Annapolis Primary Election 2025 Voter Guide: Meet The Candidates

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Democratic voters will head to the polls from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday in Annapolis, casting their ballots for their picks for mayor and City Council.

Only in-person voting totals will be released Tuesday night, meaning residents won't know the official winners on Election Day. Mail-in and drop box ballots will be counted during a Sept. 23 canvass. Election officials expect that to take one to two days. Once complete, the city will release the certified winners in late September.

Candidates have debated how they would handle the planned City Dock Park, intended to protect downtown businesses from flooding. The project has come under fire for its pricetag and the scale of its proposed Maritime Welcome Center. Preserving the height ordinances downtown is another concern.

Mayoral and aldermanic hopefuls have also outlined plans to address vacation rental properties, affordable housing and public safety.

Democrat Harry Huntley will try to retain his Ward 1 seat. He was appointed to the office when former Alderwoman Elly Tierney (D) retired in September 2024. This is the first time he is running for election, and he faces a crowded field of five other candidates.

Republican and independent voters do not need to vote in the primary, as there are no races with multiple GOP or unaffiliated candidates. With no competition in these primaries, all Republican and independent candidates automatically "win" their uncontested primaries and advance to the general election.

Related:

• Annapolis Mayoral Debate Reveals Different Plans For City Dock, Downtown Construction
• Ward 1 Candidates Outline Plans To Slow Short-Term Rentals In Annapolis

All Democratic voters should vote in the primary because the mayor's race is contested. Democrats can choose between Jared Littmann and Rhonda Pindell Charles.

Littmann is a lawyer and an engineer who owns K&B Ace Hardware with his wife. He was also the Ward 5 alderman from 2013 to 2017. Littmann, the first candidate to enter the race, bills himself as a savvy businessman with a passion for environmentalism.

Pindell Charles, an attorney and the current Ward 3 alderwoman, says her 12 years on the City Council display her experience. With multigenerational roots in Annapolis, she thinks she would offer a seamless transition after term-bound Mayor Gavin Buckley (D) leaves office this winter. Pindell Charles' mayoral bid also leaves a wide-open race for her City Council seat.

The winner will face Republican Bobby O'Shea, a business consultant in the defense and medical industries, in November. O'Shea paints himself as an outspoken critic of the status quo. He aspires to protect historic charm and cut wasteful spending.

Democratic candidates in Wards 1, 3, 4 and 6 have contested aldermanic primaries.

Democratic aldermanic candidates in Wards 2, 5, 7 and 8 advance directly to the General Election because they do not have an intraparty challenger. Residents in these wards should still vote because of the contested race for mayor.

Meet The Candidates

Click any candidate's name to learn more. We linked to their candidate questionnaire if they completed Patch's survey. If not, we linked to their website.

Voters can check which ward they live in by using this map. Redistricting has changed ward boundaries, so voters should check their ward before heading to the polls.

Mayor

Democrat

• Rhonda Pindell Charles
• Jared Littmann

Republican

• Robert Alan O’Shea

Ward 1

Democrat

• Ben Bramsen
• Ron Gunzburger
• Harry Huntley
• Kathleen McDermott
• Genevieve Torri

Unaffiliated

• Thomas Krieck

Ward 2

Democrat

• Karma O'Neill

Republican

• Kenneth G Vincent

Ward 3

Democrat

• Deborah J Odum
• Keanuú Smith-Brown

Unaffiliated

• Michael Dye

Ward 4

Democrat

• Janice Elaine Allsup-Johnson
• Coren Makell

Ward 5

Democrat

• Brooks Schandelmeier

Republican

• Jack P. Papaleonti

Ward 6

Democrat

• Diesha Contee
• Craig Cussimanio

Republican

• George Gallagher

Ward 7

Democrat

• Robert Savidge

Ward 8

Democrat

• Frank Thorp

Unaffiliated

• Will Cunha

When, Where To Vote In Person

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents must vote at their assigned precinct. The voting locations are:

• Ward 1 – City Hall, 160 Duke of Gloucester St.
• Ward 2 – Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library, 1410 West St.
• Ward 3 – Mt. Olive Community Life Center, 2 Hicks Ave.
• Ward 4 – American Legion Post #141, 1707 Forest Drive
• Ward 5 – Roger “Pip” Moyer Recreation Center, 273 Hilltop Lane
• Ward 6 – Eastport Community Center, 1014 President St.
• Ward 7 – Eastport-Annapolis Neck Library, 269 Hillsmere Drive
• Ward 8 – Eastport Volunteer Fire Hall, 914 Bay Ridge Ave.

The deadline to register to vote has already passed for the primary election. Residents must register by Monday, Oct. 6, to be eligible to cast a ballot in the General Election.

Drop Box, Mail-In Voting

Anybody voting by drop box must do so by Tuesday at 8 p.m. There is a drop box at the polling place in each ward. Voters can place their ballot in any drop box in the city.

The city of Annapolis on Wednesday announced new recommendations for mail-in voting due to "issues with the U.S. Postal Service."

Voters who received a requested mail-in ballot are advised to return it to a drop box outside any polling location by the end of Tuesday's primary. They may also take their completed ballot to their assigned polling location.

If a voter must return their ballot by mail, it is still safe to do so, but drop box voting ensures the quickest turnaround.

Voters who don't receive their requested mail-in ballot should vote in person at their assigned polling place on primary election day. These voters may have to vote on a provisional ballot. If election officials don't receive a voter's mail-in ballot by the Sept. 23 canvass, the provisional ballot will be counted. If a mail-in ballot is received by then, the provisional ballot will not count.

According to the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections, the USPS has had trouble receiving some, but not all, mail-in ballot request forms. Some completed forms were returned to voters rather than sent to election officials. There were "extreme delays" in sending some completed mail-in ballot request forms from voters to election officials.

There were also delays in sending mail-in ballots to some voters.

Read Patch's coverage of the mail issues here.

Related: Postal Delays Shake Up Mail-In Voting, Annapolis Issues Guidance Before Primary

When We Will Know Results

On primary election night, only in-person votes cast on Sept. 16 will be reported. Unofficial results of these votes will be counted at City Hall after polls close at 8 p.m. Poll watchers are welcome to attend and watch the process as election judges report out unofficial primary election day (only) figures.

Beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 23, the Board of Supervisors of Elections will convene to begin the official canvass. These results will include:

• The certification of in-person primary election day votes
• The counting and certification of ballots from secure drop boxes
• The counting and certification of verified provisional ballots
• The counting and certification of mail-in ballots received to date

By law, mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days (including ballots from military and overseas voters) will be counted as part of the official vote total.

The official canvass will conclude with the certification of results at the conclusion of the count. This is expected to take approximately one to two days. Certified results will determine party nominees who advance to the General Election, which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Voters can learn more at annapolis.gov/2127/Primary-Election-Information.