The Harford County Council will have a new look at the end of this election cycle.

District C incumbent Tony “G” Giangiordano is running for council president and District D incumbent James Reilly did not file for reelection, leaving both of their seats up for grabs. The current council president is running for county executive.

The deadline to file for candidacy was Feb. 24, and 29 candidates have tossed their hats in the ring. All other incumbents have filed to retain their seats.

The County Council consists of seven positions: the council president and six representing geographic districts A through F. The person who fills the role of council president can live anywhere in the county, while the other six council members must live in the district they represent. Council members earn a salary between $46,000 and $52,000.

Residents can cast their votes during the primary election on June 23 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

President of the County Council

Current County Council president Pat Vincenti has launched a bid for county executive, leaving his seat open. Vincenti has served on the council since 2014 and was elected president in 2018.

Three Republicans, Giangiordano, Billy Boniface and Sam Kahl, and one Democrat, Mike Ciufo, are running to replace him.

Giangiordano, a Republican, has been a member of the council for two terms, representing the Bel Air area. He said he felt his experience serving on the council made him a good fit for president.

Boniface was the county’s director of administration and chief adviser to former County Executive Barry Glassman. He led the council as president previously from 2006 to 2014.

Boniface listed rising property tax bills, up-zoning and stepped-up development, especially along Route 22, as issues that concern him.

Kahl, 29, of Bel Air, previously filed to run in District B. He chose to run for president instead after hearing one common theme among residents: They were dissatisfied with their choices for council president.

“My candidacy offers voters a chance to pivot away from names of the past and instead elect the next generation of principled conservative leadership in Harford County,” he said.

Ciufo, 39, of Bel Air, originally filed to represent District C but switched last week to run for president. He’s a small-business owner and said he believes the county deserves leadership that is “accountable, collaborative and focused on serving residents rather than engaging in division.”

His top priorities include working collaboratively with others in county politics, serving as a voice for education and establishing guardrails for development.

District A

District A incumbent Nolanda Robert, a Democrat, filed to retain her seat. Robert was appointed to her position in 2025 after Dion Guthrie, also a Democrat, was removed from the seat due to felony theft charges. Robert was nominated to replace him by the Harford Democratic Central Committee.

Guthrie, 86, of Joppatowne, has chosen to run for council again this year. He said he’s running to “clear his name and reputation” and continue his unfinished work. He began his term on the council in 2002 and served for three consecutive terms. He was elected to a fourth term in 2023.

Robert said she wants to be on the council to help young residents with mental health issues and other needs, as well as improve the Route 40 shopping center.

Going up against Robert and Guthrie are Democrats Kelly Bryant and two Republicans, Jeff Beck and Elliott Herneker.

Bryant, 45 of Edgewood, is a special-education teacher in Baltimore County. His goals, if elected, include opening the door for local entrepreneurs, attracting new business and addressing vacant storefronts. He also wants to pursue municipal status for Edgewood.

Beck, 44 of Joppatowne, is a sales and learning consultant. Overdevelopment, responsible government and taxes are the three issues he plans to address.

Herneker did not respond to a request for campaign information.

District A covers the Edgewood and Joppatowne area.

District B

Republican District B incumbent Alison Imhoff filed for reelection after serving roughly 10 months on the council. District B includes the Fallston, Abingdon, Baldwin, Monkton and Kingsville areas.

Imhoff, 38, was appointed to her seat in April, following the removal of former council member Aaron Penman, 48, after a judge ruled he could not serve on the council and be employed by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

Penman, who first started on the board in 2022, has chosen to run for election this year, along with four other candidates. In a Facebook post, he said he decided to run because he wants to ensure public safety professionals are not excluded from local government.

“I have fought too hard to walk away now,” the post said. “I believe public safety deserves a voice at the table.”

Imhoff said she chose to run for reelection because she felt confident she could continue doing the work to serve the district. She will face Democrat Isabela Dela Cruz and Republicans Eric Daxon, Russ English Jr., Stephanie Flasch and Penman.

Cruz, 30, of Bel Air, is a freelance artist and believes the county should ensure it has long-term solutions that don’t lead to more problems.

