Annapolis Debates To Feature Candidates For Mayor, City Council

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Two candidate forums will introduce Annapolis voters to their choices for mayor and City Council.

Preservation nonprofit Historic Annapolis will host the candidates for mayor and Ward 1 alderman on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. The event will be held on the terrace of the William Paca House, located at 186 Prince George St.

Voters can email their questions for candidates to Historic Annapolis Vice President of Preservation Rachel Robinson at rachel.robinson@annapolis.org by Friday, Aug. 22.

Former Alderman John Hammond will moderate the forum. There will be ice cream for attendees.

The primary election will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The General Election is on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

There is no early voting, but residents can cast their ballot by mail or dropbox.

"With the upcoming election bringing a new mayor and a large turnover on City Council, this is an opportunity for us to hear directly from candidates on issues related to preservation, planning/land use, and resiliency, including the City Dock project," Historic Annapolis said in a newsletter.

Action Annapolis, a nonpartisan voter engagement organization, will host a mayoral debate on Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. It will be held in the game room of the Boys & Girls Club of Annapolis, located at 121 South Villa Ave.

All three candidates for mayor will attend: Ward 3 Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles (D), former Ward 5 Alderman Jared Littmann (D), and Bob O’Shea (R), a longtime Annapolis resident and local businessman.

"It is critical that the candidates and the public have an opportunity to hear from one another about the issues that impact our City," Action Annapolis co-founder Sonia Feldman said in a press release. "We want voters to be able to determine the candidate who will best represent the citizens of Annapolis especially as we anticipate reduced support from County, State and Federal Governments."

The debate will be moderated by Pastor Karen V. Johnson, founder of the First Christian Church of Annapolis, and Josh Kurtz, recently retired founder and editor of the nonprofit news site Maryland Matters.

Action Annapolis will live stream the event on its YouTube channel and numerous community Facebook pages.

Pindell Charles and Littmann debated earlier this summer. A recap is posted here.

Related: Annapolis Mayoral Candidates Hold Cordial Debate On Environment, Housing, Other Topics

More information on the election is available at annapolis.gov/2125/2025-Elections-Information.