Conti is a businesswoman and nonprofit activist who has lived in the county for more than eight years. She was the Democratic nominee against John Leopold in the Republican shellacking year of 2010. Her campaign went under the radar of most county residents, and Leopold was able to win, albeit with a surprisingly small margin. With better organization, a clear platform, and the fact that the county has been trending blue, Conti stands a real chance. Her biggest downfall is that while she has worked in several different industries, she has yet to hold an elected office. That being said, the district she lives in is a pretty deep shade of red, and County Exec might be the smallest-scale office she could get. Check out her website at: http://www.joannaconti.com/
There was some talk of Annapolis mayor Josh Cohen seeking the Democratic nomination, but it appears he's seeking re-election instead. County Councilman Jamie Benoit has also ruled out a run, saying he never wanted to make politics his profession. Admirable.
The only other names that spring to mind are Delegate Pam Beidle and Councilman Chris Trumbauer. As far as I know, Beidle has zero intention of moving from the state to the county level of government, and Trumbauer hasn't given any indication he'll run for anything other than re-election to his current seat in 2014.
Councilman Chris Trumbauer (D-Annapolis)
Some other local Dems have stepped up to the plate to run for office in 2014. Maria Triandos, a leader in the Annapolis Greek community, is running for House of Delegates in District 30A. Anthony "Scott" Harman is running for State Senate is District 31. And he hasn't officially announced anything, but the 2010 nominee for that position, Ned Carey, is rumored to be the favorite to run in the newly-constructed District 31A in the House.
The early-movers aren't all Democrats. Odenton's own Jesse Mayer is running as a Republican for Delegate in District 32. Three Republicans have filed to run in District 33, although none of them are the person I expected (James King).
1. Jeff Gauges of Severna Park is a partner at an Annapolis law firm. If elected, all three delegates from District 33 will be from Severna Park.
2. Sid Saab of Crownsville is a small business owner and perennial candidate. Voters may remember (or not) his campaign for County Council against Jamie Benoit in 2006 where he lost by a wide margin. In 2010 he ran for Delegate but fell just a few hundred votes short of making it out of the primary.
3. Nora Keenan of Annapolis has also filed, according to the Board of Elections. However, she doesn't seem to have a campaign website nor is there any press related to her campaign.
