Meet the Democrats running for Baltimore County Executive

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — The race for Baltimore County Executive is picking up with mail-in voting currently underway and early voting right around the corner.

Eight candidates are looking to replace County Executive Kathy Klausmeier, five democrats, two republicans, and one independent.

WMAR-2 News sat down with the five democrats fighting for their party's nomination including three current county council members and two newcomers to the political stage to see why they think they'd be the best for the job.

Izzy Patoka

As a seven year County Councilmember, Izzy Patoka said that he has made school's a priority.

"I proposed a bill to reduce school overcrowding. The other candidates did not support that," Patoka told WMAR-2 News, "I was a city planner for Baltimore and I became a planner for Baltimore County so I've always been community centered."

He then worked as the founding director of the Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods, now called Monse, and directed cabinet level agencies at the governor's office before sitting on the county council.

Patoka's background as an urban planner makes him confident that he can tackle a major issue for the council, the budget.

"With flexibility you don't have specificity, you don't have predictability, you don't have transparency, and I'm willing to sacrifice the county executive's flexibility to create specificity, predictability, and transparency for the public."

The two pillars of of campaign are good government and community engagement.

"I think it's important that everybody looks at each candidate and decide which candidate is best for you. I hope you'll choose me. feel like I am the best prepared for the job. I'll be ready on day one."

Endorsements:
CASA
Teachers Association of Baltimore County (TABCO)
Sierra Club
Central Baltimore County Democratic Club
Former Governor Martin O'Malley
State Delegate Cathi Forbes, District 43B
Baltimore City Councilman Yitzy Schleifer, District 5

Pat Young

Pat Young also touts his experience as the only candidate with state and local government experience, serving in the Maryladn Hosue of Delegates then being a Baltimore County Council member for almost four years.

Young is running his campaign on affordability and transparency, being vocal about publicly financing his run.

"Creating an amendment process didn't exist before I got here," Young said, "[I] got language out of our current rule system that was gender specific and also made sure that there were two opportunities for the public to engage in the process for a build out we were trying to pass."

He has made public financing a big part of his run for county executive.

"You can trust that the decisions I'm making, whether you agree with them or not, aren't going to be influenced by outside interests or folks trying to get something done, it's gonna be influenced by what's best for the county."

Young plans to tackle affordability, education and more but says that can't begin without connectivity between government and people.

"They can feel trust in our local government to call when they need to address something. And that's a measure of success that only comes from building a team that recognizes the goal is to make people's lives better."

He wants to reassure voters that, if elected he will know who he works for.

"We're going to lead with integrity, we're going to lead with putting people first and ourselves second."

Endorsements:
VoteVets
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 51
Gun Sense Voter

Julian Jones

Julian Jones spent 32 years in the Anne Arundel County fire department before sitting on the council for since 2014, dealing with a range of issues.

“From gun control to giving kids free breakfast and lunch, to giving every kid an opportunity, to succeed by giving them free tuition at the community college," Jones said.

If elected, he plans to tackle a myriad of issues from education, youth activities, transportation, public safety, and more.

But during a sit down with WMAR-2 News, he said that what has excited voters the most so far is his energy plan.

"My plan is through community choice aggregation, we as a county will have a right to purchase that energy from anyone we want. BGE will still deliver it, but we will decide where we're gonna purchase it from. That's gonna give us opportunities to generate energy in Baltimore County through solar and other opportunities."

Jones also plans to form a team whose focus it is to bring people here to Baltimore County to boost the economy.

"Their job is going to be to go across the country, around the world and tell people about this great place called Baltimore County and all we have to offer and we may even pay for the airfare to come and check it out."

In a message to voters, he said that this election is about choosing the candidate whose experience backs up their plans.

"This is not a time for novice or training wheels. This is a time for someone like myself who has a proven track record of leadership and accomplishments."

Endorsements:
Governor Wes Moore
Senator Angela Alsobrooks
Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates
Congressman. Kweisi Mfume
Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
SMART Transportation Division

Nick Stewart

Nick Stewart worked for Baltimore City and the State of Maryland was vice chair of the county school board saying he pushed against the school system becoming too political.

"So in a real effort to try and serve kids, we had to make sure we were focused on pushing back on the partisanship," Stewart said.

He's running to inspire change and to help solve the affordability crisis in the county.

"We have built the most comprehensive plan of any candidate in this race," he said, "The average person is spending about $1800 for a single child per month for childcare in Baltimore County, I find that unacceptable. We have the highest utility rates in the country, I find that to be unacceptable. Our seniors are being forced out of their homes as well, all of which is unacceptable."

His plans focus on schools, data centers, public safety, immigration and more, but a big part of his campaign is about taking steps to change laws already in place especially when it comes to housing.

Stewart wants to turn away from the adequate public facilities ordinance, a rule preventing school overcrowding by putting restrictions on residential developments if a nearby school district is flagged as overcrowded.

He said he brought his ideas to the county council and was turned away, influencing his run.

"I'm against housing bans. I believe that doesn't work to our ultimate benefit and value. I believe in building more schools instead of just holding to the capacity that we have."

He had his own message for voters.

"We can change and it's not just up to me or up to our elected officials, it's up to people," he said, "We can make this moment into a movement, we just have to do it together."

Endorsements:
Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 4
Baltimore County Progressive Democrats Club
FreeState Equality
Maryland National Organization for Women
Blue and Gold Democratic Club
Baltimore County IAFF Local 1311

Mansoor Shams

Mansoor Shams is new to the political stage, but to him that's a plus.

"What I see in our politics is disingenuousness, half truths and lies," Shams said.

Shams is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with four years of service under his belt and currently works as a Community Engagement and Outreach Officer for the Department of Recreation and Parks.

He told WMAR-2 News that he grew up facing hardships many County residents face today.

"I grew up in Section 8 housing, I grew up on food stamps, I even spent a short time in the foster care system."

If elected, his main priorities are to establish a housing stabilizing fund, county mini marts, and to reduce property taxes for seniors and disabled veteran homeowners.

His proposed household stabilizing fund would offer families a little extra money to cover the gap between income and living expenses.

"If you're making under $30,000, you get the $250. If you're from $31,000 to $55,000, you get $150. And then from $56,000 to $75,000, you get $100."

He aims for the county mini marts to address affordable resource deserts for residents and to support seniors by reducing county property taxes by 50% for residents age 65 and up while homeowners age 70 and up would not have to pay any County property tax.

He had a message for voters.

"This is an election about your conscience, your moral conscience, about integrity," he said, "Do you want someone lying to you? Does anyone want that? Do you want someone to be truthful?"

No listed endorsements from organizations

Early voting starts June 11 and the Maryland Primary is June 23.

The democratic winner will face the republican and independent candidate in the general election in November.