Baltimore County, Maryland: Council Expands to Nine Members After Election

Baltimore County, Maryland voters elected a bigger County Council on Tuesday, November 3. The council grows from seven members to nine, its first expansion since the council was established in 1956, with members chosen in redrawn districts. The new council will hold five Democrats and four Republicans, according to the Maryland Association of Counties wrap-up of the unofficial results.

The results come from the State Board of Elections and are not yet official. The association warned that close unofficial results could change as pending votes are counted, and two of the nine races were decided by four points or less.

The wide races

Four districts were not close. In District 2, Democrat Ruben Amaya beat Republican James Amos with 83 percent of the vote. In District 3, Democrat Makeda Scott beat Republican Chike Anyanwu with 86 percent. In District 4, Democrat Karson B. Kamenetz, a 25-year-old law student and the son of former County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, beat Republican Gary Schuman with 83 percent, The Baltimore Banner reported. In District 6, Democratic incumbent Michael P. Ertel beat Republican Christine L. Vondersmith with 74 percent.

In District 1, in the county's southwest corner around Arbutus, Halethorpe and Catonsville, Democrat Paul Dongarra won with 61 percent, taking 14,550 votes against Republican Rheagan Kindle and unaffiliated candidate Joseph D. Hooe, according to the Banner's count. In District 7, Republican David Marks beat Democrat Caridad Santiago with 60 percent.

The close races

District 5, the county's northernmost district, gave the night its closest council finish. Republican Nino Mangione, a former state delegate, won with 49 percent of the vote, 16,835 votes, against Democrat Shawn McIntosh with 45 percent and 15,607 votes, with unaffiliated candidate Cory Shaffer taking 6 percent. Mangione had been appointed to the council in June to fill an open seat and now keeps it by election.

In District 8, Republican Josh Sines beat Democrat Sharonda Dillard-Huffman with 54 percent to 46 percent. In District 9, which covers Dundalk, Rosedale and Edgemere, Republican Tim Fazenbaker won with 49 percent against Democrat Arkia A. Wade with 44 percent in a four-candidate field.

What the bigger council means

The expansion follows a voter-approved ballot measure and a redrawing of district lines, so two parts of the county that shared a council member until now will elect their own. The Banner reported that the new council is on its way to becoming younger and more diverse in race and ideology than the body it replaces. The nine winners will govern alongside County Executive-elect Julian Jones, who won his own race on the same ballot and will become the first Black county executive in Baltimore County history.