Early Voting Starts Soon In Baltimore County Election: Meet The Candidates

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — The county executive's run for Congress and the push to expand the County Council are major focuses in the 2024 Baltimore County general election slated for Nov. 5. Marylanders can also hit the polls for early voting for one week in late October or vote by mail or via ballot dropboxes.

Maryland's race for U.S. Senate pits a prominent Democrat against a former Republican governor competing to replace a retiring congressman.

The presidential race tops the ballot nationwide, and judges are up for election in Baltimore County.

All the candidates are listed below. Click any candidate's name to learn more about them.

How To Vote

Early voting runs from Thursday, Oct. 24 through Thursday, Oct. 31. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day that week. Marylanders can vote at any early voting center in the county they live in. All the early voting center locations are posted here.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents must vote at their assigned polling place on Election Day.

Residents can request a mail-in ballot from the State Board of Elections or their local board.

• If you want to receive your ballot by mail or fax, your request must be received (not just mailed) by Tuesday, Oct. 29.
• If you want to receive your ballot via the internet, your request must be received by 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1 for a request sent in the mail, or by 11:59 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1 for a request sent by fax or submitted online.
• If you hand deliver your request and the ballots are ready, you can pick up your mail-in ballot. You may take your mail-in ballot with you and return it by mail or you can vote it at the local board office and give it to an election official.
• The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in person is Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5 by 8 p.m. Please visit your local board of elections' website for hours of operation.

Mail-in ballots must be mailed and postmarked, placed in one of these dropboxes or taken to a polling place, early voting center or local board of elections by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Marylanders can update their address or register to vote at any early voting center in their county or at their newly assigned polling place on Election Day. Residents must bring their MVA-issued license, permit, ID card or change of address card. The ID can also be a paycheck, bank statement or utility bill. A government document with the voter's name and new address will also suffice.

Residents can use this tool to check their:

• Voting districts
• Polling places
• Early voting centers
• Ballot dropboxes
• Local Board of elections information

More details on how to vote are posted here.

U.S. Senate

Maryland will elect a successor to retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D).

Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) defeated U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-MD District 6) in the primary.

Alsobrooks will face former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who entered the Republican primary late in the game. If Hogan wins, he would be Maryland's first Republican U.S. senator in 37 years, and could have the GOP control of the U.S. Senate.

Hogan was one of the nation’s most popular governors during his two terms from 2015 to 2023. He was Maryland's first Republican governor to win re-election since the 1950s. He left office with a 77% approval rating.

Hogan did not vote for Donald Trump in either 2016 or 2020, and has pledged that on Nov. 5 he will not vote for either Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris.

Alsobrooks was elected as Prince George’s county executive in 2018 after serving as the jurisdiction’s state’s attorney for seven years. Seen as a rising Democratic star, Alsobrooks has campaigned on curbing gun violence and reducing the cost of groceries.

Alsobrooks has also repeatedly voiced her pro-choice abortion stance. Abortion is timely this election year, as a referendum will ask Marylanders if the right to an abortion should be enshrined in the state Constitution. Democrats allege that Hogan can’t be trusted with abortion.

Polling has shown Alsobrooks 7 to 11 percentage points ahead of Hogan.

Related: Hogan Popular In Senate Race, Abortion Hurts His Chances: Patch Survey

The winner will serve a six-year term in Congress. Senators don't have term limits.

Libertarian Mike Scott is also running. Write-in candidates include Patrick J. Burke of the American Solidarity Party, unaffiliated Billy Bridges and unaffiliated Christy Renee Helmondollar.

U.S. House of Representatives

Congressional District 2 will have a new representative, as 78-year-old C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D) is retiring after serving the district for over 21 years. District 2 covers most of Baltimore and Carroll counties, along with a sliver of Baltimore City.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski (D) is vying for the open seat. He will take on Republican Kim Klacik, a repeat candidate previously endorsed by then-President Donald Trump (R). Libertarian Jasen Joseph Wunder is also running.

U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D) is running for another term in Congressional District 7, which covers parts of southwest and southeast Baltimore County along with most of the city. He'll face Republican Scott M. Collier and Libertarian Ronald M. Owens-Bey.

