Anne Arundel’s Pittman elected chair of Maryland Democratic Party

Steuart Pittman, county executive of Anne Arundel County, is the master of ceremonies at the inauguration ceremony of Gov. Wes Moore at the Maryland State House. Kim Hairston/staff

The Maryland Democratic Party unanimously elected Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman as its new party chair Saturday, according to a news release.

Pittman was the preferred choice of Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and outgoing party chair Ken Ulman, who left June 13 after less than two years on the job. The new leader will be tasked with shaping Maryland Democrats’ strategy after perhaps the toughest state legislative session in recent memory and ahead of critical elections next year.

“Steuart Pittman’s success, experience, and leadership in Anne Arundel County is a significant asset for Democrats across the state,” Moore said in the release.

“He has a track record of winning tough races and knows how to get things done.”

Pittman, who has served as county executive since 2018, presided over crime reductions in Anne Arundel and led the county to earn the first two AAA bond ratings in its history. He worked as a community organizer at the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now before holding elected office, according to the release.

“I hope to utilize my background and experience to elect as many Democrats as possible and continue to move Maryland forward,” Pittman said in the release.

He told The Baltimore Sun last month that the actions of President Donald Trump, which have greatly impacted the large base of federal workers in Maryland, give the Democratic Party a “huge opportunity to grow.”

“People who voted for Trump voted for a lot of reasons,” Pittman said. “And most of them didn’t know that they were electing somebody who was going to threaten the economic well-being of the state.”

According to the release, Pittman will close out his personal campaign account to legally assume the party chair position by the end of June. Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party is an unpaid position.

As Pittman is term-limited as Anne Arundel County executive, three Democrats have already jumped into the race to replace him: County Council members Allison Pickard and Pete Smith, and James Kitchin, a special assistant to Pittman who was previously a teacher and public policy researcher.

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