Natalie Ogilvie flips GOP-held Anne Arundel council seat, makes history as first Latina elected

A blue wave continues to ripple through Anne Arundel County as first-time candidate Natalie Ogilvie declares victory over incumbent Republican Amanda Fiedler in District 5.

The Democrat is the first Latina to be elected to the county council.

Ogilvie told The Banner she was “extremely excited for the district,” which has not elected a democrat since 1986. She takes over the seat from Fiedler, who was favored to win the seat for her broad appeal in the district, which includes Arnold and Severna Park.

“The voters needed different representation,” Ogilvie said, explaining that Fiedler’s decision to abstain from several votes during previous council sessions made the community feel as though they didn’t have a voice. “I don’t plan to abstain on votes.”

In the days after Tuesday’s election, vote counts across Anne Arundel are showing the county shift from purple to blue. Democrats in Anne Arundel already flipped a seat in the House of Delegates and in District 7, where votes are still being tallied, Republican Dawn Pulliam only leads by 14 votes.

The district stretches from Crofton to the southern tip of Anne Arundel and has long favored Republicans. Provisional ballots will be counted this week, likely deciding the race, which is the last outstanding election in the county.

Ogilvie’s win expands the democratic party’s control over the county, adding momentum to a nationwide blue wave that’s also swept up Republican strongholds in Maryland.

Fiedler conceded to Ogilvie Saturday after the Anne Arundel County Elections office in Glen Burnie counted mail-in ballots, which favored democrats.

“Today’s mail-in ballot returns were not the results we had hoped for, but no elected office is ever guaranteed,” Fiedler said in a post on Facebook.

Fiedler thanked her campaign team and volunteers, many of whom had supported her for about a decade. She also said she was proud of the legislation and constituent services her team provided to the district. Fiedler was first elected in 2018.

“I put my heart and soul into our district. I hope I have made a positive impact on the lives of residents and that is all I ever aimed to do,” she said.

During the race, Ogilvie’s campaign argued that Fiedler wasn’t doing enough to respond to constituents that were requesting her services. She also highlighted several of Fiedler’s abstentions from votes over the last eight years, including one for a resolution that condemned the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Ogilvie also campaigned on Fiedler not doing enough to support Anne Arundel community members targeted by immigration enforcement. As the first Latina elected to represent the area, Ogilvie promised to work hard to connect with the growing Hispanic community though, she said, she did not grow up speaking Spanish and is still learning more about her cultural background.

While Ogilvie felt confident democrats would sway voters nationwide this election, she said the large number of unaffiliated voters in Anne Arundel left her cautious.

“This is a huge moment for the county,” she said.

Only five county council votes are required to override vetoes by the county executive, redraw council district lines, amend or suspend council rules and propose amendments to the county charter.

If voters were to elect the democratic challenger Spencer Jones in District 7, then democrats on the county council would hold a 6-1 majority.

On Thursday, he was “cautiously optimistic” about the outcome of the race, but with more votes to be counted, he said: “I can’t take anything for granted.”