Voters along the northeast border of Baltimore County will vote in the District 1 race. Incumbent Andy Harris, the state's lone Congressional Republican, will meet Democrat Blane H. Miller III and Libertarian Joshua W. O'Brien.

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

Voters can check their Congressional district at this link.

Ballot Questions

There is one Constitutional Amendment question that will appear statewide on the Nov. 5 general election ballot:

Question 1- Constitutional Amendment (Ch. 245 of the 2023 Legislative Session)
Declaration of Rights - Right To Reproductive Freedom

"The proposed amendment confirms an individual's fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including but not limited to the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue or end the individual's pregnancy, and provides the state may not, directly or indirectly, deny, burden or abridge the right unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means."

There are also 12 ballot questions pertaining to Baltimore County specifically.

Question A
Charter Amendment
Increase County Council to 9 Members
(Bill 47-24)

Sections 201, 204, 206, 207, 522, 601, and 1201 of the Baltimore County Charter are amended to: increase from 7 to 9 the number of Councilmembers and Council Districts; make membership on the County Council a full-time position for purposes of determining compensation; provide for an equal number of Board of Appeals members as the number of Councilmembers, and that no more than two-thirds of the Board of Appeals members may belong to the same political party; increase
from 7 to 9 the number of Council appointments to the Planning Board; provide for an equal number of members of a councilmanic redistricting commission as the number of Councilmembers, with each Councilmember nominating one member and subject to Council confirmation; provide that redistricting of Council Districts may only occur: before October 1, 2025, after each decennial U.S. Census, or during the year after ratification of a Charter amendment changing the number of Council Districts; and increase from 6 to 8 the number of affirmative votes required for the Council to approve a legislative act that proposes a ballot question to terminate the Charter and return the County to a county commissioner form of government.

Question B

Charter Amendment
Office of the Inspector General
(Bill 83-23)

Sections 801, 1008, and 1014 of the Baltimore County Charter are amended to: establish the Office of the Inspector General, the purpose of which is to provide increased accountability and oversight in the operations of county government; provide the Inspector General with subpoena power; set qualifications for the Inspector General; and provide for the Office of the Inspector General to be funded as a separate budget entity.

Question C

Charter Amendment
Planning Board Term Limits
(Bill 33-24)

Section 522 of the Baltimore County Charter is amended to create a term limit for Planning Board members of three consecutive terms and to make all appointments to the Planning Board subject to confirmation by the County Council.

Question D

County Ordinance
Refuse Disposal Borrowing
(Bill 22-24)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $5,000,000 for refuse disposal projects, including but not limited to: construction, reconstruction, extension, acquisition, improvement, enlargement, alteration, closing and capping, repair, and modernization of county refuse disposal facilities, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Question E
County Ordinance
Community College Borrowing
(Bill 23-24)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $18,500,000 for community college projects, including but not limited to: acquisition, construction, reconstruction, extension, improvement, enlargement, alteration, maintenance, repair, modernization, and development of buildings and other improvements for community colleges; the architectural, engineering, and other services incident thereto; and the acquisition of land, furnishings, and equipment, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Question F

County Ordinance
Public Works Borrowing
(Bill 24-24)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $55,440,000 for public works projects, including but not limited to: streets and highways, bridges, and storm drainage systems, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Question G
County Ordinance
Parks, Preservation and Greenways Borrowing
(Bill 25-24)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $8,000,000 for the purpose of parks, preservation and greenways projects, including but not limited to: acquisition, construction, maintenance, and equipping of playgrounds, parks, community centers, and recreational facilities; related engineering, architectural, and other services; and the acquisition and maintenance of equipment, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Question H
County Ordinance
School Borrowing
(Bill 26-24)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $331,140,000 for school buildings and site projects, including but not limited to: the acquisition, construction, maintenance, and modernization of buildings and sites for school purposes; architectural and engineering services; and recreation and pedagogical equipment for such buildings and sites, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Question I

