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Democrats Mike Ertel and state Del. Pat Young have prevailed in races for Baltimore County Council’s two open seats in the central 6th District and the southwestern 1st District.
Republican David Marks handily won reelection to a fourth term in the redrawn 5th District, where his voters more than doubled those who cast their ballots for Marks’ challenger, Crystal Francis, the former chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, holding 67.7% of the vote by midnight Wednesday.
Insurance broker Mike Ertel held more than 65% of the vote by midnight. Ertel, who has for decades championed community causes related to school construction, noise pollution and development, said “it’s a relief” to end the “long road” of a competitive campaign.
And Ertel is ready to work, he said: “We have a lot of things in the 6th District that need to be addressed.”
Ertel joined Young and dozens of other local and state Baltimore County-elected officials at The Charles Village Pub & Patio, where County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. announced late Tuesday evening that his campaign “fully expects” to clinch reelection.
As Olszewski announced Ertel and Young as Baltimore County’s new councilmen, they high-fived with incumbent councilmen Izzy Patoka and Julian Jones, garnering resounding cheers from hundreds of Democratic supporters.
Del. Cathi Forbes, a Towson representative who has worked with Ertel for years on local issues like school overcrowding, said the West Towson resident has been a well-known figure in the Towson area for decades and has earned a position on the council, where he’s better placed to serve his community.
“He makes everything his responsibility,” Forbes said with a laugh.
He has been vying against Republican Antonio “Tony” Campbell, a Towson University political science professor. The pair are vying to represent a reconfigured 6th District that includes county seat Towson, Parkville and Rosedale.
Baltimore County elections canvassers processed tens of thousands of mailed and in-person ballots by Tuesday evening — but there are tens of thousands more left to go.
With all precincts counted in the 1st District, which encompasses Catonsville, Arbutus, Lansdowne and a sliver of Woodlawn, Young, 39, has prevailed, with 63.4% of the vote over Republican Albert “Al” Nalley, a 71-year-old Catonsville retiree and former small-business owner.
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Young, a Catonsville native who has represented southwestern county neighborhoods in the General Assembly since 2015, said Tuesday evening that he intends to meet with constituents and community groups upon his election.
His goal is to create an office that’s accessible to his constituents — which doesn’t happen overnight, the former Marine Corps. veteran said.
Incumbents scored victories in the remaining four districts.
In the western 4th District, Democratic Council Chair Julian Jones, 59, won with 80% over Republican Kim Bryant, a 57-year-old business owner.
In the 2nd District, Councilman Izzy Patoka, a 64-year-old Democrat, has claimed victory with 78% of the vote. He was facing Republican challenger James Amos.
With all precincts reported in the northern 3rd District, Republican Councilman Wade Kach, 74, won reelection to a third term with a 26-point lead over Democratic challenger and teacher Paul Henderson, 56, of Sparks.
And in the southeastern 7th District, Republican Councilman Todd Crandell, 53, has more than 63% of the vote in a race against Democratic and Libertarian challengers, with two precincts left to tally as of midnight Wednesday.
By 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Neither Jones, Patoka, Kach nor Crandell had publicly declared victory.
taylor.deville@thebaltimorebanner.com
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Taylor DeVille covered Baltimore County government for The Baltimore Banner with a focus on the County Executive, County Council, accountability and quality of life issues affecting suburban residents. Before joining The Banner, Taylor covered Baltimore County government and breaking news for The Baltimore Sun.
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