Del. Vanessa E. Atterbeary (D-Howard), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced she will enter the race for Howard County executive in 2026, forgoing a run for reelection and a potential shot at becoming the next speaker of the House. Atterbeary made the decision this summer after a challenging budget session and a milestone birthday, turning 50 in June. She is expected to make a formal announcement at an Oct. 15 event.
“I really love being in Annapolis. I really enjoy making policy,” Atterbeary said in an interview Friday. “But at the end of this past session, I just started to think about what I wanted my future to look like.” Atterbeary joins Howard County Councilperson Deb Jung and Del. Jessica Feldmark (D-Howard) in a race to succeed County Executive Calvin Ball, a two-term Democrat who is term-limited and cannot run again.
Both Atterbeary and Feldmark serve on the House Ways and Means Committee, with Feldmark chairing the revenue subcommittee since 2023. Atterbeary was named to lead the full committee in 2022 by House Speaker Adrienne Jones. She was considered a potential candidate to become the next speaker should Jones, who turns 71 in November, decide not to seek an eighth full term in the House. Jones filed for re-election in June.
“I’m sure the expectation from a lot of people and from myself, frankly, was to stay and try to be the next speaker, whenever Speaker Jones decided to retire,” Atterbeary said. “A group of folks over well over a year ago approached me about running for county executive. I just put it out of my mind, because, as you know, we were dealing the past couple sessions with some very serious budget issues, and I was just primarily focused on that.”
Atterbeary’s decision reshapes the political landscape in Howard County and the Maryland House of Delegates. Her departure from the House creates an opening in leadership, as she was a key figure on the Ways and Means Committee, which handles tax and revenue legislation. The implications for state policy could be significant, as her absence may shift the balance on fiscal matters. For Howard County, her entry adds a prominent state-level figure to the executive race, bringing experience in budget and revenue issues that could influence local governance.
The race for county executive is already competitive, with Jung and Feldmark also vying for the position. Atterbeary’s candidacy introduces a third strong contender, each with distinct backgrounds in county and state government. The outcome will determine the direction of Howard County, one of Maryland’s most affluent and rapidly growing jurisdictions. Voters will decide in 2026 who will succeed Ball, whose two terms have focused on education, infrastructure, and economic development.
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