Frank Thorp
Elections and appointments
Personal
Contact
Frank Thorp (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Annapolis City Council to represent Ward 8 in Maryland. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025. The Democratic primary for this office on September 16, 2025, was canceled.
Thorp completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in Annapolis, Maryland (2025)
General election
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Frank Thorp advanced from the Democratic primary for Annapolis City Council Ward 8.
Endorsements
To view Thorp's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Frank Thorp completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Thorp's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Expand all | Collapse all
I was born and brought up in Eastport and Annapolis, Maryland and attended the United States Naval Academy. I served in the Navy for 28 years and achieved the rank of Rear Admiral. My last assignment was the Chief of Information which included being the chief spokesperson for the Navy. Following my Navy career, I pursued the cause-related, non-profit sector and was Chief Marketing Officer of USO Worldwide and for eight years was the President & CEO of the United States Navy Memorial. At the Navy Memorial I led a complete mission and financial turn-around including taking the organization from a Charity Navigator rating of one-star (the lowest) to four-star (the highest.)
I have the passion and now have the time to serve Ward 8 and the City of Annapolis, full time!
We live in a wonderful place, Eastport, full of opportunity - but we have a lot of work to do. We need to produce and implement solutions for parking, traffic, sidewalks and crime. We need to make spending match the residents' priorities. And we need the city staff to put the residents first - from return emails and phone calls to an efficient permitting process. We need to address two of the largest racial and economic disparities in Eastport and Annapolis: provide affordable housing so all residents can live in dignity and ensure every child has access to after school care and opportunities for growth.
City government personally touches every resident - whether it is the future of our community, parking, traffic, sidewalk safety, crime, property taxes, or services such as snow removal and garbage collection.
My Mom and Dad, because of their selfless commitment to my sisters and I and their love, ethics, honor, hard work, civic commitment and do-the-right-thing example that they always set.
Selfless service, city before self, honesty, transparency, commitment to open, two-way communications
Integrity, transparency, listening to the residents and working effectively to realize their vision for our community.
I want to have been a great dad and husband, and I want to have made the world a little better
I remember sitting on the couch with my family watching the first man land on the moon - I was 9 years old.
I mowed yards as a teenager in the neighborhood of Heritage and at Heritage Baptist Church, and my first full-time hourly job was a swimming pool lifeguard at Nautilus Point in Eastport the summer before my senior year in high school. Then I went to the Naval Academy and served in the Navy for 28 years.
To Kill a Mockingbird - it is an example of standing up for what is right. The name of our boat is Atticus.
Superman has been my fictional hero my entire life because he stands for Truth, Justice and the American Way.
While I have been very fortunate in life, I have had to deal with the death of my Mom when I was a teenager, as well as direct family involvement in major tragedies such a car accident, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.
If done appropriately, an alderman represents the residents to the city staff, and informs the residents about the efforts of the city staff. With the City's annual budget of $200 million, service on the City Council is like being on the board of a major company.
I think experience really matters. That experience can come in many ways. I think it is important to have experience solving difficult challenges.
Leadership, communication, demonstrated experience solving hard problems, ability to listen and great collaboration.
Representing the residents of Annapolis' Ward 8 gives the alderman a special responsibility to make life better for the residents. With vision, hard work and engagement, this office holder has the potential to initiate and collaborate on issues that affect the everyday lives of real people.
Numerous community leaders and members have endorsed my campaign including Mayoral candidate Jared Littman, Maryland Democratic Party leader (and former County Executive) Steuart Pittman, Eastport business leader Dick Franyo, former Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer, Maryland House of Delegates member Dylan Behler, Vincent Moulden, Former US Navy Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Tim Keating, Ward 2 Alderman Karma O'Neill, as well as many Annapolis and Eastport residents.
I met with the Director and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA), Melissa Evans-Maddox. After a couple hours of discussion about the conditions at Harbour House Apartments and Eastport Terrace, I asked her how I could help. She looked at me, paused, and said, "Loan me your voice." That is a powerful request. I was struck that while the value of my voice should be the same as hers despite our different genders and skin colors, that we are not there yet as a country or a city. I looked at Melissa and said, "Yes, I will loan you my voice," and I think that is one of the most powerful commitments that I have ever made.
Personally, I have two awesome children and I am married to my best friend. Professionally, I am most proud of achieving the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and being the Chief Spokesman for the Navy, and then leading a complete turnaround of the United States Navy Memorial, improving the Charity Navigator rating from one-star (the lowest) to four-stars (the highest).
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
External links
