County executive primaries come with a big price tag

There are fewer candidates running for county executive than there were four years ago, but their campaigns have raised $4.2 million more than at the same point in 2022, for a total of $16.24 million, according to preprimary campaign finance reports.

Most of the fundraising has come in three large counties with open executive seats: Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties, where Executive Marc Elrich and Executive Steuart Pittman are term-limited, and Baltimore County, where Executive Kathy Klausmeier said she would not run for the job she was appointed to last year.

Despite a robust Democratic race to succeed Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, fundraising there is actually down from four years ago. But fundraising is up in Harford County, where Executive Bob Cassilly (R) is defending his seat against two Republican challengers.

More than a quarter of the state’s $16.24 million raised in county executive races came in Montgomery County, where the five Democrats and two Republicans in the race reported pulling in a total of $4.52 million as of their last report.

Money in Montgomery

Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson (D) has raised almost $2.4 million, the third-highest amount among all state office candidates in Maryland, trailing only Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D).

Friedson’s campaign is not limited in its fundraising because he is not accepting public funding, as two of his leading opponents are. Critics have charged that most of Friedson’s major contributions are coming from developers, but Friedson invites them to look at his campaign report.

It included contributions from teachers, nonprofit executives and small business owners. Other donors who contributed at least $6,000 included Anthony Cerveny, chief operating officer at Glenstone Museum in Potomac; Jack Bankowsky, a curator and art critic of New York City; and Michael Epstein, president of Willow Asset Management.

“We’re being attacked because we’re doing well. If we weren’t doing well … then they wouldn’t be attacking us,” Friedson said.

He was endorsed by several Montgomery County Democrats when he announced his county executive bid last year, including Senate Majority Leader Nancy King and Sen. Brian Feldman. Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery) endorsed Friedson last month.

“We are building our support every single day. The momentum is clearly behind us. We have the broadest coalition of anybody in the race,” Friedson said. “Our momentum is hitting at the right time, at the most important moment as we enter this final month and a few days before Election Day.”

The next-biggest fundraiser in the county executive race is fellow Democratic County Councilmember Will Jawando, who reported raising slightly more than $1.2 million in his last report.

Because Jawando is accepting public financing for his campaign, it cannot accept donations above $500 and claim up to $870,000 in an election cycle.

According to Jawando’s campaign report, he’s received several contributions of up t0 $500 from retirees, small business owners and attorneys. Jawando also has backing from elected officials, including Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-7th) and state Treasurer Dereck Davis (D).

The campaign said in a statement last month that it had received about 3,165 individual contributions, more than any other candidate in the race.

“Today’s filing shows what a real grassroots Democratic campaign looks like: 1,800 Montgomery County neighbors, giving what they can, because they believe in what we’re building together,” Jawando said in the statement.

Another Democratic County Councilmember accepting public financing, Evan Glass, reported raising just under $1 million, which his campaign said includes $220,000 from more than 2,500 individual donations and 95% coming from county residents. His campaign said it had received nearly $736,551 in public matching funds and was awaiting another $80,602.

As with Friedson and Jawando, Glass has received contributions from retirees and other workers. But two donations of $500 came from former Rep. David Trone and his wife, June. Besides Trone, who’s currently seeking the Democratic nomination for the 6th Congressional district, Glass also has support from former U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez, state Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery) and Montgomery County Dels. Bonnie Cullison and Lesley Lopez.

“Money can’t buy this kind of grassroots momentum,” Glass said in a statement. “This campaign is powered by people — not special interests. Our vision to make housing more affordable, strengthen our schools, and protect our neighbors is resonating in every corner of the county. We’re running hard and closing strong in these final weeks of the campaign.”

Glass’ campaign said it had almost $514,977 cash on hand as of this week. Friedson reported having about $232,814 cash on hand to Jawando’s $763,675.

  and  have all released campaign videos touting their reasons they should be chosen as the county’s next leader.

There are two other Democratic candidates in the race. Mithun Banerjee has raised less than $1,000 and Peter James only filed an affidavit Feb. 24 that he had established a public finance committee.

Republican candidate Esther Wells raised almost $7,500 and had about $3,200 cash on hand. The other GOP candidate, Shelly Skolnick, reported about $1,000 in a campaign filing from January.

Anne Arundel County

The Anne Arundel County executive race has racked up $2.08 million in contributions between the four candidates left in the primary race.