County Ordinance
Agricultural and Rural Land Preservation Borrowing
(Bill 27-24)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $6,000,000 for agricultural and rural land preservation projects, including but not limited to the purchase of land, development rights, conservation easements and other real property approved by the County Council pursuant to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program and the Rural Legacy Program or other similar federal or state programs, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Question J
County Ordinance
Community Improvement Project Borrowing
(Bill 28-24)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $4,000,000 for community improvement projects, including but not limited to construction, renovation, extension, alteration, repair or modernization of: street curbs; gutters; water; sewer and other utilities; sidewalk improvements; interior and rear access improvements; landscaping and lighting improvements; building and other structural improvements; and sidewalk and pedestrian system improvements, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Question K
County Ordinance
Waterway Improvement Program Borrowing
(Bill 29-24)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $20,000,000 for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, extension, alteration, repair and modernization of waterway improvement and stormwater-related projects, including but not limited to: shoreline stabilization; shore erosion control; wetland restoration; streambank and riverbank restoration; stabilization and reconstruction; control and monitoring of nonpoint pollutants; landscaping; dredging; planting of trees and similar waterway improvement projects in residential, rural and commercial areas; and engineering and other services incident thereto, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Question L
County Ordinance
Operational Buildings Borrowing
(Bill 30-24)

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $130,500,000 for public operational buildings, including but not limited to: general, health, police, fire, recreation, library, senior center, and jail buildings or facilities, and necessary or desirable equipment, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter

Judges

Maryland Circuit Court judges hear major civil cases and serious criminal cases like those requiring a jury trial. Circuit Courts can decide appeals from the District Court.

A nominating commission recommends several names to fill vacancies, and the governor decides which person gets the position.

Newly appointed judges must run for election in the first election that's at least one year after the vacancy occurred. Attorneys who are members of the Maryland Bar can run against a newly-appointed or sitting judge.

Circuit Court judges serve 15-year terms before they must seek re-election. There is no term limit. Circuit court judges must retire at 70 years old.

Candidates ran on both parties' primary ballots.

These are the General Election candidates for Judicial Circuit 3 in Baltimore County:

• Michael S. Barranco
• Patricia DeMaio
• Marc A. DeSimone Jr.
• James Rhodes

Justice Angela M. Eaves of the Supreme Court of Maryland Circuit 2 is up for a continuance in office vote. She's unopposed.

Voters will also decide if Appellate Circuit 2 Judge Douglas R. M. Nazarian and at-large Appellate Court Judges Anne K. Albright, Kevin F. Arthur and Andrea M. Leahy continue serving. They are all running unopposed.

The Appellate Court of Maryland now consists of 15 active judges, at least one of whom comes from each of the state’s seven geographic appellate circuits. All of the judges are appointed by the governor, confirmed by the Maryland Senate and then must stand for a retention election by the voters every 10 years. Judges may serve until age 70. Senior Judges who have been authorized by the Supreme Court of Maryland to continue to serve may also hear and decide cases alongside the active judges.

The Supreme Court of Maryland also has the same appointment process and a 10-year term before a continuance in office election.

President

President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary election, but he declined the nomination and dropped out in July. Biden passed his campaign over to Vice President Kamala Harris (D), and she tapped Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) to be her running mate.

Harris will face former President Donald Trump (R), who's seeking his second and final four-year term. Trump's running mate is Sen. JD Vance (R- Ohio).

Unaffiliated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., flanked by vice presidential nominee Nicole Shanahan, in August suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump. Kennedy secured enough signatures and will still appear on Maryland's ballot, however.

Jill Stein and Rudolph Ware are running for the Green Party.

Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat are on the Libertarian presidential ticket.

Write-in candidates, whose names must be written in the blank space, include:

• Ralph Jaffe (D)
• Paij Boring (R) and Jaimey Rutschman (R)
• Claudia De la Cruz (Party for Socialism and Liberation)
• John R. Gibb Jr. (Reform Party)
• Shiva Ayyadurai (Independent)
• President R. Boddie (Unaffiliated)
• Theo Brown Sr. (Unaffiliated)
• Susan Maude Buchser (Unaffiliated)
• John Cheng (Unaffiliated)
• Cherunda Fox (Unaffiliated)
• Shondra Irving (Unaffiliated)
• Douglas Jenkins (Unaffiliated)
• Brian Larry Kienitz (Unaffiliated)
• Richard Mayers (Unaffiliated)
• Andrè Ramon McNeil Sr. (Unaffiliated)
• Benjamin L. Schwalb (Unaffiliated)
• Peter Sonski (American Solidarity Party)
• Lester H. Waller Jr. (Unaffiliated)
• Carol Asher (Other)
• Jokie Beckett Jr. (Other)