Shawn Livingston Runs For Anne Arundel County Council In District 7

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — It's primary election season in Maryland. Early voting runs from Thursday, July 7 through Thursday, July 14. Primary election day is Tuesday, July 19. Voters can also return their ballot by mail or place it in a dropbox.

Residents can learn when, where and how to can vote by clicking here. Voters can see which districts they live in by using this tool. Visit this link to see who is running in each district.

Patch asked County Council and county executive candidates to complete a questionnaire outlining their priorities. Anne Arundel County Council District 7 candidate Shawn Livingston participated in our survey. Livingston's unedited responses are posted below.

Name

Shawn Livingston

Campaign website

https://www.shawnfor7th.com

City or town of residence

Edgewater

Office sought

AACo Council D7

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

B.A. - Intercultural Studies - Houghton College 2009, M.T.S. - Wesley Seminary 2013

Occupation

Systems Administrator

Family

My wife Rachel is a Clinical Nurse Educator at Anne Arundel Medical Center. We have a 4 year old son, Wyatt and a 6 year old daughter, Ava.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Age

35

Previous public office, appointive or elective

No.

Why are you seeking this office?

My mother taught me to show up, ask how I can help, listen to the answer, then roll up my sleeves and get to work. This is how I've always lived my life professionally and personally. I want to make sure the community my kids and neighbors are growing up in is the best it can be. So I'm bringing my years of community work and leadership to the Council to show up, listen and work to make this District the best it can be.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Environmental.

Anne Arundel County is positioned along the largest Bay in the United States, it has 5 major peninsulas and over 500 miles of shoreline. The borders of Anne Arundel County's District 7 are formed by major waterways at almost every corner. District 7 is home to a robust economy of agriculture and fisheries. The environment is important to our health and to our industry. It is where we raise our families and support our communities.

I commit to making sure I am advocating for more conservation projects in our District and in our county. Anne Arundel County and partnering organizations have been doing amazing work over the last several years to protect our forests and improve our watersheds. This is work that must continue. I will take the needs of District 7 to the Administration and the Council and advocate to keep our environment healthy. From North Beach to Crofton, everywhere in between and beyond, this matters.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My wife and I grew up locally and chose to raise our family here. We have spent our entire adult lives looking for ways to put people first and build up our community. I’m not doing this because I’m trying to make a name for myself. I’m doing this because it’s how I was taught to live.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

This is an open seat.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I am running to protect our quality of life in AACo. I will do that in three ways. First, by advocating for smart growth - listening to the people living in our communities so we can ensure sensible infrastructure and development are happening in the right ways and in the right places. Second, by fighting for adequate funding of our schools so that our teachers are supported, our class sizes are reduced and students can engage with a world class education. And third, by supporting initiatives that restore and protect the environment so that our waterways are clean, our farms can flourish and our neighbors can lead happy and healthy lives.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I generally take issue with questions like this as I think local government should be run by everyday people that are working hard to support their families and make ends meet. However, in addition to the above, through my time working at a local church and volunteering at local organizations over the past 13 years, I have had the opportunity to inspire, lead and manage hundreds of volunteers to bring positive change to our community. Through these opportunities I have been called upon to handle programs, trips, budgets important decisions and responsibilities, often in high stress environments that have equipped me to take on this County Council role.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Everyone is my neighbor and I need to treat them as such.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I’m doing this because we need to continue the good work that our current County Administration and County Council has started. The health of our environment, infrastructure, schools and economy matter to the people of District 7 and they matter to me - because this is where I am from. This is my home and this is where I chose to raise my family. I want my kids and future generations to be able to look at our community and know that I did everything I could to make sure it was the best place it could be.