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County Council Member · District 7 · 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 raceSpencer Jones is a 27-year-old political newcomer running for Anne Arundel County Council District 7, representing an area stretching from Crofton to South County. He owns Chick & Ruth's Delly on Main Street in Annapolis and manages four Five Guys restaurants across the county after taking over following his father Keith Jones' unexpected death in January 2021 during the pandemic. A Virginia Tech graduate with a degree in statistics, he previously worked in healthcare IT in Wisconsin before returning to Crofton where he lives with his wife Alyssa. Jones describes himself as a community advocate and former small business owner who navigated restaurant operations without prior experience while managing through COVID-19 challenges. He is endorsed by multiple local leaders including the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, Sheriff Everett Sesker, Clerk Scott Poyer, Senator Dawn Gile, Delegate Andrew Pruski, Delegate Dylan Behler, Register of Wills candidate Courtney Buiniskis, and Delegate Chuck Cook.
Sources: Campaign website
"I'm running for County Council because we need common sense leadership to keep Anne Arundel affordable for all."
"We have to make Anne Arundel affordable again. Whether it's the price of housing, food, child care, or energy, it's all stretching the budgets of District 7 families."
"I'm proud to own and operate several small businesses. Many of my worst days on the job are days I have to deal with government agencies. It doesn't have to be that way."
"We need to make and keep Anne Arundel County affordable for all, Jones said."
"The cost of living is skyrocketing, families and small businesses are struggling. I'm running because our county needs leaders who understand these struggles and are ready to act."
Source: votespencerjones.com
Affordability
Jones prioritizes making Anne Arundel affordable for all residents, addressing housing costs, food prices, childcare expenses, and energy costs that stretch family budgets.
“"We have to make Anne Arundel affordable again. Whether it's the price of housing, food, child care, or energy, it's all stretching the budgets of District 7 families. Childcare shouldn't be another mortgage payment. We should make it easier for affordable, home childcare businesses to get off the ground."”
Streamlining Permitting
Jones wants to simplify county permitting processes that burden homeowners and small business owners with lengthy approval times.
“"I'm proud to own and operate several small businesses. Many of my worst days on the job are days I have to deal with government agencies... It shouldn't take months to get approval for a simple patio in your backyard. We have to streamline the county permitting processes."”
Public Safety
Jones supports increasing firefighter staffing levels and hiring more police officers while using technology to lower response times.
“"I'll work to increase staffing levels to help keep our firefighters and community safe... It's the job of law enforcement to keep our communities safe and to get violent offenders off our streets. I'll push to hire more cops and use cutting-edge technology to lower response times and solve crimes."”
Fiscal Responsibility
Jones emphasizes managing the county budget responsibly, saving money where possible to invest in public safety and education.
“"Every year I audit my own business expenses to see what we're spending. Every time I find at least one place where we could be saving money and fix it... The Council's most critical job is to manage the $2 billion county budget. We need to save every dollar we can so we can invest in public safety and education."”
Education
Jones supports well-funded schools and advocates for teachers who have supported him throughout his life.
“"I'm a proud product of public schools... I support a well funded educational system so every kid across the county has a chance to succeed. We can't get complacent, we need to strive for excellence at every level and opportunity for all."”
Environment
Jones wants to preserve District 7's coastline, natural beauty including shores, forests, and wetlands while protecting waterways.
“"No district in the county has as much coastline as we do in District 7... I'll work to preserve the health of our environment, especially our waterways."”
Water Access
Jones supports restoring public water access in South County, including potential purchase of the Discovery Village boat ramp.
“"Our waterways belong to all of us... I'll work hard to restore public water access in South County."”
Route 3 Transportation
Jones plans to fight for Crofton's fair share of county dollars to fix Route 3 and work with state delegation to bring additional funding.
“"Route 3 is a mess. I live less than five minutes off the road, I know how bad traffic can be... I'll fight to ensure Crofton gets its fair share of county dollars back to support fixing Route 3. I'll also work with our state delegation to bring state dollars in to support the project."”
According to a September 2025 Baltimore Sun article, Spencer Jones took over Chick & Ruth's Delly in 2021 following his father's unexpected death while working in IT in Wisconsin. The Democrat describes himself as emotionally levelheaded during crisis situations and aims to improve the permitting process for Anne Arundel businesses while mitigating growing housing costs. He is described as a political newcomer entering a wide-open race after incumbent Shannon Leadbetter announced she would not seek reelection.
“"I'm a proud product of public schools... I support a well funded educational system so every kid across the county has a chance to succeed."”
Source“"We have to make Anne Arundel affordable again... Whether it's the price of housing, food, child care, or energy, it's all stretching the budgets of District 7 families."”
Source“"I'll work to increase staffing levels to help keep our firefighters and community safe... I'll push to hire more cops and use cutting-edge technology to lower response times and solve crimes."”
Source“"I'll fight to ensure Crofton gets its fair share of county dollars back to support fixing Route 3. I'll also work with our state delegation to bring state dollars in to support the project."”
Source“"I'll work to preserve the health of our environment, especially our waterways."”
Source“"The Council's most critical job is to manage the $2 billion county budget... We need to save every dollar we can so we can invest in public safety and education."”
Source“"I'm proud to own and operate several small businesses... I'll fight to make life more affordable, cut red tape for small businesses, and keep our community safe."”
Source“"We also need to hold the line on property taxes, whether you're a homeowner or a renter, property taxes drive up your housing costs. I'll focus on spending our existing tax dollars responsibly."”
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