ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Community members gathered at the Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center on Tuesday to hear from candidates running for Anne Arundel County executive during a debate hosted by the Caucus of African American Leaders.
The position will be filled by a new face for the first time in eight years. Voters will make their decisions in the June primaries.
The race includes Democrats Pete Smith, James Kitchin, Allison Prichard, and Kyle Nembhard, along with Republican candidate David Crawford.
Hear voters share their priorities, including affordable housing and education.
During the debate, each candidate expressed their views on various topics, including affordability, education funding, and diversity hires within public service positions.
"I would like to see some affordable housing, more housing in the county and just fairness across our county," Anne Arundel County resident Charles Carroll said.
Anne Arundel County resident Andrea Jones Horton attended the debate to learn more about the candidates and share her priorities.
"You know it is such an important office, one would hope that you would see someone that is going to continue some of the things that have been done already, looking for someone that is interested in helping out immigrant population, helping our schools maintain if not succeed in doing better than they have done as well and also looking for someone to maintain our sense of government and community," Horton said.
Carroll said he attended because he wants to see more programming for youth and a crackdown on gun violence in the county. He added that it is very important for more people to listen to debates and connect with candidates.
"People have now become more conscious that who we put in office is very important because they make legislation, they make decisions for the whole of the community," Carroll said.
Carroll added he is happy to see so many people eager to listen to the debate and connect with candidates, some for the first time.
"I hope that the community will wake up because a lot of times the community is sleep and things happen and when they happen, it's already legislation and there is nothing we can do," Carroll said.
Now that people have heard from each candidate, they will have to make a decision on who they want to vote for when the primary election kicks off in June.
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