{"id":11572778,"date":"2025-07-23T05:00:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T09:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/?p=11572778&preview=true&preview_id=11572778"},"modified":"2025-07-23T05:56:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T09:56:56","slug":"republican-pharmacist-running-for-anne-arundel-council-makes-traffic-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/2025\/07\/23\/republican-pharmacist-running-for-anne-arundel-council-makes-traffic-priority\/","title":{"rendered":"Republican pharmacist running for Anne Arundel council makes traffic a priority"},"content":{"rendered":"

A pharmacist and business owner filed his candidacy for the District 4 seat on the Anne Arundel County Council in 2026.<\/p>\n

Tom Wieland, a Gambrills Republican, said he aims to mitigate the swelling traffic he\u2019s witnessed since moving to the county 40 years ago. It’s an issue he blames on increased development combined with stagnant construction of infrastructure and roads.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we moved here, the area that is now Waugh Chapel Towne Centre had horses there,\u201d Wieland said of his move from Glen Burnie to the western portion of the county. \u201cWe thought we were moving out into the suburbs. Ever since then, Democrats have continually passed more high density zoning and building\u00a0all along route 3 all the way up to Laurel.\u201d<\/p>\n

The current county executive, Steuart Pittman, is a Democrat, while the three before him were Republicans.<\/p>\n

Wieland, 71, lost a 2022 bid for the seat in the Republican primary to Cheryl Renshaw. Current District 4 representative Julie Hummer, a Laurel Democrat, defeated Renshaw in the general election.<\/p>\n

Hummer is finishing her first term on the council and is eligible for reelection. However she did not respond to an inquiry about whether she would be seeking another term.<\/p>\n

The primary election is June 23, with a candidate filing deadline of Feb. 24.<\/p>\n

Wieland owns and operates Ritchie Pharmacy in Brooklyn Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a business owner, we want jobs, we want businesses, but you have to have roads,\u201d Wieland said. \u201cThey spent millions of dollars doing a study on how they\u2019re going to fix the congestion of Route 3. Of course, nothing has happened and there\u2019s no way they can widen it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maryland transportation officials are working on a projectto improve traffic and safety along the Route 3 corridor starting in 2027<\/a>. The project \u2014 three lanes going north and south from Waugh Chapel Road to Annapolis Road \u2014 is expected to cost about $35 million. Anne Arundel County is covering 20% with the state paying for the rest.<\/p>\n

Quick to say he is\u00a0not a MAGA Republican, Wieland said he intends to support parental rights and provide options for what children are \u2014 and are not \u2014 being taught in county public schools.<\/p>\n