Meet the two candidates running to represent District 5 on the Howard County Council

There is one Howard County Council seat still up for grabs. District 5 is the only race where a Democrat and Republican are running.

Cat Carter defeated Felita Phillips in the June primary for the Democratic nomination, while Ryan O'Connor ran unopposed to win the Republican nomination.

A win for either Carter or O'Connor would make it their first political office.

When you ask Carter or O'Connor why they're running, they'll both tell you the same thing: to help others.

Carter has a decade-plus record of advocating for families, especially for education issues. WJZ has interviewed her as an advocate multiple times for different stories, and in one of those interviews last year, she told Howard County Community Reporter Dennis Valera about her intention to run.

"I just felt like this was another opportunity...I can continue to help people," Carter said. "That is really the only reason I decided to run."

O'Connor has led the HOCO Boys Lacrosse Club and has also led a homeowners association when he lived in Ellicott City.

"I got energized helping out families and I felt there was a greater need for me to step forward," O'Connor said. "Be a good doer for our community."

Both candidates say they'll be strong advocates for public schools, especially when it comes to addressing deferred maintenance of schools.

Both want to tackle affordability issues, as well as protect District 5's green, rural character.

Carter said she wants to empower farmers, pulling from her experience as a small business owner.

"I see them as small business people like I am. I think not only should we be supporting our farmers, but we should be supporting our small businesses," she said.

O'Connor will be pulling from his deep financial background if he becomes a county councilman. He wants to take a harder look at the county's spending and implement measures to lower taxes for everyone.

"I've worked on several hundred million dollar deals, couple billion dollar bills," he said. "I understand [how to] follow the cash flow, that gets you to every answer you need to know. I will be working hard for the citizens of Howard County."

Carter and O'Connor say they've knocked on thousands of doors already, and plan to stump for votes until it's election night.

Carter feels she fits the mold of what people want.

"They're looking for someone who will pick up the phone. They're looking for someone who will answer the needs that this community has," she said. "I have that on day one."

O'Connor feels the same for his campaign. He also wants to make sure there's a Republican voice on county council.

For the other open seats, only Democrats ran.

"If you have a one party rule, that could be pretty toxic for the county because there are no checks and balances. I'm happy to provide the checks and balances," O'Connor said.

The current District 5 representative on the Howard County Council is David Yungmann. He announced his intention to step down last year after his term ends.