Baltimore County Primary Election Results: Will Olszewski Win House Race?

Updated at 11:11 p.m. Tuesday

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the 2024 Baltimore County primary election and County Executive Johnny Olszewski was declared the winner of the Democratic race for U.S. House in Maryland's 2nd Congressional District at 8:41 p.m. by the Associated Press.

Olszewski was projected to receive 82.43% of the Democratic votes, state election counts showed.

Patch will tally the U.S. House of Representatives election results below as the vote count rolls in. Visit Patch's Maryland election hub for coverage of the Senate races.

C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D) is not seeking re-election in Maryland's 2nd Congressional District. The 78-year-old has served the district for more than 21 years. Olszewski threw his hat in the ring to replace Ruppersberger.

The Republican challenger for Ruppersburger's seat is Kim Klacik, who drew support from former President Donald Trump (R) when she unsuccessfully ran for Congress four years ago. The AP called the race for Klacik at 8:43 p.m. with 65.23% of the unofficial vote.

Related: Baltimore County Executive Running For 2nd District Congress Seat

Check the Maryland Board of Elections site for results. Officials will start to update with tallies from early voting and then counts from Tuesday as they come in after polls closed at 8 p.m.

The Maryland State Board of Elections will start uploading the tallies shortly at elections.maryland.gov. That website will have the results of every Maryland race, including presidential, Congressional and Maryland Circuit Court judge elections.

Related: 2024 MD Primary Election Results For Key U.S. Senate, House Races

U.S. House of Representatives

Incumbents Andy Harris (R-District 1) and Kweisi Mfume (R-District 7) are seeking re-election in their races.

U.S. representatives serve two-year terms. There are no term limits.

Voters can check their Congressional district at this link.

All the candidates are listed below. Click any candidate's name to learn more about them. The nonpartisan League of Women Voters also has candidate questionnaires posted here.

Winners are denoted below with an *.

Congressional District 1

Democrats

• Blane H. Miller, III*
• Blessing T. Oluwadare

Republicans

• Chris Bruneau, Sr.
• Andy Harris (Incumbent)*
• Michael Scott Lemon

Congressional District 2

Democrats

• Harry Bhandari
• Sia Kyriakakos
• John "Johnny O" Olszewski, Jr.*
• Sharron Reed-Burns
• Jessica Sjoberg
• Clint Spellman, Jr.

Republicans

• Kim Klacik*
• John Thormann
• Dave Wallace

Congressional District 7

Democrats

• Tashi Kimandus Davis
• Kweisi Mfume (Incumbent)*

Republicans

• Scott M. Collier*
• Wayne "For Freedom" McNeal
• Lorrie A. Sigley

Voter Reactions

Maryland's race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D) is among the state's most-watched contests. Former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is running for the seat usually held by a Democrat. Maryland last had a Republican senator in 1986. Hogan will face Robin Ficker, who aligns with former President Donald Trump (R), among others in the Republican primary.

Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-MD District 6) are the major candidates on the Democratic side. They polled closely throughout the primary, but Alsobrooks had a 1-point edge in the last survey released before Election Day.

The Associated Press reported that Trone, co-owner of national liquor store chain Total Wine & More, has put $61 million of his own money into his Senate campaign. Trone says self-financing ensures he is not beholden to political donors.

Trone was criticized for using a racial slur during a March budget hearing. He apologized soon after and said he was trying to use a word that sounded similar.

Trone's highest-ranking political endorser is Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown (D). Alsobrooks is endorsed by Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Maryland's other U.S. senator, Chris Van Hollen (D).

Hogan, a rare two-term GOP governor in Maryland, has the attention of moderates from both parties. Hard-line Democrats remain drawn to the liberal candidates, questioning how bipartisan Hogan will act on abortion legislation.

This could come into play if Republicans regain control of the Senate. USA Today said the Democrats essentially have a 51 to 49 edge in the Senate with 48 Democrats, two independents who caucus with the Democrats and one independent who won't caucus with the Republicans. A Hogan General Election victory would tie the Senate, and one other flipped seat would give the GOP a one-person advantage.

