# Howard County Executive  
**In one sentence:** This race decides who will lead Howard County's government, overseeing budgets, public services, and policies for residents.  

## The candidates  
### Vanessa Atterbeary (Democratic)  
**Background:** A lifelong Howard County resident and former Maryland state delegate, Atterbeary has led legislative efforts to protect survivors of abuse, expand education funding, and pass police accountability reforms. She is the first Black woman nominated for county executive by a major party in Howard County. [1]  

**Top stated priorities:**  
- Strengthen public education by fully funding schools and reducing class sizes.  
- Protect immigrant communities from federal enforcement actions.  
- Ensure affordable housing and healthcare access.  

**Record or experience relevant to this office:**  
- Authored laws to ban child marriage and improve gun safety.  
- Secured state funding for Howard County Public Schools.  
- Advocated for police reforms, including body cameras and accountability measures. [2]  

### Nater Kane (Green)  
**Background:** A grassroots candidate running without corporate or special interest funding, Kane emphasizes transparency and community-led policies. His platform focuses on addressing systemic inequities but lacks detailed policy proposals in publicly available sources. [3]  

**Top stated priorities:**  
- Prioritize affordability for residents through tax reforms.  
- Improve transit infrastructure and community safety.  
- Limit surveillance technologies and promote accountability.  

**Record or experience relevant to this office:**  
- No publicly available record of legislative or policy work, as Kane has not held elected office.  
- Campaign emphasizes opposition to "profit-driven" policies but cites no specific experience. [4]  

## Where they differ  
- **Education funding:** Atterbeary promises full state funding for schools, while Kane’s platform lacks details on education priorities.  
- **Immigration protection:** Atterbeary pledged to block federal immigration enforcement in Howard County; Kane’s stance is unspecified.  
- **Tax policies:** Atterbeary supports progressive tax reforms, while Kane’s plan focuses on "affordability" without specifics. [5]  

## If you care most about...  
- **Education:** **FOR** Atterbeary, who has a legislative record of securing school funding.  
- **Immigrant protections:** **FOR** Atterbeary, who has explicit plans to block ICE cooperation.  
- **Affordability:** **FOR** Kane, who pledges to prioritize "people over profits," but details are unclear.  
- **Community safety:** **FOR** Atterbeary, who supports police accountability measures.  

## Who supports and who opposes  
- **Supporters:** Atterbeary has endorsements from Governor Wes Moore and local labor unions. [6]  
- **Opposition:** No known organized opposition to Kane, but his campaign lacks major donor backing.  

## What we could not verify  
- Nater Kane’s specific policy proposals beyond general statements.  
- Detailed financial plans from both candidates.  

## Confidence  
**High** — Sources include official campaign websites, state legislative records, and county government documents.  

## Sources  
[1] *Vanessa Atterbeary for Howard County Executive* (https://www.vanessaatterbeary.org)  
[2] *Legislative Accomplishments* (https://www.vanessaatterbeary.org/legislative-accomplishments)  
[3] *Nater Kane for HoCo Executive* (https://votenater.org)  
[4] *Howard County Executive Role* (https://www.howardcountymd.gov/county-executive)  
[5] *2026 Gubernatorial General Election Local Candidates List* (https://elections.maryland.gov)  
[6] *Maryland Green Party Nomination* (https://www.mdgreens.org)