Annapolis residents and candidates are going in and out of polling booths Tuesday as the city’s Democratic primary is underway.
Voters in every ward are picking between mayor candidates Rhonda Pindell Charles, the Ward 3 alderman, and Jared Littmann, a former alderman and hardware store owner. The winner of the primary will face Republican Bob O’Shea in the November general election.
Ward 1, 3, 4 and 6 have competitive alderman primaries Tuesday for four-year terms on the city council.
Polling booths and ballot boxes are open until 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Capital Gazette journalists are deployed throughout Annapolis on Tuesday to cover the city’s primary election. Keep coming back throughout the day for updates.
Business backgrounds, family ties motivate some voters in Ward 5
Voters in Ward 5 trickled through the back door of the Roger “Pip” Moyer Recreation Center late Tuesday morning and afternoon.
Judson Martin, 80, a former jeweler and art teacher, has lived nearly his whole life in Annapolis.
Martin said he voted for Jared Littman for his business experience. He added that either Democratic candidate, Littman or Rhonda Pindell Charles, would make for a successful mayor.
“This is not a political issue to me,” Martin, who owned a jewelry business, said. “He was a businessman in Annapolis, and I remember him opening his business here. I naturally gravitated toward a businessman like that.”
Martin is the son of former Annapolis Alderman William Judson Martin Sr. When asked what issues in Annapolis were top of mind, Martin referred to a host of changes occurring at the federal level. He said Littman was a strong candidate to guide Annapolis through those changes.
Michael Pindell, 75, exited the polling center with a look of pride. He had just cast a vote for his “little cousin,” Rhonda Pindell Charles.
Pindell, who lives on Tyler Avenue in Annapolis, said he voted for his cousin because of her commitment to Annapolis. He added that because of her enduring commitment to the city, nothing would change beside her title if she won.
“She’s been doing this for a while anyways,” Pindell said. “She’s a great leader and I trust her. She’s done a lot for Annapolis.”When asked what specific attribute will make Pindell Charles most effective as mayor, Pindell said one word: “Leadership.”
— James Matheson
Turnout in Ward 8 defies judge’s expectations
Ward 8 is a quieter race this year, with the aldermen candidates in both major parties uncontested; the only race was the mayoral Democratic primary.
Despite that and the rain, David Beagan, one of the polling place’s chief judges, said that turnout has been more than expected.
“Smooth and steady. It’s actually been busier than I expected, but that makes the day go faster for the us judges, but I also think it’s a good sign for election turnout. … it’s a good thing given the size of the ballot,” Beagan said.
Though not on the ballot until the general election, Democratic Ward 8 candidate Frank Thorp was in attendance to meet voters. He said, city-wide, this election has the potential to decide Annapolis’ future.
“This is my opportunity to meet the residents as they go vote. I’m very much a fan of enthusiastic democracy, and I’d like to see everybody involved in this great process that we can select our leaders,” Thorp said. “Annapolis is at an inflection point, with half the City Council turning over in this election; the future of the city is literally at stake.”
Littmann arrived at Eastport Volunteer Fire Hall around noon and was expected to stay until around 1.
— Benjamin Rothstein
Community interaction, congestion among issues cited in Ward 2
Mixed in with library-goers returning books, Ward 2 voters gradually shuffled into the Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library Tuesday morning.
Victor Ferreira, a chief election judge, said it had been “a mild day” so far. Just before 10 a.m., 37 votes had been cast at the library, he said.
Fred Foreman, a 68-year-old resident of the Admiral Heights neighborhood, said he voted for Rhonda Pindell Charles because he’s known her for a couple of years and likes how she interacts with the community. He said the most important city issues for him are utility rates and crime.
Kathy Mitchell, a 74-year-old resident of the Homewood neighborhood, was adorned with a Karma O’Neill hat, supporting the incumbent, unchallenged alderman. She said she’s voting for Jared Littman because she went to a few meet-and-greets and thinks he’s the right person to fill Mayor Gavin Buckley’s role. Mitchell said the most important city issues for her are overdevelopment, traffic congestion and speeding on West Street. “You can’t even get out onto West Street from a side street,” she said.
