{"id":11502248,"date":"2025-06-13T05:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T09:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/?p=11502248&preview=true&preview_id=11502248"},"modified":"2025-06-13T07:06:50","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T11:06:50","slug":"pete-smith-is-third-democrat-vying-to-be-anne-arundel-county-executive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/2025\/06\/13\/pete-smith-is-third-democrat-vying-to-be-anne-arundel-county-executive\/","title":{"rendered":"Pete Smith is third Democrat vying to be Anne Arundel County Executive"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pete Smith, a County Council Democrat representing the northwestern flank of Anne Arundel County, quietly launched his campaign to become the next county executive in 2026.<\/p>\n

Smith, 45, will officially announce his bid to replace Steuart Pittman, a Democrat who is term-limited, at an event Saturday at 797 Cromwell Park Drive in Glen Burnie from 1-3 p.m. Smith is in his third non-consecutive term representing District 1.<\/p>\n

If elected, Smith would be the county’s first Black executive. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always felt I had more to offer,\u201d said Smith, a Jessup resident. \u201cI\u2019ve certainly shown my commitment to this county, why not offer myself up to be an option for folks to consider.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith is the third Democrat to enter the race. He joins his colleague, council member\u00a0Allison Pickard<\/a> of District 2, and James Kitchin<\/a>, Pittman\u2019s special assistant who is a former teacher and public policy researcher. A Republican challenger has not yet entered the race.<\/p>\n

Smith was appointed to the County Council in 2012<\/a> to replace Daryl Jones after he pleaded guilty to tax charges and was removed. Smith was forced to step down after Jones served five months in a South Carolina prison and won an appeal to regain his seat because he was still a county resident.<\/p>\n

Smith then ran and won his first full term, holding the seat from 2014 to 2018. He lost the 2018 primary before being elected again\u00a0in 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to see a very aggressive thinking outside of the box when it comes to efficiencies in our government and in our county,\u201d Smith said of his campaign. \u201cI\u2019ve already started looking at some of this when it comes to public safety and using technology to incorporate and enhance our police services.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith is an intelligence officer in the Marine Corps Reserves, which he joined after 14 years of active-duty service. He\u2019s employed at the National Security Agency, headquartered in Smith\u2019s district at Fort Meade.<\/p>\n