Deep conservatives still prefer candidates similar to Trump, whom Hogan has regularly criticized.

On the presidential side, voter choices largely depended on their perceptions of Trump. Marylanders were either long-time fans, uncertain of his personality or outright opposers.

Patch asked voters about their opinions at the Odenton polls on May 2, the first day of early voting.

'Innocence Was Lost On Jan. 6.'

Democrat Cindy Welch, a 79-year-old from Odenton, is "concerned about women's right to choose."

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision in 2022, letting states decide their own abortion laws.

Alsobrooks and Trone have promised to protect abortion rights. Hogan has called the matter "settled law" and said he wouldn't vote for a national abortion ban. Ficker, a tax-fighting former state delegate and a 2022 gubernatorial candidate, hasn't spoken much about abortion.

Marylanders will vote on a referendum in November's General Election to decide if abortion should be enshrined in the state's Constitution. Abortion is already heavily protected under current Maryland law, but that is easier to overturn than protection in the state Constitution.

Patch interviewed Welch while she was visiting the library, which also serves as a polling location. Welch was undecided in the Senate race but planned to choose before voting by dropbox.

On the presidential side, Welch is supporting Democrat Joe Biden's re-election campaign.

"The alternative to Biden is too horrible to think," Welch said.

The retired social worker is still "frightened" by the Republicans who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to block Biden's election. Welch said she never saw her mother cry until that day.

"She called me when the insurrection happened, and she cried," Welch said of her mother, who died at age 99. "Her innocence was lost on Jan. 6."

MAGA Can 'Bring Our Country Back'

Though Welch frets about another Trump presidency, other Marylanders want him back in the White House.

Republican Rhonda Fowler, a 69-year-old from Severn, voted for Trump this year. She said Trump can "bring our country back to us" with his "Make America Great Again" policies.

Fowler's top concern is stopping undocumented immigration at the southern border.

"If you want to come in legally, that's one thing," Fowler said. "[But] they're bringing whatever they want in: diseases, guns, drugs. Stay out, and go back home."

Fowler voted for Ficker in the Senate primary.

Ficker served one term as a state delegate from Montgomery County from 1979 to 1982. Ficker has fought to lower taxes for years. He ran for governor in 2022 and lost in the Republican primary, despite his push to cut Maryland's sales tax by 2 cents.

The defense attorney and real estate broker was barred from practicing law during his gubernatorial campaign, but Ficker told Maryland Matters that was a political attack. Ficker is also known for heckling opponents at Washington's NBA games.

Ficker now hopes to address undocumented immigration, crime, inflation and poor school performance in the Senate.

Fowler would vote for Hogan in the General Election if he advances, but she prefers Ficker.

"He's pretty much like Trump," Fowler said of Ficker. "He's angry. He wants things corrected."

Hogan Wasn't A 'RINO'

Republican Allan Schwartz, a 76-year-old from Odenton, isn't so sure about Trump.

"I don't know that I could vote for Trump. I voted for him once, but I don't know if I can again," Schwartz said. "The man's just too arrogant."

Schwartz said his General Election presidential vote will depend on "whether Trump goes to jail or not." Trump is wrapped up in four indictments with charges of business fraud, mishandling classified documents and election interference.

Schwartz said he won't vote for Biden. He left the Republican presidential primary blank because all his favorite GOP candidates already suspended their campaigns.

"We had a couple good choices besides Trump, but his base and machine carried him in," Schwartz said, noting that he prefers political outsiders.

Schwartz donated to Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The entrepreneur and former pharmaceutical executive dropped out in January, however.

"We have too much division," Schwartz said, calling for more bipartisanship. "Both sides have good ideas."

Schwartz voted for Hogan in the Senate primary. He also voted for Hogan in both of his gubernatorial elections.

"People say he was a RINO (Republican In Name Only), but he wasn't. He knew how to work both sides," Schwartz said.