County Executive Candidates Spar in Final Stretch

The 2010 election will bring huge change to Baltimore County government. Four members of the seven-member County Council are retiring or running for higher office.

Two of those council members, Democrats Kevin Kamenetz and Joe Bartenfelder, are running for county executive to replace the term-limited James T. Smith Jr. 

The men represent two sides of Baltimore County: Kamenetz from the west, Bartenfelder from the east. Kamenetz is an attorney and a former prosecutor. Bartenfelder is a farmer and a former state delegate. 

The two frontrunners in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary election have taken off the gloves in recent weeks, attacking each other's policies and battling for endorsements. Most of those attacks have been leveled through television commercials and in mailers sent to the homes of voters.

One Kamenetz TV ad shows a former Ridgely Middle School PTA president saying the councilman was "the only one who listened" and helped get air conditioning installed at the school. While money has been set aside and new windows have been installed, Bartenfelder's campaign points out the air conditioning is not there yet.

Kamenetz, meanwhile, held a press conference last week with other county council members who have endorsed him to chastise Bartenfelder for claiming he voted against a pay raise for council members.

The Democrats will face off in the primary election on Sept. 14 against a third opponent, Ron Harvey.  Republican Kenneth Holt, who is running unopposed in his primary, will face the winner in November.

Since we're so new and so close to the election, we've provided YouTube links to three WBAL-TV news stories that give you excellent summaries of the two leading Democrats and an analysis of their recent squabbles.  

Here's an over of the candidates:

Democrats

Kevin Kamenetz

Age: 52

Family: married to Jill; the couple has two sons

Hometown: Lochearn

Current position: County Councilman for the 2nd District; family attorney

Years in current job: 15

Other professional qualifications: Former Baltimore City assistant state's attorney

Major endorsements: County Executive Smith, Attorney General Doug Gansler, Teachers Association of Baltimore County, Laborers International Union of North America, Councilman Vince Gardina. 

Proposals and platforms for county executive job: More technology for police units, emphasis on his experience in local government

Kamenetz, a longtime county councilman, currently serves the second district, which includes parts of Timonium, Ruxton, Owings Mills, Pikesville and Reisterstown. The four-time council chairman touts his record as a fiscal watchdog and has received numerous awards from community organizations and business groups in Pikesville and other areas. 

Kamenetz's campaign started the year with $1.1 million in its coffers and has entered the final two weeks with a balance of $268,000.

Joe Bartenfelder

Age: 54

Family: Married to Robin; the couple has two daughters and two sons

Hometown: Fullerton

Current position: County Councilman for the 6th District; manager of family-owned farm

Years in current job: 16 as Councilman, 12 as Delegate, 32 as farmer

Other professional qualifications: Former state Delegate

Major endorsements: Fraternal Order of Police, AFL-CIO, United Food and Commercial Workers, Professional Firefighters Association of Baltimore County, Federation of Public Employees, United Auto Workers

Proposals and platforms for county executive job: Work with state to mitigate effects of budget issues, bring more vocational training to schools

Bartenfelder, a farmer by trade, is a graduate of Calvert Hall College High School and Towson University. His first run for political office came just after graduating TU in 1978, an unsuccessful campaign for the House of Delegates. He later won in his own right in 1982 and served for 12 years before his election to the county council. Bartenfelder only recently started running television ads.

In January, Bartenfelder's campaign reported a balance of $640,000. On Sept. 3, his campaign reported a balance of $257,000. 

Ron Harvey

Age: 63

Hometown: Nottingham

Current position: Retired from the county Office of Human Resources

Harvey, a Democratic longshot, filed to run in early July, the last candidate to enter the race. Harvey's campaign does not have a website and did not respond to a request for comment, but according to state finance records, Harvey filed an affidavit certifying he had neither raised nor spent more than $1,000 as of Aug. 17.

Republican

Kenneth Holt

Family: Married to Mary Holt; the couple has two children

Hometown: Kingsville

Current position: Executive for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Baltimore

Years in current job: 25

Other professional qualifications: Member of House of Delegates, 1995-1999

Proposals and platforms for county executive job: Promises to pursue infrastructure improvements, incentives for business development and establish efficiency within county government.

Holt is a moderate Republican running for the executive's office. Holt, an investment executive who serves as senior vice president for wealth management for the Holt Group within Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, is running unopposed for the Republican nomination.

With $119,000 in the bank–much of it his own money–Holt is expected to make November a competitive race.  

When not managing investments or running a campaign, Holt and his family run the Mount Peru Farm in Kingsville.