County Councilmember Allison M. Pickard (D) led in fundraising until last week, when fellow Councilmember Pete Smith edged into the lead, according to a June 12 update to campaign finances. Smith reported raising a total of $768,315 with $66,201 cash in hand. Among his top donors are a handful of development companies and investment firms.

“Our message of economic growth, public safety and environmental protection is resonating across Anne Arundel,” Smith’s campaign said in a May statement. “Unlike other candidates, Pete is not relying on tax dollars and is not being propped up by wannabe king-makers doling out their leftover war chests in a transparent attempt to cement their legacy.”

Pickard is not far behind. As of June, her campaign reported nearly $755,936 in total contributions since the election cycle started in 2023, and she reported still having $204,650 on hand.

Her campaign said in a May statement that Pickard has picked up endorsements from the AFL-CIO, AFSCME Council 3 and unions for ironworkers, painters and transportation workers.

Anne Arundel legislative leaders like Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-3rd) and Sen. Pam Beidle (D-Anne Arundel) are among her donors, but some of her top contributors are dozens of land developers and real estate agents.

“Voters are now beginning to turn their attention to this race, to decide on which candidate is most focused on driving down their costs and standing up to the Trump Administration,” Pickard’s campaign said. “We’re confident we’ve saved our money to share that message now, when it matters most, and that Allison’s track record will resonate with Democrats across the County who want a proven fighter to lead the ticket in November.”

One Democrat is mostly funded by public dollars through the county’s new public campaign financing process – James Kitchin, a longtime staffer with the administration of current County Executive Steuart Pittman.

Public campaign financing is an attempt to let candidates prioritize numerous and smaller donations, rather than relying on political PACs or large donors. In Anne Arundel, public campaign funding is sourced from a couple of funds – including a $1 million appropriation from the Anne Arundel budget.

The board of election currently shows Kitchin’s campaign gained a total of $544,705 as of a June update to the campaign finance reports – with nearly $405,000 coming from the public campaign funds. His campaign report said he has applied for another $30,650 in public matching dollars.

In Anne Arundel’s publicly financed campaign system, the maximum any individual can give in an entire campaign cycle is $250. In typical campaigns, $6,000 is the donation max allowed in Maryland.

For the first $50 someone donates, the public financing option sends $300 to the candidate. The second $50 donation from that same individual earns $200 and the third $50 donation earns another $100 for the candidate. The remaining $100 does not qualify for additional public match dollars.

With 1,049 individual contributors, the average contribution to Kitchin’s without public match dollars is $83. He has endorsements from Pittman, County Councilmember Lisa Rodvien and the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, among others.

“The influence of big money is one of the corrupting factors that prevents our democracy from functioning exactly as it was designed,” Kitchin said in an interview. “Fixing that through public financing is not a silver bullet, bit it’s one of the big steps in the right direction we can take to get back to what democracy is intended to be.”

Kitchin’s campaign reported having $90,220 cash on hand.

“You don’t have to have the most money to win, but you have to have enough money to get your message out,” Kitchin said. “I think public financing has absolutely given us enough resources to do that, and I’ve done so in a way where I’ve taken zero special interest money.”

Democrat Kyle Nembhard, a program manager with Amtrak, reported $1,092.08 in total contributions for this election cycle but recently suspended his campaign to endorse Kitchin’s run.

Dave Crawford, a volunteer firefighter and the lone Republican candidate still in the race, raised about $16,114 in his campaign, and has received $62,500 in loans. He currently has $48,600 cash in hand. His top donors include a few law firms and the Anne Arundel County firefighters union.

Howard County

In Howard County, former Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) has raised the most and has the most cash on hand in a Democratic primary that also features two county council members and a small businessman, all three of whom are publicly financed.

Atterbeary had raised more than $1.2 million and had $335,655 on hand, according to her most recently filed campaign finance report from June. The rest of the candidates in the race are receiving matching public financing, and lag behind the former delegate, who served for about a decade in Annapolis.YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.SUPPORT

County Councilmember Deb Jung is Atterbeary’s closest financial competitor. Her latest financial report said she had contributions totaling $487,214, including matching funds. and had $97,189 on hand as of last week. County Councilmember Liz Walsh reported raising $277,960, including matching funds, and having $64,313 in the bank, according to her June report. Restaurateur Bob Cockey had spent most of his $6,869 in contributions, leaving him with $800 on hand.

