The next mayor and city council have a long line of predecessors to draw inspiration from, in leading Annapolis toward future prosperity
Dating back to the first mayor in 1708 (Amos Garrett), the 137 mayors of Annapolis include members of well-known families in American history such as Brice, Carroll, Chase, Harwood, and Pinkney. While the position is extremely visible today, it has been rare for the city’s leader to govern for eight consecutive years. One early exception not long after Garrett was Vachel Denton; his 22 years in the colonial era, including an 18-year stretch from 1727–1745, make him the longest-serving mayor; Allen Quynn, whose multiple non-consecutive terms between 1773 and 1802 encompassed 11 total years—but never eight straight—is second.
Until 1973, the job was part-time, which meant the mayor served in many other political capacities prior to, during, and after leaving office. Garrett, for example, was in the Maryland General Assembly from 1712–1722 (except for 1716–1719). Jeremiah Townley Chase—Samuel Chase’s second cousin—actually pulled triple duty; according to the Maryland State Archives, after he left the House of Delegates in 1779, he was both mayor (1783–1784) and a state representative in the unicameral Congress under the Articles of Confederation that met in Annapolis. Alongside Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, Chase participated in accepting the resignation of General George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Continental Army and ratifying the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain, formally ending the Revolutionary War. Both Garrett and Chase were buried at St. Anne’s Cemetery, not far from where Congress met or where City Hall sits today.
From then until John Apostol was elected full-time in 1973, only Dennis Claude (1828–1837 and 1853–1855), James Strange (1909–1919), William McCready (1941–1949), Arthur Ellington (1952–1961, including time as Acting Mayor), and Roger “Pip” Moyer (1965–1973) were mayor for an eight-year period. Since 1973, just Alfred Hopkins (1989–1997) and Pip’s former wife, Ellen Moyer (2001–2009) have completed two four-year terms (Apostol was re-elected in 1977 but didn’t stay in office until the end). Because they work closely with the City Council, Anne Arundel County leaders, the state government, and local officials across the nation, the title “Mayor of Annapolis” symbolizes a personal dedication to improving every aspect of civic life, and with it, an enormous burden of responsibility.
Ahead of the primary election on September 21 and the general election on November 2, the latest mayoral incumbent bidding to earn a second four-year term is Democrat Gavin Buckley, a South African native who grew up in Australia and is now pulling quadruple duty himself as mayor and the owner of the Tsunami, Lemongrass, and Metropolitan Kitchen and Lounge restaurants in the downtown area. His first four years have been notable for an emphasis on renovating, developing, and modernizing the historic district from West Street to Main Street as well as frequent political battles over zoning, regulations, historic preservation, increased property taxes, and new gun laws in the wake of the 2018 Capital newspaper murders. This is a crucial time for Annapolis, as the next mayor will continue to oversee the city’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and the continued redevelopment of the historic City Dock.
Buckley has run a vigorous campaign championing his response to the coronavirus, financial assistance programs for low-income residents, fully funded city employee pensions, enhanced community engagement—especially with the Black, Latinx, Asian, and LGBT communities—and a commitment to environmental protection. The steps Buckley has taken to address climate change include creating the new position of “Deputy City Manager for Resilience and Sustainability” and adding Annapolis as a litigant to a lawsuit suing the fossil fuel industry—names like Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon-Mobil, and Shell—for damages related to the adverse impact that carbon energy consumption-fueled climate change has had on the municipality’s 17-mile waterfront, where over the last half-century, rising sea levels have caused “the greatest increase in annual average nuisance flooding events of any city in the country,” according to Inside Climate News. For the better part of the campaign he was unopposed until Annapolis Republican Committee Chair Steven Strawn threw his hat into the ring in late July. Born in Washington, D.C. Strawn spent time growing up in Prince George’s County, where he worked on a horse farm. As an adult, his experience is in sales and sports, including coaching baseball. After moving to Annapolis in 2006, he began working at the Bay Theater Company and eventually got involved in politics.
The campaigns for the eight City Council seats are a little more competitive, with some intriguing rematches, even though in Ward 1, first-term Democrat Elly Tierney, like the mayor, is also running unopposed in both elections. In Ward 2, however, following the retirement of Fred Paone, Democrat Karma O’Neill, owner of an event planning company, and Republican Scott Gibson, an executive at Melwood, will vie for the seat.
In Ward 3, first-term Democrat Rhonda Pindell-Charles will be challenged in the primary by Keanuú Smith-Brown, the former president of the District 30 Democratic Club (no Republican has filed a candidacy). In Ward 4, two-term Democrat Sheila Finlayson will face longtime community activist Toni Strong Pratt in a repeat of their 2017 primary battle (no Republican has filed a candidacy).
In Ward 5, the Republican challenger to first-term (by appointment) Democrat Brooks Schandelmeier is Seattle-born Monica Fenton Manthey. In Ward 6, first-term Democrat DaJuan Gay (who won a 2019 special election as write-in candidate after Alderwoman Shaneka Henson was appointed to a District 30A seat in the Maryland House of Delegates following the passing of Speaker Michael Busch) will once again confront a primary challenge from George Gallagher (no Republican has filed a candidacy).
In Ward 7, first-term Democrat Rob Savidge is running unopposed (no Republican has filed a candidacy). Finally, in Ward 8, Kati George of the Annapolis Audit Committee has announced her intention to challenge the four-term incumbent, Democrat Ross Arnett, in the primary. The winner will face the Republican challenger, Back Creek Books owner Rockford Toews.
Implementing a full pandemic recovery plan, successful stimulating the local economy, continuing a long overdue improvement in race relations, and prioritizing badly needed infrastructure projects before calamity strikes—Annapolis shares many of the pressing issues now facing cities and towns all over the country. How the next mayor and city council respond to these kinds of challenges will go a long way toward determining how much of an increase in the overall quality of life residents will notice not only in the coming months, but for many years ahead.
Mark Croatti teaches courses on American Government and Public Policy at the United States Naval Academy and the University of Maryland and has covered state and local politics since 2004.
