[Baltimore Sun] Former Navy midshipman challenging 5-term incumbent for Ward 8 in 2025
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Will Cunha, a former Navy midshipman, launched his campaign to be Ward 8’s next alderman on Friday.
Originally from Tennessee, Cunha, 36, moved to Annapolis as a Naval Academy midshipman. He graduated in 2011 and served five years on various ships in the Pacific, including San Diego and Yokosuka, Japan. After becoming a Naval Reservist, he worked in cybersecurity for the Department of Homeland Security. He was honorably discharged in 2019. Now, Cunha works at Recorded Future, a cybersecurity intelligence company, according to his campaign website. He also co-owns Oscar’s Coffee, a shop on Eastern Avenue in Eastport.
Cuhna moved back to Annapolis in 2020 after purchasing a sailboat during the COVID-19 pandemic and settling in Eastport with his husband, according to his campaign website.
“I feel strongly that there comes a point in time where a fresh set of eyes and a fresh perspective on any situation is what is needed. And I think that time is now,” he said.
Cunha is running as an independent. Asked if his thoughts leaned more progressive or conservative, he said, “When I say independent, I mean holistically, truly independent.” He filed his campaign paperwork this month.
The current Ward 8 council member is Ross Arrnett, a five-term Democrat. Asked if he intends to run for reelection, Arnett said that “it’s always been [his] intention to run for a sixth term,” however, he has not yet officially filed or assembled a campaign team.
Cunha is running on three main priorities: accountability, safety and sustainable modernization. He favors increased lighting in public areas and stronger neighborhood watch programs. He also wants to improve communication between the public and the Annapolis Police Department.
He supports bike lanes and working to improve the city’s sidewalk system, especially in Eastport, which he says has been neglected.
“Families do not feel safe walking their stroller down the street with their child in it because the sidewalk infrastructure isn’t adequate … and that’s a problem,” he said.
Arnett disagreed saying, “Ward 8 is getting extra attention” when it comes to sidewalk and street paving. He said that work done to repave streets and damaged sidewalks is complete from Sixth Street to Hornpoint and more work is planned next year.
Cunha also says the city needs to be more mindful when establishing task forces to study issues. He cited as an example a 2018 study about parking in Eastport, which produced 13 recommendations that Cuhna says were never implemented.
Arnett disagrees and says the city has responded or acted on the studies, especially when it comes to parking.
“The rub of the ward is that we have a lot of restaurants and boating, but not off-street parking,” he said.
While Cuhna sees the value in using studies to inform council decisions, he is critical of what the council has done with the results.
“I come from a Navy background, and we are about executing, making a plan and executing that plan. And we can study things, and we can task force things as much as we want, but what really matters to citizens is that they see results,” Cunha said.
As for his campaign, Arnett said he is running on the original issues that got him elected in 2006: “Crime, cars, and creeks.” Creeks is a reference to environmental issues, focusing on shifting flood resiliency work to Ward 8 — an area surrounded by a significant amount of waterfront — after the City Dock project is completed. Arnett says he plans to file his candidacy paperwork sometime before the July 2025 deadline.
Ward 8 has now been added to the list of Annapolis jurisdictions with candidates running in the 2025 municipal election. Ward 1, Ward 2 and Ward 7 also have candidates that have either announced they are running or have been verified through the city’s Board of Supervisors of Elections. Harry Huntley and Ron Gunzburger — both Ward 1 Democrats — and Ward 2 Alderwoman Karma O’Neill, a Democrat, have been verified as official candidates for their respective wards, according to Eileen Leahy, chair of the Board of Supervisors of Elections.
As of October, Tom Sells, a Democrat who is running in Ward 1, and Ward 7 Alderman Rob Savidge, a Democrat, have publicly declared their intention to run. Savidge said Friday he plans to file in December.
In the mayoral race, Jared Littmann and Rhonda Pindell Charles — both Democrats — are the only candidates that are verified so far with the elections board.
Have a news tip? Contact Megan Loock at mloock@baltsun.com or 443-962-5771.
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