Her top issues include responsible growth and environmental stewardship, community resources for children and teens, and reliable infrastructure and practical transportation solutions.

Daxon, 51, also of Bel Air, is a director of operations in capital construction facilities management. He chose to run because he feels the district deserves a council member who’s “laser focused on these financial and family issues, who will stand up to state overreach and put our local priorities first.”

He’s focused on public school funding, water and sewer bills, transparency, and maintaining the county’s AAA bond rating.

English, 66, of Joppa, is a retired fire lieutenant from the Baltimore County Fire Department, where he served for over 34 years. Now, he runs a part-time excavation company.

His priorities are public safety, overcrowded roads and development, student-teacher ratios, and competitive teacher salaries.

Flasch, 55, of Fallston, is running because she believes the district needs leadership that “truly listens, understands our community priorities,” and makes decisions with residents, not special interests. She has three main focuses: responsible land use, community priorities and accessible leadership.

District C

Since District C incumbent Giangiordano is running for council president, his seat will be up for grabs. District C covers the Bel Air area and parts of Forest Hill.

Four candidates are running for the position: one Democrat, Jessica Ryley Hammond, and three Republicans, Bel Air Mayor Paula Etting, Charles Hagan and Tim Murphy.

Hammond, 48, of Bel Air, said she’s running for council because she sees things that need to get done. Her campaign is centered on transparency in government, safety within communities, green growth and protecting the county residents’ income.

Etting, 66, has served on the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners since 2021 and was elected chair in 2023, which carries the honorary title of mayor. Her top priorities include managing growth, fiscal responsibility and public safety.

Hagan, 66, of Bel Air, is a retired school administrator. He worked in education for 28 years, 13 as a principal at Harford Technical High School and five at Southampton Middle School.

Top issues for him include responsive, effective and ethical government, safety and security of citizens, and affordability and livability.

Murphy, 34 of Bel Air, works in the banking technology field. He’s running for office because he has a deep passion for preserving the place he calls “home.” Three issues top Murphy’s campaign: schools, development and the environment.

Republican Zach Schulz also filed for candidacy in the district, but he withdrew his bid on Feb. 20.

District D

Republican District D incumbent James Reilly did not file to retain his seat, leaving it open.

Four people filed to represent the Darlington, Pylesville and Street area: Jean Salvatore, John B. Carl Jr., Jay Evans and Stephen Sewell. Salvatore is the only Democrat running.

Carl, 60 of Pylesville, is running again for the district after losing four years ago to Reilly by a slim 11 votes. He self-employed as a plumbing contractor for over 35 years. Issues at the forefront of his campaign are agricultural land preservation, fiscal responsibility and common sense policies.

Sewell, 30 of Street, said he’s running to keep the county how it is by preserving the county’s heritage, maintaining its beauty and moving away from a reliance on large corporations.

If elected, he wants to strategize with residents on how they can make a difference.

Evans and Salvatore did not respond to requests for campaign information.

District E

District E incumbent Jessica Boyle-Tsottles announced her bid for reelection last week. Boyle-Tsottles, a Republican, has sat on the council since 2022. She is one of three women on the council.

Two candidates filed to run against her: Democrat Hunter Baker and Republican Douglas Phillips.

District E covers the Churchville and Aberdeen area.

Baker, 31, of Aberdeen, is a special education social studies teacher. He said he wants residents to see him as a neighbor and someone who’s easily approachable.

Her top priorities are providing proper funding for the school system, supporting teachers and staff, expanding transportation options, and creating more affordable housing.

Phillips did not respond to a request for campaign information.

Derek Alan Noyes Jr. had also filed to run in the district, but withdrew his candidacy on Feb. 20.

District F

Jacob Bennett, the District F incumbent, is running to retain his seat. Bennett, a Democrat, has served in the role since 2022.

Two candidates have filed to run against him: Tamie Wainwright, a Democrat, and Glen Glass, a Republican. The district covers the Havre de Grace area.

Wainwright, 56, of Perryman, is a community leader, historian and professional tax preparer. Three issues at the top of her campaign include responsible growth and infrastructure safety, environmental justice and community protection, and transparent, community-centered governance.

Glass did not respond to a request for campaign information.

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