It's On: Challengers Announce In Howard County, 7th District Races, More Moves In Political Notes

By Bryan P. Sears, Maryland Matters

October 16, 2025

Wednesday was a busy day in the Democratic race to succeed Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, a race that was already busy to begin with.

Del. Vanessa Atterbeary officially kicked off her campaign before a packed crowd at Columbia’s Harriet Tubman Cultural Center, becoming the latest candidate to join Howard County Councilmember Deb Jung, County Council Chair Liz Walsh and Del. Jessica Feldmark (D-Howard) in the Democratic primary that will be held next June.

Not to be outdone, Feldmark unveiled endorsements Wednesday from high-ranking current and former Howard County officials, including Ken Ulman, former Del. Shane Pendergrass, Del. Pam Guzzone (D-Howard), Board of Education member Andrea Chamblee and county Register of Wills Byron Macfarlane. Ulman, who stepped down this year as chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party, served as county executive from 2006 to 2014, and Feldmark was his chief of staff for much of that time.

“Howard County is facing threats from a hostile federal administration and an uncertain economic future. Jessica’s experience and leadership will ensure we remain a thriving community for all Howard County residents,” said Ulman, who said he was “thrilled” to endorse Feldmark, who has served in the House of Delegates since 201i9.

Pendergrass praised Feldmark for “both her competence and her compassion” and said she knows “how Howard County works more than anyone and is the only person ready to take on the job of County Executive on day one.”

But Feldmark has to get past her primary opponents first, not the least of which is Atterbeary, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, who highlighted her work in the legislature as she began making her case Wednesday for the county’s top job.

Del. Vanessa E. Atterbeary (D-Howard) touted her record in the General Assembly as she kicked off her campaign for Howard County executive Wednesday. (Photo by Christine Condon Maryland Matters)

“I am a daughter, I am a sister, I am a mother. I am a native Howard Countian,” Atterbeary told a packed crowd. “I have lived here my whole life, born and raised, and I’m here tonight to tell all of you that I am running to be your next county executive.”

She pointed to her work on police accountability reform, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and gun violence prevention, in particular.

“Everything that we’ve been able to pass at the state level needs to be implemented correctly at the local level, whether we’re talking about schools, whether we’re talking about funds that we get from the state,” Atterbeary said. “I was the only person in the race that was in those actual rooms, making those negotiations and working on the actual legislation.”

Atterbeary touted endorsements of her own Wednesday, from State Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, Howard County Councilmember Opel Jones and C. Vernon Gray, the first Black man to be elected to the Howard County Council. House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones was also among the legislators who showed up for the announcement, although she did not deliver remarks.

Atterbeary said her campaign will focus on growing the county’s affordable housing options, so that more families can afford to live in Howard, and bolstering the public school system. She’ll make her case partially during what could be her last session in the General Assembly.

“It’s going to be a lot of work,” she joked. “We’re going to do all the things. We’re going to raise money. We’ve only been in the race a short amount of time, and we’ve raised quite a bit of money. We’re going to be knocking on doors. We’re going to be going to all the events. I don’t think my social media has ever been this active.”

Conway makes it official in 7th District

Baltimore City Councilmember Mark Conway made it official Wednesday: He plans to challenge veteran U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume in next June’s Democratic primary for the 7th District seat in Congress.

Conway, who created a campaign fundraising committee earlier this month for a possible challenge, went to the Penn North neighborhood in Baltimore, which has been plagued by multiple opioid overdoses in recent months, for his announcement. He called for a new generation of leadership while acknowledging the uphill battle he faces against the well-known and much-admired Mfume.

“It’s not a small feat to challenge a popular incumbent,” Conway said in an interview. “But after a lot of soul-searching and sleepless nights, I decided to try to become the change I want to see.”

Baltimore City Councilmember Mark Conway, left, and Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-7th). (Photos courtesy Conway, Mfume)

Conway said he has “an immense amount of respect” for the 76-year-old incumbent, and hailed Mfume’s 40-plus years of public service. But he said that with the Trump administration threatening U.S. democracy on a variety of fronts, “we are in a dramatically different world. Ronald Reagan is not the president. It’s not the ’80s or ’90s or even the early 2000s. I think people are desperate for change.”

Mfume, who represented the Baltimore-based 7th District in the U.S. House from 1987 to 1996 and returned to Congress in 2020 after winning a special election, said in a statement to Maryland Matters that he is looking forward to continuing to work for his constituents.

“I am running for reelection and with God’s blessings I intend to win,” the congressman said. “I am a fighter for people, and this is one more fight to win.”

Mfume has a major head start on the fundraising front. Through Sept. 30, he had $705,736 in his campaign account, according to the latest campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Conway, 36, estimates he’ll need to raise at least $1 million to be competitive in the June 23 primary. But he does not plan to accept campaign donations from Baltimore Gas & Electric or its parent company, Exelon, or from AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying and political powerhouse.

Conway said he believes talking about issues like the high cost of energy and the Israel/Gaza conflict will help distinguish him from Mfume – and he has already returned contributions he received from BG&E for his council campaigns. He said he’ll also emphasize housing, health care, immigration and the opioid crisis on the campaign trail.

Several older Democratic members of the U.S. House are being pressured to retire from Congress or are facing primaries with aggressive young challengers. Three septuagenarian House Democrats died earlier this year. Just last week, 30-year-old Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson (D) announced he’d be taking on 76-year-old U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, the Volunteer State’s lone congressional Democrat, who is in his 10th term.

Conway does not have to sacrifice his council seat to run for Congress in 2026, sparking some speculation in Maryland political circles that he’s using this campaign to raise his profile for another race in 2028 or beyond. But the second-term councilmember insists he’s focused on the urgency of the current political moment.

So will it just be K?

Damian O’Doherty, a founding partner with Steve Kearney of KO Public Affairs, will leave the well-known public affairs firm after 17 years to launch his own firm, O’Doherty & Associates.

“In a time of momentous change, firms like KO are only growing in value. I’m deeply grateful to have worked with such smart and driven people — and to exit at the right time for my family,” O’Doherty said in a joint statement. “My global work in law, influence, and capital continues at O’Doherty & Associates LLC, helping leaders gain resonance in the AI epoch.”

The firm was founded in 2008 by Kearney and O’Doherty, who have been based out of Colorado for the last several years. Last year, the firm announced a merger with Sandy Hillman Communications, adding consumer marketing to KO’s public affairs efforts. In 2023, the firm also added Josh White to its lobbying arm in Annapolis.

“We have built a tremendous firm over the last 18 years, working on some of the toughest issues in Maryland,” Kearney said in the statement. “While our work continues, we wish Damian the best in his new venture and are grateful for his contributions. We are excited for him and look forward to collaborating with him in the future.”

Despite his departure, O’Doherty’s old firm will retain the name of KO Public Affairs, in case you were wondering.