Atterbeary, who earned Moore’s endorsement in the race, has received contributions from a host of small donors, a handful of state legislators, political action committees and a number of businesses, including W.R. Grace, a chemical company with a controversial expansion project planned for the Columbia area. Grace contributed $6,000 and the company’s CEO Ed Sparks contributed $2,000, Atterbeary’s May report showed.

In a statement, Atterbeary spokesperson Ned Miller noted her commitment to standing up to corporate interests, and said she has received “support from more than a thousand individual volunteers and donors.”

“As County Executive, nothing will be more important to Vanessa than the safety and well-being of Howard County. She has proven throughout her career that she always puts the best interests of Howard County residents first, repeatedly taking on powerful special interests as Chair of Ways and Means in the General Assembly,” read the statement.

Atterbeary has spent a sizable chunk of her cash, more than $300,000, on television advertisements in the race. She debuted her first television ad in late April, which focused on her plans to stand up to President Donald Trump (R) and improve county schools.

The Democratic primary will decide the next county executive, since no Republicans filed to run.

Baltimore County

In neighboring Baltimore County, where just two of the seven candidates are publicly funded, the fundraising has been a little more freewheeling, led by two of the three county councilmembers who are facing off for the Democratic nomination.

District 4 Councilmember Julian Jones last week reported raising $1.47 million and having $709,248 in cash on hand, the most in both categories of any of the candidates. He was trailed by District 2 Councilmember Israel “Izzy” Patoka’s $1.16 million. Patoka reported having $230,207 on hand.

Patoka’s top donors include real estate and land developers, addiction treatment centers and law firms, among others. A notable contributor to his campaign was former Rep. David Trone, and another $6,000 contribution in 2025 came from Corridor Wine Inc, which has the same address of a Total Wine & More location, which Trone founded and owns. Former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has also contributed two payments of $1,000 to Patoka’s campaign and endorsed him in the race.

Jones and Patoka were trailed by Nick Stewart, an attorney and former member of the Baltimore County Board of Education, who also spent eight years on the county’s Workforce Development Board. Stewart reported bringing in $540,768 and having $47,068 on hand as of last week.

The other councilmember running for executive, Pat Young, is one of two publicly financed candidates in the district, along with Mansoor Shams.

Young reported raising $298,239, according to the June filings, with $71,270 in cash on hand. He reported that $191,614 of his total contributions were public finance contributions, and that he has applied for another $8,918 in matching funds.

Shams, a Democrat, reported raising $33,162 for his campaign as of last week’s pre-primary filing deadline, and having $17,847 left in cash on hand.

On the Republican side, Patrick Dyer reports raising $50,927 this election cycle, but has spent down to $19,578 ahead of the primaries. His opponent in the Republican primaries, Kimberly Stansbury, raised $19,140 with $3,486 left over as of the June update to her campaign filing.

Harford County

There are five candidates running for Harford County executive, but two of them have raised all but $446 of the more than $1.5 million raised for the race: County Executive Bob Cassilly and County Council President Patrick Vincenti.

The two will face off in the Republican primary next week.2026 Voter Guide

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In a report last week, Cassilly’s campaign reported raising $971,040 and having $91,381 on hand.

Some of the contributions reported since Jan. 15 came from local businesses, such as $2,500 each from Aimee O’Neill of O’Neill Enterprises Realty, and Christopher Pisano, president of Apex Flavors. Robert Lenhoff, who owns Lenhoff Landscaping in Baltimore County, also donated that much to the campaign.

Vincenti reporting receiving about $602,619, also from county businesses like C. Adam Pattisall, president and CEO of ITekFED, Harford Building LLC and Wheel and Glass Guys, who gave $6,000 each. A $4,000 contribution came from Heather Vinson of Bay State Land Services in the county.

According to state Board of Elections, Vincenti’s campaign had $233,035 in cash on hand as of last week.

The other registered Republican is Spencer Dagner, who filed an affidavit Feb. 24 to establish a campaign finance committee, but has not filed since.

One registered Democrat, Barbara Kreamer, received a total of $446 in contributions, and had $185 on hand. The other Democrat in the race is Matthew Brown. A finance report filed last week showed he had $91.21, down from the $95 he reported in April, but in both cases he reported having no cash on hand.