Politics & Government
Who Will Be Next Baltimore County Executive? Olszewski Leaves Soon For Congress
Who will be the next Baltimore County executive? Johnny Olszewski leaves for Congress soon. Candidates are lining up to replace him.
BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — The Baltimore County Council is accepting applications to replace County Executive Johnny Olszewski (D), who was recently elected to Congress.
The County Council will then vote on the replacement, who will finish Olszewski's four-year term that expires on Dec. 6, 2026.
WYPR reported that Council Chair Izzy Patoka (D-Pikesville) said he and his colleagues are looking for a caretaker county executive, somebody who will finish Olszewski's term and not run for re-election in 2026.
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The winning candidate must be approved by four of the seven county council members. The Council has four Democrats and three Republicans.
The next county executive must be a Democrat, as the County Charter requires the successor to be from the same party as their predecessor.
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The County Council did not initially plan to release the names of the applicants, but WYPR reported Thursday that the hopefuls will be identified publicly on Dec. 2 after the application period closes.
Several candidates have already publicly declared their interest in the position.
In August, WYPR identified the hopefuls as:
- Kathy Klausmeier, longtime state senator
- Yara Cheikh, community activist
- Barry Williams, former Baltimore County Recreation and Parks director and former Randallstown High School principal
- Jon Cardin, state delegate
- Tara Ebersole, retired professor and administrator at the Community College of Baltimore County
- Jim Brochin, former state senator
Olszewski defeated Republican Kim Klacik in the General Election earlier this month. The seat was open because Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D) is retiring.
Olszewski's term serving Maryland Congressional District 2 in the U.S. House of Representatives begins on Jan. 3, 2025.
The application, posted here, opened on Nov. 7 and is scheduled to remain open until Nov. 29. The County Council warned that the application period could close early with little or no notice, so applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
The county executive's annual salary is $192,000.
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