A Severna Park food-service manager and volunteer fire chief is the first Republican to enter the 2026 Anne Arundel County executive race.

Dave Crawford, a Severna Park resident, said if elected he would aim to increase school safety, ensure affordability by maintaining tax rates and support first responders.

“I’ve always been involved in public service and community service,” Crawford said of his decision to run. “I’ve done it for 35 years. I just saw an opportunity, and I think it’s time for a change.”

Crawford said he was born and raised in Ohio before studying business administration at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. A career in food service management took him to Texas, where he lived in the Houston area before moving to Nacogdoches.

His career as a district manager w

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