County

County Executive, Anne Arundel County

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The county executive runs county government day to day, proposes the county budget and appoints department heads.

Candidates Compare by issue

Allison M. Pickard

Democratic

Anne Arundel County Council member (District 2)

The gist

Supports full Blueprint funding and higher teacher pay
Supports prioritizing schools and first-responder staffing in budget
Proposes starter homes and transit-oriented development
Pledges to fill police, fire and corrections staffing gaps
Pledges to fix the county permitting system
Supports apprenticeships built with schools and unions
Supports investing in climate resilience and flood prevention

More about Allison

View sources (2)

Supports full Blueprint funding and higher teacher pay
Priorities — Allison Pickard for County Executive
Campaign website · Friends of Allison Pickard · allisonpickard.com
“Fully implement the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future … Increase teacher pay and add new teaching positions to reduce classroom sizes”
Supports prioritizing schools and first-responder staffing in budget
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Anne Arundel County Executive
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“My top fiscal priorities are fully funding our education, investing in our workforce, and ensuring safe staffing for our trusted first responders.”
Proposes starter homes and transit-oriented development
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Anne Arundel County Executive
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will create housing opportunities that meet our needs: starter homes for first-time buyers, accessible options for older adults, and real transit-oriented development.”
Pledges to fill police, fire and corrections staffing gaps
Priorities — Allison Pickard for County Executive
Campaign website · Friends of Allison Pickard · allisonpickard.com
“Address critical staffing shortages in Police, Fire, and Corrections through recruitment, retention, and workforce support”
Pledges to fix the county permitting system
Priorities — Allison Pickard for County Executive
Campaign website · Friends of Allison Pickard · allisonpickard.com
“Fix the broken permitting system for residents and local businesses to reduce delays and unnecessary costs”
Supports apprenticeships built with schools and unions
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Anne Arundel County Executive
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“expand workforce development and job training programs, working with our schools and unions, to create apprenticeship opportunities”
Supports investing in climate resilience and flood prevention
Priorities — Allison Pickard for County Executive
Campaign website · Friends of Allison Pickard · allisonpickard.com
“Invest in climate resilience and flood prevention”

Dave Crawford

Republican

Business professional; volunteer fire chief

The gist

Pledges to hold down the property tax rate
Proposes more police and fire personnel
Supports more school resource officers
Proposes cutting business taxes and red tape
Supports workforce housing and reusing vacant homes
Proposes a Senior Promise Program for older adults

More about Dave

View sources (2)

Pledges to hold down the property tax rate
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Anne Arundel County Executive
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I’ll hold the property tax rate down, fulfill my Promise to Seniors with targeted relief for seniors, veterans, and volunteers”
Proposes more police and fire personnel
Priorities — Dave Crawford for County Executive
Campaign website · Friends of Dave Crawford · crawford4exec.com
“He will prioritize increasing police and fire personnel to ensure faster response times”
Supports more school resource officers
Priorities — Dave Crawford for County Executive
Campaign website · Friends of Dave Crawford · crawford4exec.com
“He will seek to expand the presence of trained school resource officers to ensure every school has a visible and trusted layer of protection.”
Proposes cutting business taxes and red tape
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Anne Arundel County Executive
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I’ll cut business taxes to keep jobs here, go after corporations to relocate here, slash red tape so employers can open and hire faster.”
Supports workforce housing and reusing vacant homes
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Anne Arundel County Executive
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“encourage developers to turn vacant homes into livable homes, and build workforce housing so teachers, nurses, police, fire and young families can live near work”
Proposes a Senior Promise Program for older adults
Priorities — Dave Crawford for County Executive
Campaign website · Friends of Dave Crawford · crawford4exec.com
“He will initiate his Senior Promise Program to ensure older adults can age with dignity through affordable housing, accessible services, and financial stability.”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 8 issues covered in this race.