— Maggie Trovato
Gas leak reported, fixed in Ward 3 precinct, Mt. Olive Community Center
Annapolis avoided a crisis in Ward Three after a gas leak nearly prevented residents from casting ballots.
It was a sleepy morning with a dangerous disruption at Mt. Olive Community Center where Ward Three Democrats cast their votes.
In the Ward Three primary, teacher Keanuú Smith-Brown and former Annapolis Recreation and Parks employee Debbie Odum are competing for the seat currently held by Rhonda Pindell Charles, who is running for mayor and endorsed Odum.
“It’s been very slow,” said Odum, who had been sitting and waving to voters from a lawn chair since a little before 8. “I haven’t heard about many issues. It’s been quiet.”
Roughly 30 people had voted by 9:30 a.m.
Dan McDowell, a retiree who has volunteered as an election judge for the past five years, said a few election volunteers noticed a smell creeping into the voting room from the kitchen.
The open setup contains a kitchen with a gas stove. Three pilot lights were out, indicating a leak.
“It’s just amazing to see them in action for something like this,” said Smith-Brown, who eagerly waved to passersby with the help of two volunteers.
BGE was able to secure the leak, according to Lt. Tony William from the Annapolis Fire Marshal’s office.
Three people were evaluated by Emergency Medical Service and declined to be transported for further treatment. The building was evacuated for 10 to 15 minutes.
The fire department, whose union endorsed Smith-Brown, evacuated the building, ventilated the space and then allowed people back in, according to Williams.
Just one person was delayed from voting, but according to McDowell he waited patiently and cast his ballot when the building was cleared.
— Bridget Byrne
Ward 1 voters cite flooding, the environment as major concerns
Shepherd White, a 27-year-old Ward 1 resident, said when deciding between alderman and mayoral candidates, they were looking for candidates who seemed open, accountable and who had a plan related to food resiliency.
“A huge deal for me is having politicians who are in Annapolis who are very eco-conscious and prepared to make changes to the infrastructure of the city to make sure that it is ecologically sustainable, that the flooding won’t continue doing so much economic damage downtown,” White said.
Ward 1 residents Mary Morgan and Mark Schweitzer also mentioned flood resiliency as a top issue this election, as downtown has experienced frequent flooding in recent years.
Other issues for voters in the ward, home to the most competitive city council primary, included property taxes and short-term rental policies.
— Katharine Wilson
Rainy weather in the forecast
Very light rain was felt across the city this morning, as candidates were making their final efforts to get residents off the street and into the polling booths.
The National Weather Service is predicting possible showers and thunderstorms throughout the day, but candidates say they’re still planning to be out at polling locations.
— Katharine Wilson
State politicians make their way to the polls
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Rep. Sarah Elfreth and Del. Dana Jones were spotted at the city hall polling station in Ward 1 early this morning.
“I encourage you to exercise your right to vote in this really important primary election where everyone is on the ballot,” Elfreth said in a video posted to her X account.
— Katharine Wilson
Ward 3 Residents weigh in on the mayoral election
Denise Vauls, a 74 year-old Ward 3 resident, said she voted for Pindell Charles because she grew up in the Parole neighborhood with the candidate and because of Pindell Charles’ work in her community as an alderman.
“Rhonda is really a hard worker; she’s fair to everybody,” Vauls said.
Vauls said she wants candidates to discuss ways to add more police patrols in the neighborhood around the Mount Olive Community Life Center, where the Ward 3 polling place is located.
Henri Abrams, a new resident of Annapolis’ Ward 3, said he was voting for Littmann because of his track record owning a store and being on the board of True Value Hardware, adding that these experiences show Littmann understands contracts and budgeting.
“It goes back to what you’ve done,” Abrams said. “The man has a body of work.”
— Katharine Wilson
Focus on local issues in Ward 7
Though voters were sparse in Ward 7 on Tuesday’s rainy afternoon, voter Laura Booth said she is paying attention to what her vote would mean for the services provided to Annapolis residents, particularly in keeping kids off the streets.
In an election with only one race, she explained why it was still important to her to show up and vote.
“What happens in Annapolis affects you the most directly. Things that happen at the state and the federal level get all the big headlines, but all of those changes take a while to get down to you at your level,” Booth said.
— Benjamin Rothstein
