Loading your ballot results. Please wait.
Loading your ballot results. Please wait.
County Council Member · District 1 · Anne Arundel County · 2026 Primary
County Council Members serve as the legislative branch of county government, passing local laws and approving the annual budget that funds public schools, roads, and emergency services. They set local tax rates and make final decisions on land use and zoning, which determines where new homes and businesses can be built. This office is responsible for prioritizing how your tax dollars are spent and managing the long-term growth and infrastructure of your community.
View all candidates in this raceGeonta Simmons is a lifelong resident of Anne Arundel County and a member of Gen Z running for the District 1 seat on the County Council. Raised in a working-class household in Brooklyn Park and Glen Burnie, he overcame early challenges with ADHD to pursue a career in public service, eventually graduating with honors from Anne Arundel Community College and earning a B.A. in Policy, Politics & International Policy from the University of Baltimore. Simmons' political background includes serving as a full-time staffer for a State Senate campaign and being appointed to the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee at age 22, where he currently serves as the Communications Sub-Committee Chair. His platform focuses on proactive public safety, economic investment for underserved communities like Brooklyn Park, and addressing the housing crisis that affects young adults and seniors. He emphasizes a "New Generation" approach to leadership, aiming to provide a voice for District 1 residents who he believes have been neglected by current representation.
Sources: Campaign website
District 1 is home to some of Anne Arundel County’s most resilient, yet underserved, communities—communities that continue to raise serious concerns about crime and public safety. Your voices have not gone unheard. But the response has been too slow, too reactive, and too narrow in scope.
We can’t arrest our way out of systemic issues. We must invest in prevention, intervention, and opportunity—especially for young Black men, who are too often left behind.
Abandoned and decaying buildings have become an all-too-familiar sight, while thriving areas like Severna Park and Annapolis have consistently received their share of the budget. Now, it’s District 1’s turn.
As a member of Gen Z, I know firsthand the challenges of the affordable housing crisis. Too many young adults graduate college with degrees that don’t guarantee them jobs, only to face a housing market that is out of reach.
Source: geontasimmons.com
Public Safety
Advocates for a proactive, 21st-century vision of safety that includes accountable policing but focuses heavily on prevention, intervention, and youth opportunity.
“This isn't about reinventing the wheel—it’s about rethinking what safety really means and who it should serve.”
Economic Development
Focuses on attracting investment to North County and District 1 to address abandoned buildings and food deserts, specifically citing the loss of the Lidl grocery in Brooklyn Park.
“I will fight tirelessly to attract investors and economic stakeholders to our district. I will work hand in hand with both the public and private sectors to bring much-needed resources and opportunity to District 1.”
Affordable Housing
Views housing as a human right and seeks to address the market barriers facing young adults, families, and seniors in Maryland's expensive economy.
“As your next Councilman, I will make affordable housing a top priority. Housing is a human right, not a privilege.”
Youth Opportunity
Proposes increased funding for community programs and the creation of paid summer internships with county agencies for young people.
“I will champion a 21st-century vision for public safety—one that includes... PAID summer internships that give young people hands-on experience working with county agencies of their choice.”
“As your next councilman, I will champion a 21st-century vision for public safety—one that includes increased funding for trusted community programs...”
Source“District 1 is one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in Anne Arundel County... Abandoned and decaying buildings have become an all-too-familiar sight.”
Source“As your next Councilman, I will make affordable housing a top priority. Housing is a human right, not a privilege.”
Source“We must invest in prevention, intervention, and opportunity—especially for young Black men, who are too often left behind.”
Source“Our community deserves real investment but we lack even the most basic resources. The closure of businesses like the Lidl grocery in Brooklyn Park has left residents without reliable access to fresh fruits and produce.”
Source“Yes, effective and accountable policing is a part of that solution—but it cannot be the whole solution. We can’t arrest our way out of systemic issues.”
Source