BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — Ahead of the primary, there is tension in the race for Baltimore County Executive.
Tension flares in Baltimore County executive race over campaign mailer
It all began with an ad run by County Councilman Izzy Patoka.
Patoka distributed a mailer featuring photos of 24 Democratic candidates running for
different positions in Baltimore County.
The ad says that Patoka led the charge to add seats to the County Council.
He says he used the faces of other democratic candidates to show the diversity of the people running.
In response, Councilman Julian Jones, who is also running for County Executive, condemned Patoka in his own ad.
"Notwithstanding the law, people have a right to be associated with who they want, and when they see their image and likeness being used in a way that they don't think is necessary, they have a right to speak up irrespective of the law, and that's what I think you've heard today," says Councilman Jones.
The two each held press conferences on Monday to talk about the incident.
Patoka says he does not think of the ad as an endorsement.
"There are no pictures that were taken when they weren't looking. It's all public domain and if you, if you want to earn elected office, you've got to get used to that your photo will be in the public domain, and that's just part of the job. And if you don't feel comfortable with that, you shouldn't be running for office," says Councilman Patoka.
The ad also mentions that Patoka led the charge to expand the county council from 7 to 9 seats.
Jones believes Baltimore County Democrats were shortchanged by republicans and Patoka in that vote.
He adds he felt the need to speak up for those affected.
The pair are two of five candidates running for the position.
Other candidates include Pat Young, Nick Stewart, and Mansoor Shams.
Primary Day is June 23rd.
