County

County Council Member, Harford County

District E

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

What this office does: A county council member votes on county laws, the budget, taxes and land-use decisions.

Candidates Compare by issue

Hunter Baker

Democratic

Special education teacher · Aberdeen

The gist

Supports full funding for Harford County Public Schools
Pledges legislation barring data centers from Harford County
Proposes ranked choice voting for local races
Supports limits on bulk home purchases by corporate investors
Supports civilian crisis-response teams alongside deputies
Supports more bus routes plus evening and weekend service
Opposes banning challenging books from the curriculum

More about Hunter

View sources (2)

Supports full funding for Harford County Public Schools
Hunter Baker for County Council: Policy
Campaign website · Friends of Hunter Baker · hunterbaker.org
“I will fight to ensure our schools have the funding they need to succeed”
Pledges legislation barring data centers from Harford County
Who is running for Harford County Council in the 2026 election?
Candidate questionnaire · The Baltimore Sun / Capital Gazette voter guide · May 20, 2026 · baltimoresun.com
“If the County Council has not succeeded in passing legislation barring data centers from entering Harford County, I would introduce or reintroduce legislation”
Proposes ranked choice voting for local races
Hunter Baker for County Council: Policy
Campaign website · Friends of Hunter Baker · hunterbaker.org
“Introduce Ranked Choice Voting for local races and publicly-funded elections”
Supports limits on bulk home purchases by corporate investors
Hunter Baker for County Council: Policy
Campaign website · Friends of Hunter Baker · hunterbaker.org
“Limit bulk home purchases by large landlords and corporate investors.”
Supports civilian crisis-response teams alongside deputies
Hunter Baker for County Council: Policy
Campaign website · Friends of Hunter Baker · hunterbaker.org
“I will support expanding civilian crisis-response teams, pairing social workers and mental-health professionals with deputies when appropriate.”
Supports more bus routes plus evening and weekend service
Hunter Baker for County Council: Policy
Campaign website · Friends of Hunter Baker · hunterbaker.org
“I will push to add more buses, extend routes deeper into residential areas, and add later evening and weekend service”
Opposes banning challenging books from the curriculum
Hunter Baker for County Council: Policy
Campaign website · Friends of Hunter Baker · hunterbaker.org
“Banning books limits access to diverse voices and silences stories that foster empathy, understanding, and growth.”

Douglas J. Phillips

Republican

Business owner and law firm owner · Churchville

The gist

Supports charter amendment barring county employees from council
Opposes raising taxes or expanding the development envelope
Proposes tying school funding increases to accountability
Supports placing more District E farms in agricultural preservation
Supports tougher county negotiations with developers

More about Douglas

View sources (1)

Supports charter amendment barring county employees from council
Who is running for Harford County Council in the 2026 election?
Candidate questionnaire · The Baltimore Sun / Capital Gazette voter guide · May 20, 2026 · baltimoresun.com
“By amending the Harford County Charter to prevent "double dipping", we would be taking a big step towards a better county government.”
Opposes raising taxes or expanding the development envelope
Who is running for Harford County Council in the 2026 election?
Candidate questionnaire · The Baltimore Sun / Capital Gazette voter guide · May 20, 2026 · baltimoresun.com
“If Harford County does not increase the development envelope, does not raise taxes”
Proposes tying school funding increases to accountability
Who is running for Harford County Council in the 2026 election?
Candidate questionnaire · The Baltimore Sun / Capital Gazette voter guide · May 20, 2026 · baltimoresun.com
“I would restructure the way that money is given to Harford County Public Schools to require accountability”
Supports placing more District E farms in agricultural preservation
Who is running for Harford County Council in the 2026 election?
Candidate questionnaire · The Baltimore Sun / Capital Gazette voter guide · May 20, 2026 · baltimoresun.com
“We need to move quickly to put more property into agricultural preservation programs in a timely manner.”
Supports tougher county negotiations with developers
Who is running for Harford County Council in the 2026 election?
Candidate questionnaire · The Baltimore Sun / Capital Gazette voter guide · May 20, 2026 · baltimoresun.com
“I would favor the county council taking an active role in negotiating tough deals with developers”

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; 7 issues covered in this race.