MD House Elections: Secret Payment Downplayed, Toss-Up Race Likely Out West

MARYLAND — Maryland will have at least three new faces in the U.S. House of Representatives after the Nov. 5 general election.

Congressmen C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-District 2) and John Sarbanes (D-District 3) are both retiring and chose not to seek re-election. Rep. David Trone (D-District 6) ran for Senate but lost the primary to Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, freeing his House seat.

Voters can use this tool to check their Congressional district.

District 2 (Klacik vs. Olszewski)

The highest-profile House race in Maryland is in District 2, which covers most of Baltimore and Carroll counties, along with a sliver of Baltimore City. Democratic Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski is taking on Republican Kim Klacik, a repeat candidate previously endorsed by then-President Donald Trump (R).

Olszewski, a former public school civics teacher, was elected county executive in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. The Dundalk native bills himself as a fighter for the middle class. With a waterfront home on Millers Island, he views himself as an environmentalist. Implementing red flag gun laws and protecting abortion rights are additional priorities for him.

Olszewski has come under fire in recent months after reports that his administration made secret pension payments to the brother of the county executive's friend. The state GOP called for Olszewski's immediate resignation, while County Council Republicans instead asked for an investigation before jumping to conclusions. Olszewski denied any wrongdoing, however, and said he plans to continue serving as county executive and running for the U.S. House.

Olszewski thinks his investments in school construction and parks warrant voter trust, he told The Baltimore Banner.

"I hope that folks who have looked over the totality of my career see that I am someone who has been responsive," Olszewski said in The Banner's story published Thursday.

Klacik thinks the pension payments hurt Olszewski's credibility.

"When I speak to voters, there are some that are saying, 'I just can't imagine promoting him to the federal level considering what he's done as a county executive,'" Klacik told The Banner. "Whether it was with taxpayer dollars, that secret pension payment, things like that."

Klacik, a Black woman, soared to national attention in 2020 behind a viral campaign ad entitled "Black Lives Don't Matter To Democrats." The video spotlighted Baltimore's crumbling infrastructure and gun violence. She argued that Democrats have failed the city for decades and urged Black residents to vote for Republicans.

The ad, which has nearly 1 million views on YouTube, drew an endorsement from Trump in her 7th District race. Klacik lost two elections to former NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume (D) after Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings died, opening up the seat representing Baltimore. Klacik is running again, this time in the 2nd District.

"There are some people that probably feel that they don't know me very well," Klacik told The Banner, which noted that she's never held public office. "I'm looking at it as: He has a poor record where I have no record at all. People are going to have to think, 'Do we choose who we know or the person that we don't know and hope that they are better?'"

District 3 (Elfreth Vs. Steinberger)

In District 3, State Sen. Sarah Elfreth (D-District 30) meets political outsider and businessman Robert J. Steinberger (R). That district covers the northeast half of Anne Arundel County, all of Howard County and southern Carroll County.

Elfreth ascended quickly after she was first elected in 2018. She advanced out of a crowded Democratic primary for the House, defeating competitors like District 32 Dels. Mark Chang and Mike Rogers. She also beat Harry Dunn (D), a former U.S. Capitol Police officer who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Elfreth prioritizes education, Chesapeake Bay protection and small businesses. She successfully fought for legislation that used casino taxes to fund disaster relief. That money helped Annapolis storefronts recover from January's flooding.

Steinberger, who served in the Navy Individual Ready Reserves, wants to curb illegal immigration. He personally opposes abortion and most federal funding for it, but he believes the procedure should remain available. Steinberger wants to advance Maryland's role in the cybersecurity sector and revamp health care by increasing market competition.

District 6 (Delaney Vs. Parrott)

District 6 pits former state Del. Neil Parrott (R) against federal employee April McClain Delaney (D) in a race for northwest Montgomery County, all of Frederick County and all of Western Maryland.

This could be the state's closest Congressional race. It may also be the Maryland GOP's best chance to gain its second Republican congressman behind District 1 incumbent Andy Harris. With the Democratic Trone losing his Senatorial primary, his District 6 House seat is now open for newcomers.

A poll released in September had Parrott with 41% of the vote to Delaney's 39% while 20% of the electorate was undecided. The survey had a margin of error of +/- 5.6 percentage points. Pollsters think the election will come down to Frederick County, where Delaney led 44% to 29%.

Gonzales Research & Media Services, Inc. conducted the poll from Aug. 24 through Aug. 31, surveying 317 registered likely voters in Maryland's 6th Congressional District. The live telephone interviews were conducted on landlines and cell phones.

Parrott represented Washington County in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2011 to 2023. He has also run for Congress multiple times, but he has never been elected to Capitol Hill. Parrott is a traffic engineer, who worked for the State Highway Administration and the City of Frederick before starting his own small business. His traffic experience inspires his desire to widen Interstate 81, U.S. Route 219 and Interstate 270.

Parrott is focused on curbing inflation and increasing the housing supply. He said he never voted for a tax or fee increase in the Maryland General Assembly, and he promised to continue that in the House. Securing the southern border and stopping crime are other priorities.

Delaney works in communications for the U.S. Department of Commerce. As part of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, she oversaw plans to expand broadband access and connect Americans to reliable, high-speed internet.

Delaney plans to fight for universal health care and send aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Like Parrott, she also wants to secure the border. Addressing climate change and protecting LGBTQIA+ rights are additional goals for Delaney.

All US House Candidates

Here are the candidates in each U.S. House race in Maryland. Incumbents have an asterisk next to their name. Click on anybody's name to learn more about them.

District 1

• Blane H. Miller III (D)
• Andy Harris (R)*
• Joshua W. O'Brien (Libertarian)

District 2

• John "Johnny O" Olszewski Jr. (D)
• Kim Klacik (R)
• Jasen Joseph Wunder (Libertarian)

District 3

• Sarah Elfreth (D)
• Robert J. Steinberger (R)
• Miguel Barajas (Libertarian)

District 4

• Glenn F. Ivey (D)*
• George McDermott (R)

District 5

• Steny Hoyer (D)*
• Michelle Talkington (R)

District 6

• April McClain Delaney (D)
• Neil C. Parrott (R)

District 7

• Kweisi Mfume (D)*
• Scott M. Collier (R)
• Ronald M. Owens-Bey (Libertarian)

District 8

• Jamie Raskin (D)*
• Cheryl Riley (R)
• Nancy Wallace (Green Party)

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.