Fresh College Grad Running For County Council Wants Stronger Public Safety

BROOKLYN PARK, MD — A political strategist and fresh college graduate is running for the District 1 Anne Arundel County Council seat in the 2026 election.

Democrat Geonta Simmons plans to focus on public safety, economic development and affordable housing in the underserved parts of North County.

“When I thought about why I wanted to run, I had to ask myself one big question: What do I want to do with an elected office? The first thing that comes to mind is, what can I do for Brooklyn Park?” 24-year-old Simmons, who would be 26 on inauguration day, told the Capital Gazette. “I have consistently felt that not enough has been done.”

Simmons' family moved from Baltimore City to Glen Burnie in 2009. They briefly lived in Hanover, but they later returned to North County and settled in Brooklyn Park, where Simmons has lived since 2013. He graduated from North County High School and Anne Arundel Community College. He then attended the University of Baltimore, where he graduated this Wednesday with a bachelor's degree in policy, politics and international policy.

Simmons got his political start at 17 when he asked then-Council Member Sarah Lacey how he could get involved. He later joined her team full-time, campaigning for her 2022 bid for State Senate in District 32. Lacey lost, and Simmons attended a three-month staff academy via the National Democratic Training Committee. He was then appointed to the District 12B seat on the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee in January 2023 at 22 years old.

This February, Simmons filed to run for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 12B, challenging an incumbent. He announced last week that he will run for County Council instead.

The District 1 County Council seat is currently held by fellow Democrat Pete Smith, who can run for a second term. Smith has not announced his plans for the next election. Smith has not responded to Patch's request for comment. We will update this story if he replies.

District 1 covers Brooklyn Park, Jessup, Linthicum, Hanover, Severn and parts of Fort Meade and Glen Burnie.

“I want to be the kind of council person, or even politician, that just shows up and shuts up,” Simmons told the Capital Gazette. “As a member of Gen Z, I have watched countless times where politicians come to meetings and just talk, and they don’t listen.”

Voters can learn more at geontasimmons.com.

The deadline to file as a candidate is Feb. 24, 2026. The primary election is on June 30, 2026, and the General Election is on Nov. 3, 2026.

To see why Simmons thinks his age is an advantage, read the Capital Gazette's story. Only Capital Gazette subscribers are able to access the article, however.

Anybody with an Anne Arundel County Public Library card number can read the Capital Gazette's story at this link by searching "Geonta Simmons."

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