Buckley Wins in Landslide as Democrats Sweep Annapolis Council
Mayor Gavin Buckley decisively won a second term, as Annapolis voters expressed high levels of confidence in his leadership. The incumbent mayor prevailed over Republican Central Committee leader Steven Strawn 72.7-26.2%, the largest margin of victory for a contested mayoral election in the city’s history. Strawn conceded the race the day after the election.
Democrats also won all of the city council districts, making it the first time that one party has swept all eight seats. Democratic candidates ran unopposed in four of the wards, although there was a spirited write-in campaign in Ward 4 by a progressive candidate that ultimately fell short.
Owing partially to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first year that every registered voter in Annapolis was eligible to vote by mail. The turnout this year was 36.1%, up from 33.1% in 2017.
Final Election Results
Mayor
Gavin Buckley (D) – 7,124 votes (72.7%)
Steven Strawn (R) – 2,570 votes (26.2%)
Ward 1
Elly Tierney (D) – 1,388 votes (90.7%)
Ward 2
Karma O’Neill (D) – 972 votes (56.2%)
Scott Gibson (R) – 753 votes (43.5%)
Ward 3
Rhonda Pindell Charles (D) – 731 votes (93.4%)
Ward 4
Sheila M. Finlayson (D) – 476 votes (69.3%)
Toni Strong-Pratt (D-write in) – 186 votes (27.1%)
Ward 5
Brooks Schandelmeier (D) – 760 votes (67.8%)
Monica Manthey (R) – 359 votes (32.0%)
Ward 6
DaJuan Gay (D) – 412 votes (72.9%)
George Gallagher (R) – 151 votes (26.7%)
Ward 7
Rob Savidge (D) – 786 votes (95.6%)
Ward 8
Ross Arnett (D) – 1,092 votes (57.0%)
Rock Toews (R) – 812 votes (42.4%)
A ‘Second Blue Wave’ Hits Annapolis
The election can be seen as a referendum on Mayor Buckley’s first term, which was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and increased flooding downtown, culminating in the fourth-worst flood in city history just days before the election. Buckley supported the county’s mask mandates during the height of the pandemic and eased restrictions on outdoor dining to allow restaurants to serve guests outside. During his first term, Buckley also resided over the start of the long-awaited redevelopment of City Dock, a revamping of the budget process, and an increase in the number of city recreation opportunities. In 2021, Moody’s upgraded the city’s bond rating to Aa1, the second-highest possible bond rating.
Alderman Fred Paone (R) in Ward 2 chose to retire, making this seat open for the first time since 2009. It was won by Karma O’Neill, the first Democrat to win here since 2001.
Note: This article has been updated to reflect the exact tally of write-in votes for Toni Strong-Pratt. Image source: Gavin4Annapolis.com