Sen. Kathy Klausmeier (D) represents a portion of Baltimore County. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines.
As political insiders in Baltimore and Prince George’s counties anticipate the looming fights to replace their departing county executives, a new poll shows that voters in the two jurisdictions don’t know a lot about their likeliest successors.
With Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) headed to the U.S. Senate on Jan. 3 and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. (D) headed to the U.S. House that same day, their counties are about to embark on cumbersome and politically fraught succession battles.
In Baltimore County, the ritual is fairly clear cut: Whenever Olszewski formally resigns, the county council begins the process of choosing his replacement. In Prince George’s, the method for picking the next county executive will depend on when Alsobrooks resigns, with three scenarios possible.
In Baltimore County, at least three council members are interested in succeeding Olszewski: Julian Jones (D), Izzy Patoka (D) and Pat Young (D). But it seems likely that none has the votes required on the seven-member council to win the appointment, increasing the possibility that the council will opt to appoint an interim executive who will serve out the remaining two years of Olszewski’s term and perhaps pledge not to seek a full four-year term in 2026.
The Baltimore Banner reported Thursday that the county will be accepting applications for the vacancy through Nov. 29 and will release the names of the applicants on Dec. 2. The county council will hold a public forum for the candidates on Dec. 10.
In Prince George’s, if Alsobrooks resigns by Dec. 5, the two-year anniversary of her being sworn in for a second term, a special election will take place to replace her. If her resignation comes later, the council will choose her replacement, with only council members eligible to get the nod.
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If council members are deadlocked for two weeks, the person who is the sitting council president at the time becomes executive for two years — though that person’s identity won’t be known until the council’s organizational meeting on Dec. 3.
Confused? You should be.
But this may not come as a surprise: The candidates quietly — and in some cases, not so quietly — mobilizing to try to succeed Olszewski and Alsobrooks aren’t terribly well known to average voters.
That’s according to a poll conducted for Blended Public Affairs, an Annapolis-based firm headed by Alexandra Hughes, the former chief of staff to two Maryland House speakers. This is the maiden public poll of a new alliance between the firm and Donna Victoria, a Maryland-based Democratic pollster, who has just become a strategic partner at Blended Public Affairs.
“We started Blended based on a theory that impact and influence happen in a different way today than 20 years ago,” Hughes said. “Media, social media, grass-roots, coalition building and research drive the way people make decisions now more than ever. We are thrilled to add polling and qualitative research to our suite of services to give clients the best possible real-time information to impact their long-term strategic goals.”
Hughes’ firm already expanded earlier this year when she hired Dori Henry, a former top aide to Olszewski and other leading Maryland Democrats, as senior vice president.
When it comes to the two counties and their succession processes, the voters’ views are largely irrelevant, assuming there isn’t a special election in Prince George’s. Still, their knowledge and opinions of the potential next county executives are interesting and instructive.
In Baltimore County, the best-known possible contender is state Sen. Katherine Klausmeier (D). She was viewed favorably by 26% of voters and unfavorably by 10%. Twenty-four percent of voters said they knew her name but could not render a judgment, while 40% said they did not know her or recognize her name. Klausmeier, who could be seen as an interim appointment to complete Olszewski’s term and then not run again in 2026, has served in the General Assembly since 1995.
Patoka was viewed favorably by 19% of voters and unfavorably by 13%, while 21% said they recognized his name but had no opinion and 47% said they didn’t recognize his name.
Jones was viewed favorably by 15% and unfavorably by 14%. Nineteen percent of voters said they recognized his name but had no opinion, while 52% said they didn’t know him.
Young was viewed favorably by 19% of voters and unfavorably by 6%, while 25% said they recognized his name but had no opinion and 49% said they didn’t know him.
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Two other Baltimore County leaders have indicated they may put in for the appointment: Yara Cheikh, an education advocate, and Barry Williams, a former head of the county’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Cheikh was viewed favorably by 10% of voters and unfavorably by 8%, while 12% said they knew her name but had no opinion and 70% said they didn’t know her.
