Makeda Scott, Sharonda Dillard-Huffman and Arkia Wade seek seats on a County Council that has never included a Black woman.
(BALTIMORE COUNTY – October 16, 2026) — Three Black women are on the November ballot for Baltimore County Council, each seeking to represent a different district—and each with an opportunity to break a barrier that has endured throughout the council’s history.
Makeda Scott in District 3, Sharonda Dillard-Huffman in District 8, and Arkia Wade in District 9 are the Democratic nominees in their respective races. A Black woman has never served on the Baltimore County Council. This election could bring one, two, or all three into the chamber.
Their campaigns coincide with a major change in county government: voters approved expanding the council from seven members to nine in 2024. The election will determine who represents residents under the new district map and whether the expanded body also becomes more representative of the county’s population.
The three candidates bring different experiences to their races, including school governance, housing and disability advocacy, and neighborhood service.
Makeda Scott: From School Board Leadership to a Council Campaign
Scott, a former chair of the Baltimore County Board of Education, is seeking the District 3 seat against Republican Chike Anyanwu.
She won a five-candidate Democratic primary in June, receiving 4,339 votes, according to official election returns. Her background centers on her experience with the county’s public school system.
Scott’s candidacy reflects the broader turnover accompanying council expansion. For voters, the race offers a chance to assess how experience overseeing public education would translate into decisions on the county budget, development, and constituent services.
Sharonda Dillard-Huffman: Housing, Accessibility and Government Accountability
In District 8, Dillard-Huffman faces Republican Josh Sines after winning a three-way Democratic primary.
A longtime Essex resident, Dillard-Huffman describes a professional background in housing, disability rights, and public service. According to her campaign biography, she works as an ADA/504 manager, ensuring people with disabilities can access housing and services. She also identifies experience educating residents about county planning and development issues.
Her campaign lists housing and zoning fairness, access to mental healthcare, public safety, disability rights, government transparency, and community and business development among its priorities.
Dillard-Huffman was involved in the debate over the district boundaries that now shape this election. After the council approved the map, she called it progress but expressed reservations.
“It was not the best map, but it will suffice,” Dillard-Huffman told the East County Times.
She has also been outspoken about county government oversight. In August, amid turnover in the inspector general’s office, she questioned whether the watchdog operation had the support it needed.
Arkia Wade: Family Roots and Community Service
For Wade, the District 9 race connects generations of family history with her own community work.
Her father grew up in Dundalk, and her family’s ties to Turner Station include her grandfather, Dr. William C. Wade Sr., who served the community as a physician for more than four decades. Wade made the area her home 13 years ago after a lifetime of visiting and maintaining family connections.
Her service includes founding Neighborhood Companions Inc., which helps older adults age in place, and involvement with the Girl Scouts and other community organizations.
Wade has identified support for older adults and young people, employment opportunities, neighborhood investment, and regular communication with residents as priorities. She has proposed quarterly town halls and emphasized manufacturing’s role in the area’s economic future.
“I want to be a councilwoman who listens to the people she represents,” Wade said in an earlier BMORENews interview.
Wade faces Republican Tim Fazenbaker, unaffiliated candidate Donna Eve Radtke Sekora, and registered write-in candidate A. Scott Pappas.
The chance to make history matters to her, but she has emphasized that holding office would bring obligations beyond representation.
“I’m honored to be part of a historic race, but I also understand that history is not the reason people elect you,” Wade said. “People want someone who will listen to them, advocate for them, and work to make their communities better. That is the responsibility I am focused on.”
Three Separate Races, a Shared Milestone
Scott, Dillard-Huffman and Wade are not competing against one another. Each must win voters’ support in her own district.
Their campaigns nevertheless share a place in the county’s political history. As Baltimore County prepares to seat an expanded council, voters will decide whether Black women will, for the first time, help make its legislative decisions from inside the chamber.
The general election is November 3, 2026.
