Brandon Russell is a lifelong resident of St. Mary's County. Brandon is a community advocate and has served on several nonprofit and other community boards. Brandon has organized the community around fair redistricting processes, voting rights, government transparency, education funding, and equal rights. Brandon started his career as a cashier and worked his way up to management before overseeing operations for a multi-state industrial business. He now works as a government contractor focused on the responsible management of taxpayer funds. In 2022, Brandon founded Informed St. Mary’s to improve transparency and public access to local government information. He believes residents deserve clear information and a stronger voice in local decision-making. Brandon and his husband, Paul, have been together for eighteen years and live in Leonardtown. 

Policy Objectives

• Land Use: Zoning laws should work for residents. That means no industrial development near neighborhoods, discouraging over saturation of commercial uses, and supporting rural preservation to protect agri- and aquaculture. I’ll prioritize creating master plans for Town Centers that will control unwanted development, and I’ll act decisively to manage growth. 
  

• Education: St. Mary’s County Public Schools’ per-pupil funding is 23 out of 24 jurisdictions in Maryland. I’ll focus on student success by investing in schools instead of demanding their closure. As Commissioner, I won’t point the figure or deflect responsibility. I’ll work with the Board of Education and Superintendent to advocate for better State policy that serves students and staff. 
  

• Affordability: As Commissioner, I’ll work directly with community partners and government agencies to expand access to homeownership and medical care. I’ll examine ways to responsibly shift tax burdens to those profiting heavily from our community. Small, locally owned businesses diversify our economy, and I’ll promote policy to strengthen their ability to succeed. I’m invested in making sure everyone can afford to live and raise a family in St. Mary’s County.
  

• Public Safety: I trust our first responders to serve the people well, and as Commissioner I want to ensure they have the resources to do it. I’ll address bad policy that results in underfunded public safety resources. I’ll push to update the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance to include fire, EMS, police, and health services. I’ll advocate to amend requirements of traffic studies, and improve mitigation required by new development. 

Education Background

• Graduate - St. Mary’s County Public Schools 

• Associate’s Degree: English - College of Southern Maryland 

• Bachelor of Arts: English - University of Maryland University College