County Executive Candidate Is 1st To Run On Public Campaign Dollars

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — On Tuesday, a second Democratic candidate announced he will run for Anne Arundel County executive in 2026.

James Kitchin hopes to succeed term-limited County Executive Steuart Pittman (D) in the next election cycle. Kitchin has been a top aide for Pittman for over six years.

Kitchin joins Allison Pickard (D-District 2), chair of the Anne Arundel County Council, as a candidate to take the helm after Pittman finishes his second term. Pickard announced her candidacy last month.

Related: Pickard To Run For County Executive After Serving On Council, School Board

Kitchin will be Anne Arundel's first county executive candidate to run on the public campaign financing system.

The voluntary system, passed by the County Council in 2023, lets candidates fund their campaigns with public matching dollars if they meet certain criteria. They must limit their fundraising to contributions of $250 or less, prohibit donations from special interest groups and meet the minimum standards of grassroots support.

“I am running for County Executive because I believe we need to elevate community voices in our decision making, and to do that we must get big monied interests out of our elections. That is the only way we will ensure this county remains a place where both current residents and future generations can thrive,” Kitchin said in a Tuesday evening press release.

Kitchin has worked in Pittman's senior management team since December 2018, spending time as the community engagement officer, then the director of community engagement and constituent services and now the special assistant to the county executive.

Kitchin grew up in Crofton and graduated from Arundel High School. He went away to college and later earned a PhD from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in public policy, specializing in urban policy and the governance of cities and suburbs. His research examined education policy as well as state and local immigration policy.

Kitchin started his career as a high school history and government teacher. He later moved back to Crofton with his wife, Lauren, to raise their two children.

Kitchin will officially announce his candidacy at a launch event on Feb. 8 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Arundel Volunteer Fire Department's Training Center, located in Gambrills at 2374 Davidsonville Road.

Pittman and County Council Member Lisa Rodvien (D-District 6) will attend the campaign kickoff. Residents are welcome to join.

To learn more about Kitchin and RSVP for his launch event, visit jameskitchin.com.