The times they are a changin’ in Annapolis government.

The historic city of about 40,000 residents is holding its primary election Tuesday, marking the beginning of a sea change in elected city leadership. Five of the City Council’s nine seats, including the mayor, will be occupied by new faces come January.

Democratic Mayor Gavin Buckley, who is term limited, will leave office at the end of the year following eight years as the city’s top official. Three candidates — two Democrats and a Republican — are vying for his post.

Only three of eight alderpersons are running for reelection, one of them uncontested, with competitive primaries set for four wards. The race to represent Ward 1, which encompasses downtown Annapolis, may be the most competitive contest, with five Democrats running.

All Republican candidates are uncontested and will move on to November’s general election.

These are the candidates for elected office in Annapolis.

Mayor

Rhonda Pindell Charles (D): The family of Pindell Charles, who has represented Ward 3 on the City Council since 2013, goes back three centuries in Annapolis.

She had an “idyllic” childhood in the Parole area. She said her parents instilled the virtues of hard work, faith and service in her.

“That has been my guideline and my guidepost my entire life: service above self,” she said in an interview.

A product of Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Pindell Charles studied business administration at Morgan State University before earning her law degree from the University of Maryland.

She spent the bulk of her more than two-decade legal career as a prosecutor in Baltimore, working and then leading the juvenile division before handling child abuse and domestic violence cases.

Pindell Charles did a stint with the Anne Arundel County Department of Health before working for 16 years as a school and community outreach specialist with the county school system.

“All along the way I’ve learned something,” she said. “You make a decision in a calm manner. But you talk to the experts first, those who do the job every day, talk to your colleagues, and then from there you make the decision you think is best.”

Pindell Charles described herself as prepared for the city’s highest office thanks to being appointed interim mayor nine times, totaling 67 days, under Buckley and his predecessor, Republican Mike Pantelides. She emphasized her role as the City Council’s public safety chair during the mass shooting at the Capital Gazette, the COVID-19 pandemic and a tornado that touched down in her ward.

“I’m emergency prepared and crisis ready on day one,” Pindell Charles said. “I’ve actually gone through it in the city.”

Unlike her opponents, Pindell Charles pledged to keep all department leaders in the name of “continuity of government.”

She said she would donate her first two years of salary as mayor to the city.

Jared Littmann (D): Littmann’s wife and livelihood brought him to Annapolis.

A New Jersey native, Littmann came to Maryland for law school after obtaining an environmental engineering degree from Washington University. He clerked for a Montgomery County judge after law school and worked for a firm and then for four years in the county attorney’s office.

“As my wife and I were discussing what to do next, my in-laws were talking about retiring from the hardware store,” he said in an interview, referring to what is now K&B Ace Hardware on Forest Drive.

Littmann started working at the store in 2004, took on seven figures of debt to buy it in 2007 and moved in 2010 to Annapolis, where he’s lived since with his wife and kids.

In 2012, Littmann was appointed to a vacant City Council seat. He won the next election, serving on the council until 2017. He chaired the Environmental Matters Committee.

“During those five years, I realized over and over again that I had a lot more experience that was applicable either for City Council or as mayor than I thought based on running a business,” said Littmann, emphasizing his budgeting, hiring and customer service skills. “I kept having the thought, ‘If I was mayor, I would do it this way.’”

But his time was largely occupied by the day-to-day hustle of the hardware store and raising his young children. In 2023, he transitioned the store’s operation to his wife and launched his campaign for mayor. Littmann said he’ll strive to build “a healthy, united and thriving city for all of us.”

He believes his engineering and law degrees equip him to handle two of the most pressing issues facing the next mayor: the City Dock Resiliency Project and the class-action lawsuit filed by residents of the city’s mold-ridden public housing.

“Navigating all those things is going to be really challenging, but I have the experience of navigating my business through the Great Recession,” Littmann said.

Littmann wants to streamline the city’s permitting process and said he isn’t promising anybody their job if elected.

Bob O’Shea (R): O’Shea did something he doesn’t think today’s generation can: He didn’t go to college.

As a 17-year-old in New York’s Finger Lakes region, he bought a ski shop with his brother. A mentor later offered him a job that blossomed into a career in medical and defense manufacturing. Eventually, he was handling multimillion-dollar contracts.

“I don’t have a filter,” O’Shea said. “Let’s get to the freakin’ problem and, if you and I can’t have the discussion, it gets dragged out. No, let’s solve it now.”

He first visited Annapolis in 1966 for his uncle’s Naval Academy graduation and landed here permanently in 2000 because of business. The waterfront city reminded him of his hometown.

“There’s just so many things this whole area has to offer that I don’t feel like we’re taking advantage of,” O’Shea said.

O’Shea is critical of the mayor and city government. He said Buckley “has vision, but Gavin’s follow-through is weak.” The City Council passes toothless laws, he said.

“They don’t say, ‘If we enact this, what do we need to do to make it work?’ O’Shea said. “People are saying that we don’t enforce and regulate the things we put into law. I want to make a difference.”

