Howard County Board of Appeals Chair Gene Ryan, the only Republican running for Howard County Council, has dropped out of the race.
Ryan confirmed the news in a Facebook post on his campaign page Wednesday, citing “jarring medical news” his family received a few weeks ago.
“Over these past few weeks, I’ve been reminded of something simple but very real: I love this community, but I love my family more and they will always come first; the choice is clear,” Ryan said in the statement. “With that in mind, I’ve made the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for Howard County District 5 effective immediately.
“I’m sharing this now so the political process can move forward, but I do ask that you respect my family’s privacy as we navigate what’s ahead,” Ryan said. “We feel your support, and we truly appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and goodwill.”
Ryan was the first and only Republican to enter the 2026 race for District 5, which covers about 50% of the county’s land area and includes areas such as West Friendship, Dayton, Glenelg, parts of Ellicott City, Clarksville and Marriottsville.
Current seat holder David Yungmann, the sole Republican on the five-person council, has decided to not seek reelection.
Ryan said he was motivated to run for council because his involvement on the Board of Appeals has allowed him to see certain inefficiencies and other issues in the county that he would have liked to address on the council.
Before moving to Howard County, Ryan served on a school board in East Brunswick, New Jersey, where he also helped establish a charter school. In 2016, he was appointed to the Howard County Alcoholic Beverage Hearing Board, and in 2018, he ran for County Council District 3, but withdrew from the race. Two years later, he faced defeat in the race for a District 5 school board seat.
Ryan was appointed in 2019 to the Board of Appeals, which he currently chairs, by Yungmann. Earlier this month he handed in his resignation, joining two fellow board members in stepping down due to political pressure and what they say is mistreatment by County Council members. The resignations will be effective Dec. 31.
District 5 has not elected a Democrat to the council since 1987. There are currently two Democrats, Cat Carter and Steve Bolen, running for the seat. The primary election will be held in June.
The candidate filing deadline is in February, and Ryan emphasized the county’s need for “strong, principled conservative leadership,” urging anyone “called to step up” to reach out to Yungmann.
“He’s the best person to help guide anyone considering becoming our next District 5 councilperson,” Ryan said.
Baltimore Sun reporter Kiersten Hacker contributed to this article.
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