Tight City Council Race Reveals Competing Views For Annapolis City Dock

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Ten votes separate the candidates in the closest race for Annapolis City Council.

Democrat Harry Huntley, the current Ward 1 alderman, trails unaffiliated Thomas Krieck 576 to 566. This is Huntley's first time seeking election, as he was appointed to the office when former Alderwoman Elly Tierney (D) retired in September 2024.

"We'd rather be up by 10 than down by 10, but the outcome will be the same either way: we expect to win once all the votes are counted," Huntley told Patch in a Wednesday statement.

The candidates running in the downtown historic district offer competing views on how to address City Dock Park, a forthcoming green space intended to mitigate flooding. The $71 million project broke ground on Monday, and the park should open in summer 2027.

Both candidates support the project. Huntley, an agriculture policy analyst, is in favor of the full plan. Krieck, a business executive, prefers to trim some costs.

Tuesday's preliminary count only includes in-person voting from Election Day. The city still needs to tally its provisional ballots and its mail-in ballots, which also include those returned by drop box.

The city issued 804 mail-in ballots in Ward 1: 524 for Democrats, 141 for Republicans and 139 for unaffiliated voters. The mail-in ballot count resumes Thursday morning, and the final results won't be certified until at least Nov. 12.

"It's not the end, obviously. It's just halftime," Krieck told Patch. "We'll see what comes through by vote by mail."

Flooding downtown was one of the largest concerns for voters in this election.

Huntley wants to finish the park as it's currently planned. Krieck supports the park but hopes to cut some of the frills in case funding runs tight.

"Get City Dock done. That's all you need to know," Huntley told Patch in a Tuesday interview. "It really is a pretty big difference between both the mayoral and the aldermanic candidates."

In the mayoral race, consultant Robert "Bobby" O'Shea (R) conceded late Tuesday night to hardware store owner Jared Littmann (D) in the contest to succeed term-limited Mayor Gavin Buckley (D). Littmann, like Huntley, is fully behind the current City Dock plan. O'Shea, like Krieck, backs the resiliency aspects but worries about the total cost.

Related: O'Shea Concedes To Littmann In Annapolis Mayor's Race: Report

Carter Law, a public school teacher who lives downtown in Ward 1, agrees that flood mitigation is necessary. Law, however, wants the associated maritime welcome center to be simple and cost-efficient.

"Let's get it done," said Law. "The plan I love, but why are we spending millions of dollars on excess things?"

Law voted for Krieck and O'Shea.

"I like what they stand for, especially Tom. He wants to put politics aside," Law said of Krieck, who advocates for nonpartisan city elections.

Ward 1 resident Donna Adams is also eager to stop the flooding.

"Something has to be done," she said. "It's so unfair to the businesses downtown."

Her husband, Mike Adams, is worried about the price tag of City Dock Park.

"It's concerning how that's all going to get paid for," he said.

Donna and Mike Adams both voted for Littmann and Krieck.

"His experience as a business owner, that was impressive," Mike Adams said of Littmann. "Same with Krieck."

Krieck said his platform focused on "putting residents first. Not special interests. Not tourists."

"We've got to stop the flooding. There's no doubt," Krieck said. "The other elements that we want to put in there, the splash pool, whatever it may be, we can do those things if we have the funds."

Krieck thinks "residents want somebody who's going to listen."

"They just want to have input," he added. "They want to feel like they can have an impact on what's going on."

Huntley thinks he stands out because he has fought for preservation in the historic district. He helped prevent a relaxation of building height limits downtown.

Huntley also sponsored a new cap on short-term rental units, which are often listed on websites like Airbnb and VRBO.

"They show that I care about preserving what makes Annapolis special," Huntley said. "The reason that we were pursuing that short-term rental policy was because of people who live on streets where they don't have neighbors any more."

Related:

• Annapolis Mayor's Race Highlights 2 Potential Paths For City Dock Park
• $71M Annapolis City Dock Park Aims To Prevent Flooding
• Flooding In Annapolis Puts Spotlight On Forthcoming City Dock Park
• Annapolis Mayoral Debate Reveals Different Plans For City Dock, Downtown Construction
• Marina Proposed At Annapolis City Dock, Project’s Fate Quickly Decided
• Annapolis Harbormaster's Office Demolished, Park Construction Nears
• City Dock Park Can Proceed After Annapolis Lawsuit, But Final Funding Awaits Approval
• Annapolis Mayor Pushes For City Dock Park Before Court Hearing: Reports
• Flood Cost Businesses $160K, Annapolis Declares State Of Emergency
• Homes, Businesses Flood As Hurricane Debby Remnants Soak MD: See Photos
• City Dock Park Clears Last Hurdle Before Annapolis Flood Protection
• City Dock Park Clears Hurdle, Residents Still Concerned About Flood Plans
• Flooded Businesses Reopen After Repairs In Annapolis
• Flooded Eatery Reopening Soon, Fundraisers Help Annapolis Business Recover
• Flooded Annapolis Businesses Frustrated With 'Threatening' Closure Signs
• Flooded Businesses Vow To Reopen After Major Damage In Annapolis
• 'It's Our Entire Lives': Flood Relief Money Unlocked For Annapolis Businesses