O’Shea said he wants to rein in short-term rentals, like Airbnbs, noting that only 50% are licensed by the city despite laws requiring it. If elected, he plans to explore sharing services with the county. He would pause, not cancel, and reevaluate the City Dock overhaul. And lower fees and stop tax increases.

“I will on day one look for a 10% reduction in the city budget,” said O’Shea, explaining that approximately half of the savings would serve to offset tax reductions and half would go to police and other services.

O’Shea, who doesn’t face a challenger in the Republican primary after launching his campaign in July, ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2012 and for state delegate in 2018.

“Third time’s the charm,” O’Shea said. “I care about this city. … I actually feel like we can do better.”

Ward 1

Harry Huntley (D): The incumbent, Huntley has represented downtown on the council since being appointed to replace Democratic Alderwoman Elly Tierney in September 2024.

He chairs the council’s Finance Committee and recently introduced legislation to enhance the way Annapolis regulates short-term rentals, like Airbnbs, and overhaul city elections.

When he’s not doing city business, Huntley, a Baltimore native, works for the Environmental Policy Innovation Center, helping governments develop better ways to pay farmers for improving water quality.

According to his campaign website, Huntley abides by a creed instilled in him by his parents: “Leave the world better than you found it.”

Ron Gunzburger (D): Gunzburger and his husband moved to Annapolis in 2019.

An attorney since 1988, he touts his six years leading a public safety agency in Florida with thousands of employees and a billion-dollar budget. He also advised Republican Gov. Larry Hogan on his COVID-19 response.

Gunzburger said he will strive for a “better, safer, more affordable Annapolis,” according to his campaign website.

“I love Annapolis, but we are facing a lot of tough issues,” he said. “Working together as neighbors, we can change our city for the better.”

Kathleen McDermott (D): The daughter of a Navy pilot, McDermott relished trips to Annapolis growing up.

She moved to Annapolis in 1986 after graduating from law school, beginning a legal career that saw her serve as federal prosecutor in Baltimore before launching a private practice in health law, according to her campaign website. She said she’d use her skills as an advocate to represent the residents of downtown.

“In my legal career and in my community work, I have not been afraid to speak truth to power,” McDermott said. “On occasion, I have questioned City government practices when they are not transparent, ethical or sensible.”

Genevieve Torri (D): Torri balances being a designer, raising her four children and restoring her family’s 1935 Dutch colonial in downtown.

She represented Ward 1 since 2018 on the Art in Public Places Commission, a role in which she managed budgets and organized public arts events, according to her campaign website. She wants to expand her advocacy as an alderperson.

“I am an activist and strategist committed to practical solutions that strengthen neighborhoods and drive economic growth,” Torri said. “With more than 30 years of experience in project management, campaign leadership and community service, I know how to move ideas into action and build partnerships that deliver results.”

Ward 2

Karma O’Neill (D): Having arrived in Annapolis in 1993, O’Neill has represented Ward 2 since 2021 and is running for reelection.

O’Neill is a member of City Council’s Transportation, Finance and Public Safety committees. Nobody is challenging her in the Democratic primary.

“I have come to love Annapolis not only for its wealth of opportunity, but for its sense of community and its wonderfully diverse culture,” O’Neill said on her campaign website. “As your alderwoman I will work with you to make our community even better.”

Kenneth G. Vincent (R): Vincent came to Annapolis in 2020 to coach water polo at the Naval Academy, following a career as an FBI agent and teacher.

According to his campaign website, Vincent has volunteered as a firefighter and youth sports coach, and at a homeless shelter and his church.

“Throughout the years, I have always sought to be involved in my community by serving alongside my community members in a number of areas that tug on my heartstrings,” he said.

Vincent is running uncontested in the Republican primary.

Ward 3

Two candidates are vying for the seat Pindell Charles is vacating to run for mayor.

Deborah “Debbie” Odum (D): Born and raised in Washington, Odum moved to Annapolis later in life.

After launching a fashion business in Prince George’s County, Odum worked for Bowie State University and the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in downtown Annapolis, according to her campaign website. In politics, she campaigned for the late D.C. Mayor Marion Barry and later for Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen.

She has served on several resident advisory boards for the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis, which operates public and subsidized housing communities. Odum also worked in the Department of Recreation and Parks.

“It takes a village,” Odum said, “to maintain good health and public safety to work towards safe and affordable housing to encourage and strengthen environmental stewardship to champion Ward 3, our city, and our community partnerships.”

Keanuú Smith-Brown (D): Smith-Brown is a familiar face in local government: He said he’s served on campaigns for candidates seeking office in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County since he was 13.

Born and raised in Annapolis, Smith-Brown has served as legislative assistant to two state delegates, on the Annapolis Board of Supervisors of Elections, the Annapolis Police Foundation and the board of directors for the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, according to his campaign website.

A fourth grade teacher at Mills-Parole Elementary School, he’s a member of the Caucus of African American Leaders and the local chapter of the NAACP. He describes himself as a born leader.

“United for a better Ward 3,” his campaign slogan reads. “Together we will build a safer, stronger, and more affordable community.”

