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2022 Elections 

Election Update: Early 2021

Annapolitics Staff

Leading Off

Governor (R), Comptroller (R) – In the first in a series of moves that seemed very coordinated, Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford announced that he would not seek the Republican nomination for Governor. Then, Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly Schultz announced that she would be running for Governor. Finally, Harford County Executive Barry Glassman, who has alternatively been mentioned as a possible candidate for Governor or Congress, announced that he will be running for the open Comptroller job being vacated by Peter Franchot.

In AA County

Anne Arundel County Executive – Former delegate Herb McMillan (R) has officially filed to run for County Executive in this politically competitive county next year. McMillan has been openly critical of the Democratic incumbent, Steuart Pittman, and his use of emergency powers to limit the spread of COVID-19 by limiting restaurant capacity.

McMillan will face a competitive Republican primary. Businessman Chris Jahn had already filed to run, and County Councilperson Jessica Haire is expected to enter the race as well. Delegate Sid Saab is reportedly also considering throwing his hat into the ring.

Annapolis Ward 2 – The only Republican on the Annapolis City Council, Fred Paone of Ward 2, announced this week that he would not run for re-election. While 68% of Ward 2 voted for Joe Biden last November, local elections have been much more competitive. The only filed candidate as of this writing is entrepreneur Karma O’Neill (D), but nonprofit and community leader Scott Gibson (R) has officially announced his candidacy to the Capital Gazette.

Anne Arundel County Sheriff – Democrat James Williams came within 900 votes of winning the open race for sheriff in 2018. Everett Sesker, a retired police officer from Prince George’s County who is currently a law enforcement consultant, has filed to run as a Democrat in 2022.

Around the State

Governor (D) – Rushern Baker has announced that he will be competing for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2022. Baker, who served in the House of Delegates from Prince George’s County between 1994-2003, was elected County Executive in 2010. The county at the time was suffering from high crime rates, poor educational outcomes, and the sitting county executive was embroiled in a corruption scandal. By the time he left office after serving two terms in 2018, he had overhauled the county’s education system, implemented ethics reforms, and transformed Prince George’s County into the state’s fastest-growing economy.

This will be Baker’s second campaign for the state’s top job; he ran for Governor in 2018 but took second place in the Democratic primary to Ben Jealous, 40-29%. Jealous went on to lose the general election to Republican Larry Hogan.

Peter Franchot, currently serving as state Comptroller, announced his candidacy last month. Last week, he released a 14-point pledge that outlines a surprisingly progressive platform for Franchot’s campaign.

Other Candidates:

  • Declared
    • Ashwani Jain (Montgomery) – former Obama administration official
  • Exploring
    • John “Johnny O” Olszewski, Jr. (Baltimore County) – Olszewski has pursued a progressive agenda since being elected Baltimore County Executive in 2018, and he’s headlined several fundraisers around the state. While he hasn’t officially announced his candidacy, he did post a tweet this week that acknowledged his interest.
    • Doug Gansler (Montgomery) – 2014 candidate for Governor and Attorney General from 2007-15. Maryland Matters reported that Gansler is expected to officially announce his candidacy in the coming weeks
    • Tom Perez (Montgomery) – As Obama’s Secretary of Labor from 2013-17 and Chair of the DNC from 2017-21, Perez is extremely well-connected and could conceivably raise millions from all over the country for a gubernatorial bid
    • John B. King, Jr. (Montgomery) – The former New York Education Commissioner moved to Maryland when he was appointed as Deputy Secretary, and later Secretary of Education by President Obama in 2015. After Obama left office, King stayed in Maryland and founded the progressive advocacy group Strong Future Maryland
    • Jon Baron (Montgomery) – former Clinton administration official, has informed several media sources that he’s exploring a bid and has launched a website
    • Wes Moore (Baltimore City) – The anti-poverty nonprofit leader, Army veteran, and author of two bestselling books was rumored to be looking into the Baltimore mayoral race in 2020, and Maryland Matters reports that he’s now exploring a bid for Governor
  • Unlikely/Declined
    • Steuart Pittman (Anne Arundel) – The sitting AA County Executive plans to run for re-election.
    • Angela Alsobrooks (Prince George’s) – The sitting PG County Executive plans to run for re-election.

State Senate-42 – State legislative districts will be redrawn early next year, but District 42 in northern Baltimore County is likely to be one of the most competitive in the state. Originally drawn as a Republican district in 2014, incumbent Democratic Senator Jim Brochin nevertheless won re-election that year. Brochin ran for County Executive in 2018, leaving the seat open. The open seat was predictably won by Republican Chris West, but by a tighter 51-49% margin than most observers expected. Two years later, Joe Biden carried District 42 by a huge 59-38% margin. Several Democrats are naturally rumored to be exploring campaigns to unseat West.

This week, the first Democrat announced his candidacy: DCC member and Marine veteran Jeff Bonner.