County

County Council Member, Howard County

District 5

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

Cat Carter

Democratic

Cybersecurity business owner

The gist

Supports in-county special education programs to cut costs
Supports cutting non-school spending for school maintenance
Supports infill housing and mixed-use redevelopment
Supports rooftop and parking-lot solar
Supports continued police training and staffing investment

More about Cat

View sources (1)

Supports in-county special education programs to cut costs
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Council District 5
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will advocate for reducing transportation costs and investing in in-county special education programs to lower long-term expenses.”
Supports cutting non-school spending for school maintenance
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Council District 5
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“We must also prioritize reducing non-school spending so we can address the $200 million in deferred school maintenance.”
Supports infill housing and mixed-use redevelopment
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Council District 5
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I support infill housing and mixed-use redevelopment that strengthens our community while protecting green spaces.”
Supports rooftop and parking-lot solar
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Council District 5
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I support solar on rooftops and parking lots, energy efficiency programs, protecting forests and farmland, improving stormwater systems”
Supports continued police training and staffing investment
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Council District 5
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Howard County officers are highly trained professionals with four-year degrees who deserve continued investment in training, staffing, and technology.”

Ryan P. O'Connor

Republican

Finance professional

The gist

Pledges not to raise county revenue
Proposes an efficiency review of all county departments
Opposes higher school surcharges and transfer taxes on homes
Supports more police patrols in the rural west
Supports county-funded caregiver training at Howard Community College

More about Ryan

View sources (1)

Pledges not to raise county revenue
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Council District 5
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will not raise revenue.”
Proposes an efficiency review of all county departments
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Council District 5
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will immediately call for an efficiency review of all county departments to identify ways to reduce costs and improve customer service.”
Opposes higher school surcharges and transfer taxes on homes
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Council District 5
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Government has made it difficult to build homes … the school surcharge has increased over 500%, transfer taxes have been increased”
Supports more police patrols in the rural west
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Council District 5
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“We need more patrols in the rural west where out of town gangs have routinely hit neighborhoods for both auto theft and home invasions.”
Supports county-funded caregiver training at Howard Community College
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Howard County Council District 5
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I would support the county funding a job training program for caregivers at Howard Community College.”

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.