Ward 4

Two candidates are battling for the seat Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson is vacating after five terms in office.

Janice Elaine Allsup-Johnson (D): Allsup-Johnson describes herself as a “retired [Anne Arundel County] government professional with extensive leadership roles and a passion for helping people.”

One of eight siblings, Allsup-Johnson has deep roots in Annapolis, her campaign website says. She touts a “commitment to family, faith, and public service” and is an active member of Asbury U.M. Church, which she has attended her whole life.

She said she aims to bolster senior transportation and create more youth activities to “rebuild neighborhood connections.”

“I’ve served my community through church, civic organizations and county work,” Allsup-Johnson said. “I aim to create a safer, more connected neighborhood with more activities for children and support for seniors.”

Coren Eve Makell (D): Makell has worked in Buckley’s office, where she led community outreach for gun violence prevention.

She said she brings empathy to her advocacy, having overcome mental health challenges and witnessed “the devastating impact” of substance abuse, according to her campaign website.

A licensed skin care professional, Makell has volunteered with the Annapolis Police Foundation and mentored more than 100 youths through soccer and cheer coaching.

“I’m ready to bring that same energy, dedication, and problem-solving spirit to representing you in Ward 4 because my life has been a testament to resilience and community engagement,” Makell said. “My dedication stems from a deep-seated commitment to my community, fueled by a desire to share, heal, and make a difference.”

Ward 5

Brooks Schandelmeier (D): Schandelmeier was appointed in 2020 to replace outgoing Alderman Marc Rodriguez, a Democrat. He retained the seat in the next year’s election.

He serves on the council’s Economic Matters, Housing and Human Welfare, and Rules and City Government committees. Schandelmeier is focused on the city’s housing shortage and its fight against climate change, according to his campaign website.

“Annapolis is at a crossroads,” Schandelmeier said. “We can continue to go down this path, or go in a new direction. That’s why I’m running for office.”

Nobody is challenging him in the Democratic primary.

Jack Papaleonti (R): Born, raised and educated in Annapolis, Papaleonti wants to expand his service to the community by earning a seat on the City Council.

According to his campaign website, Papaleonti has volunteered on several local boards.

“I’m running for Alderman because I believe my experience as a community leader can help strengthen Annapolis,” he said. “My commitment is simple: I will listen to your concerns, work with you to find solutions, and lead in a way that inspires us to use common sense in making Annapolis the best place to live, work, and visit.”

His candidacy in the Republican primary is uncontested.

Ward 6

Three candidates are running to replace Democratic Alderman DaJuan Gay, who is not running for reelection after two terms.

Craig Cussimanio (D): Cussimanio, who moved to Annapolis in the 1990s, met and married his wife, a native Annapolitan, in the city. Their children were born here.

Life took him away from the city and brought him back in 2020.

Cussimanio has a bachelor’s in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Maryland, according to his campaign website. Having worked on large-scale technology projects, he describes himself as a stay-at-home father. He said he’s volunteered over the last five years in the city, an experience that taught him the “stark contrast” facing residents from different communities.

“I am running for Alderman because I know I have the commitment, focus and resources to be a strong advocate for the residents of Ward 6,” Cussimanio said. “Our voices matter. All of them.”

Diesha Contee (D): Contee, of Eastport, entered the race in July.

She said in a Facebook post that Gay asked her last year to run for his seat and that she’s received support from residents and leaders. Contee also said she’s been advocating for residents across Annapolis for years.

Her Facebook page shows she’s organized drives for local causes and regularly highlights members of her community who are in need, in hopes that her followers will help.

“It is ever more crucial that we elect leaders who can represent everyone, particularly the marginalized and underserved,” Contee said. “I am that leader and a prime example of what putting in the work means.”

George Gallagher (R): Gallagher lives in Annapolis with his wife and two children, according to a city candidate form.

He started his career as a scientist in medical device development but bounced back and forth between biotech consulting and management, work that has taken him to several European countries. It was a biotechnology management job that brought Gallagher to Maryland in 2001.

Gallagher said he enjoys going to his children’s athletic events, boating and “advocating for the community.”

He is a repeated candidate for City Council, and his campaign website describes his vision for Annapolis as “a balanced budget, enhanced safety, and lower property taxes.”

No other Republicans are running in Ward 6.

Ward 7

Rob Savidge (D): Elected to the council in 2017, Savidge retained his seat four years later.

He chairs the council’s Environmental Matters Committee while serving on the Transportation and Economic Matters committees.

Nobody from either party is challenging his bid for reelection. Learn more about him on his campaign website.

Ward 8

Frank Thorp (D): Thorp, a Naval Academy graduate, is running uncontested to succeed Alderman Ross Arnett, who will leave office after five terms on the City Council.

After 28 years in the Navy, Thorp worked in the corporate world, according to his campaign website. Born and raised in Annapolis, he returned to his hometown a decade ago.

“These are critical times in Eastport — while we continue to enhance our community, we must also intentionally preserve what we love about Eastport,” Thorp said.