Republican BJ Hall has announced his candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 29B, positioning himself as a community-rooted advocate ready to challenge incumbent Democrat Brian Crosby in the 2026 election. Hall, a West Point graduate and U.S. Army veteran with over eight years of service in St. Mary’s County leadership roles, aims to bring discipline and accountability to Annapolis while addressing local priorities for Southern Maryland residents.
District 29B, entirely within St. Mary’s County, covers central areas including Lexington Park, Great Mills, California and surrounding communities, representing about one-third of the county’s population. Crosby, who has held the seat since 2018, won re-election in 2022 with 52 percent of the vote against a Republican challenger. As of August 2025, Hall appears to be the first announced candidate for the Republican nomination in the district, though official filings with the Maryland State Board of Elections for the 2026 primary remain open until early 2026. Hall’s entry into the BJ Hall District 29B race comes amid growing discussions about state-level representation for Southern Maryland, where economic development and education often dominate local concerns.
Hall’s platform centers on lowering taxes to support working families and small businesses, bolstering community safety through backing law enforcement and preventive youth programs, and expanding parental involvement in schools by easing restrictive COMAR rules that affect special needs families and school choice. He also calls for greater fiscal responsibility in state government, including audits to cut waste and trim Maryland’s budget, alongside policies to increase energy supply and reduce costs for households. Hall emphasizes putting people over politics, aiming to foster solutions that align with St. Mary’s County values and bridge partisan divides.
As a single father of four children, two of whom graduated from Great Mills High School, Hall draws on personal experiences to highlight challenges like rising living costs and school performance issues facing Southern Maryland families. His background includes founding Reach Back & Lift 1, a nonprofit focused on empowering underserved communities, and holding positions on the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission, Economic Development Commission, and Tri-County Council Workforce Development Board. Hall currently chairs government relations for Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s Second District and previously led the St. Mary’s County NAACP while serving as treasurer for the Maryland State Conference. In 2022, Hall ran unsuccessfully for St. Mary’s County Commissioner President as a Republican, campaigning on transparency, workforce development and educational equity—issues that remain core to his BJ Hall District 29B effort.
Hall’s announcement underscores a perceived disconnect between Annapolis lawmakers and St. Mary’s County. He recounted an encounter at a Southern Maryland Chambers of Commerce reception where a delegate mistook St. Mary’s for the Eastern Shore, illustrating what Hall views as inadequate awareness of the region’s needs. “If key members of the Maryland General Assembly don’t even know where we are, how can they possibly represent our needs?” Hall said. He positions himself as an unafraid, community-focused voice to tackle problems such as tax increases, failing roads, struggling schools and public safety concerns that affect daily life in District 29B.
The BJ Hall District 29B campaign calls for unity among neighbors and families to develop solutions reflecting local priorities. With the 2026 election cycle just beginning, Hall seeks voter trust to serve as a principled delegate. Southern Maryland voters interested in the race can monitor updates through the Maryland State Board of Elections, where candidate filings will be listed as they occur. Hall’s military-honed leadership and grassroots experience aim to resonate in a district where defense-related employment at Naval Air Station Patuxent River plays a significant economic role. As the campaign progresses, Hall plans to engage residents on issues like energy affordability and government accountability, drawing on his record to build support across St. Mary’s County.