections. She also wants to make small changes, like expediting the Office of Planning and Zoning’s responses to developing projects and land use applications.

“You can’t help but be in this moment in time and not start thinking about the government you want to form,” she said. “I’m certainly thinking about it. It’s fun.”

Pickard, who was on the school board before getting elected to the County Council, won a contested Democratic primary for county executive with 43% of the vote.

Crawford ran uncontested in his party’s primary. He has focused his campaign on addressing waste and customer service in county government as well as public safety and creating a strong local economy.

A significant portion of the county’s registered voters are not affiliated with either major political party, though Democrats hold a wide lead in registrations.

According to July 2026 registration data, the county had 173,831 registered Democrats and 129,128 registered Republicans. There were 112,326 unaffiliated registered voters.

Dan Nataf, a political science professor at Anne Arundel Community College, said he thinks 2026 will be a tough year for Republicans on the ballot in Maryland, including Crawford.

Multiple factors are working against Republicans, Nataf said: Many voters want to “send a message” of opposition to President Donald Trump, who is incredibly unpopular in Maryland; Pickard performed well throughout Anne Arundel County in the primary, coming in second place in most precincts she didn’t win outright; and Pickard has a strong support network behind her, including Rep. Sarah Elfreth.

“It’s going to be an uphill battle, I would say,” Nataf said of Crawford’s race.

Crawford understands that this will likely be a tough year for Maryland Republicans. He hopes voters get that Trump does not live or vote in Anne Arundel County, he said.

He hopes voters “realize that I’m about doing the right thing for the folks in this county, the citizens of this county. Not necessarily pandering to a governor or pandering to a president,” he said.

Pickard is the clear leader in fundraising — and money spent.

According to the latest campaign finance reports, Pickard had more than $63,800 in her campaign bank account as of Aug. 25. Earlier in the year, before the primary, she reported having more than $204,000.

Crawford reported about $33,755 in his campaign account, down from $48,600 before the primary. During the latest contribution period, Pickard reported more than $132,000 in donations, whereas Crawford reported $11,695.

In the primary, Pickard faced criticism for accepting a substantial amount of money from developers. She as also received more money from development-related professionals during her council tenure than any of her fellow representatives.

Crawford’s top donors have been Messick & Associates, an engineering firm in Annapolis, and the Anne Arundel FirePAC, according to online campaign finance records.

“How I fund my campaign doesn’t really predict my governing style,” Pickard said. “It hasn’t for the last eight years, and it doesn’t moving forward.”

Early voting begins Oct. 22 and ends Oct. 29. The general election is Nov. 3.