Williams was viewed favorably by 13% of voters and unfavorably by 7%, while 20% said they recognized his name but had no opinion and 60% said they didn’t know him.
The pollster also queried Baltimore County voters on a few additional questions. Asked what issues will have “the most significant impact” on their lives over the next five years, 30% of voters said inflation and the cost of living; 27% said crime and public safety; 15% said housing affordability; 12% said juvenile crime; 8% said quality of schools; and 7% said the impact of the presidential election on the county.
Asked if they would support implementing an infrastructure fee to fix “critical facilities” like libraries, schools, fire stations and recreation facilities, 45% said yes, 33% said no, and 23% were unsure.
The poll interviewed 465 Baltimore County voters online between Nov. 14 and 16.
In Prince George’s County, the pollster tested names of five potential successors to Alsobrooks, and at least two were relatively well known.
Forty-six percent of voters said they viewed two-term State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) favorably, while 15% viewed her unfavorably. Seventeen percent said they knew her name but offered no opinion, while 23% said they did not know her.
Former two-term County Executive Rushern Baker (D) was viewed favorably by 37% of voters and unfavorably by 21%, while 20% said they were familiar with his name but offered no opinion and 22% said they didn’t know him.
State Treasurer Dereck Davis (D), a Prince George’s resident, had a 19% favorability rating compared to 9% of voters who viewed him unfavorably. Twenty-six percent said they knew him but could not offer an opinion, while 46% said they did not know him.
Braveboy, Baker and Davis could only run to succeed Alsobrooks if there is a special election to replace her. They would not be able to compete if Alsobrooks steps down after Dec. 5 and the vote falls to the county council.
Two council members who have expressed an interest in replacing Alsobrooks were also included in the poll. Councilmember Jolene Ivey (D) was far better known of the two.
Ivey was viewed favorably by 39% of voters and unfavorably by 13%, while 29% said they knew her name but not well enough to offer an opinion and 19% said they didn’t know her.
Councilmember Calvin Hawkins (D) had a 22% favorability rating, compared to 9% of voters who viewed him unfavorably. Thirty percent of voters said they knew his name but could not offer an opinion, while 38% said they did not know him at all.
Asked whether they would support the state investing to build a new football stadium for the Washington Commanders, 41% of voters said yes while 39% said no and another 20% were unsure.
Asked what issues will have “the most significant impact” on their lives over the next five years, 27% of voters said inflation and the cost of living; 25% said crime overall; 15% said housing affordability; 13% said the impact of the presidential election on the county; 10% said quality of schools; and 9% said juvenile crime.
The Prince George’s County sample size was 475 registered voters, and the poll was conducted Nov. 14-16.
District 30 movement
While the news is not a surprise, state Del. Dana Jones (D-Anne Arundel) formally announced Thursday that she plans to apply for the Senate vacancy in the 30th legislative district when outgoing Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth (D) departs to enter the U.S. House of Representatives.
Elfreth plans to resign on Jan. 2, a day before she is sworn in. The Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee will recommend a replacement for Elfreth to Gov. Wes Moore (D), who has the ultimate say.
In a statement announcing her intention to apply for Elfreth’s seat, Jones, who has served in the House for 4 ½ years, said she hoped to build on Elfreth’s record.
“I have been able to deliver results for our District because I’ve prioritized collaboration while building trust with my colleagues in the legislature,” she said.
“In the years to come, the role of the State government is more important than ever. There is significant work to be done to protect our progress, while recognizing and addressing the economic hardships and uncertainty of Marylanders across our State,” her statement said. “It is essential that we expand access to reproductive healthcare, build an inclusive State for our marginalized communities, and ensure that all of our residents feel safe and secure. This is difficult work, and it requires cooperative, trusted, and proven leadership.”
Jones is expected to face off against her fellow District 30A delegate, Shaneka Henson (D), for the Senate nod. There has been some speculation that former Anne Arundel County Councilmember Jamie Benoit (D) would also seek the Senate appointment, but he told Maryland Matters this week, “I don’t have any current intentions of competing for the District 30 Senate seat.”