Three Democrats hope to replace Benoit on Arundel council ; Winner will face lone Republican in November

Scott Hymes

Occupation: Program manager, Department of Natural Resources.

Home: Herald Harbor.

An advocate for protecting our waterways, Hymes made a career out of his love for the environment. In 2004, Hymes founded the Crownsville Conservancy and in 2005, he was appointed to the Severn River Commission.

For the last five years, Hymes has worked for the Department of Natural Resources. His current position is Program Manger of the Smart, Green, Growing Initiative.

Campaign Finance: Hymes has raised several thousand dollars for his campaign, most of it in donations of $500 or less, according to state campaign finance records. His largest contributors are his uncle and aunt, Hale and Dorothy Bradt of Salem, Mass., who donated a combined $5,000. Other major contributors include Janet and Jim Clauson of Crownsville, Frederick Kelly of Annapolis, the environmental restoration firm Underwood Associates of Annapolis and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 70, which represents Anne Arundel County police officers.

Andrew Pruski

Occupation: Supervisor of assessment for Baltimore County Public School System.

Home: Gambrills.

Bio: Previously a teacher, Pruski also served on the Maryland State Education Association as a building representative. Pruski was the president of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education during the 2012-2013 school year and currently sits on the board as an at- large member. A husband and father, Pruski coached the Gambrills Odenton Recreation council and was President of the Four Seasons Community Association.

Campaign finance: Pruski has raised several thousand dollars, most of it in donations of $500 or less, state campaign finance records show. He contributed $9,000 to his campaign. Other major contributors include former school board president Konrad Wayson and the political action committees for Anne Arundel county firefighters and police officers.

Devin Tucker

Occupation: Owner of a Philanthropy Consulting Advisory Firm.

Home: Russett Green.

Bio: Tucker serves as vice president of community service for the Harvard Club of Maryland and holds a leadership role on the Russett Community Association. A resident of Maryland for the past 15 years, Tucker has contributed to organizations such as Alpha Kappa Psi, American Red Cross, the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship and the Silver- Spring Interfaith Housing Coalition for the Homeless.

Campaign finance: Devin Tucker has raised a few thousand dollars, most of it in donations of less than $250, campaign finance records show. He has contributed or loaned $3,581 to his campaign. His major contributors are Telesis Corp. of Washington, D.C., an urban neighborhood developer, and its founder Marilyn Melkonian.

In 2006, both Andrew Pruski and Devin Tucker campaigned to represent District 4 on the County Council.

Both men lost to Jamie Benoit, but they have returned for another attempt. Pruski and Tucker will face newcomer Scott Hymes in the June 24 Democratic primary. The winner will face Chike Anyanwu, the only Republican running in the district that stretches from Russett Green to Odenton to Crownsville.

All three candidates say voters are concerned about development in the Odenton Town Center, retaining county teachers and public safety.

A consultant on nonprofits from Russett Green, Tucker said he is focused on small business development, fire department reform, improvements to routes 3, 175 and 198, closing the achievement gap and fighting economic inequality.

He sees the Odenton Town Center as an ongoing process. Long targeted for economic development by the county for decades, it has been surpassed by more than decade of retail development at the Village at Waugh Chapel to the south, and Arundel Mills to the north.

<p>Tucker, who also ran for the House of Delegates in 2010, doesn't see a national retailer locating in the Odenton Town Center, and thinks develop should focus on other opportunities.

"We have an economic saturation of retail," he said. "It makes a lot of sense to look at housing or small business."

Hymes, a Department of Natural Resources employee who lives in Herald Harbor, wants to see the Odenton Town Center completed. The plan calls for additional infrastructure and additional parking at the MARC station.

"I'd like to see tech and biotech come to this town center office space we have and show other businesses around the state and country that Anne Arundel is the place to live and the place to grow and that means growing responsibly," Hymes said.

Pruski, a county Board of Education member from Gambrills, said he's had time to deepen his commitment to the community since he first ran in 2006.

"What's different now is the amount of commitment I've brought to the community," Pruski said. "People who have seen me grow as a leader and give back to the community, understand that I'm committed."

Among his priorities are supporting competitive pay for teachers and public employees, providing safe learning environments for students, strengthening library and public school systems, improving police and fire resources and increasing job opportunities and initiatives to support local businesses.

"I believe that our schools are important to our housing value but also important to our teachers and our residents," he said.

Hymes grew up in Anne Arundel County, and attended five different schools between elementary and high school. The changes were caused by overcrowding and construction. He said that has given him a unique perspective on schools and education, and he supports construction of a 13th county high school.

"I'm the only candidate that is committed to pushing for that 13th high school," said Hymes, who ran for House of Delegates eight years ago. "I believe in public-private partnership. Let's put together an opportunity for us to have someone else build a school, lease a school and be able to bring our class sizes down. The schools don't have to be huge."

Tucker said one of the important issues in education is losing teachers.

"Part of the challenge we have is losing teachers to Howard County," he said. "I support making teachers salaries as competitive as possible."

All three candidates said public safety needs to be addressed in District 4.

Tucker said in his community, the closest fire station is the Maryland City Fire Department on Route 198. He said that impacts homeowners insurance.

"It's like a hidden tax," he said.

Tucker hopes to win better staffing for all five fire stations in the district.

Hymes said he wants to push for better pay for police and firefighters.

"They are being paid woefully low compared to other counties," he said. "We need to keep public safety and teachers from leaving our county."

Pruski cited a homicide, shooting and drug arrests in the Chapelgate neighborhood of Odenton last year as an example of the need for greater public safety.

"We definitely need to boost the number of officers and encourage more of the community groups we used to have," Pruski said.