Johnny Olszewski

Politics & Government Olszewski, Elfreth Win U.S. House Bids In MD; 1 Race Not Called: AP Democrats Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski and Annapolis State Sen. Sarah Elfreth are projected to win their U.S. House races.

Democratic Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, pictured above, is projected to defeat Republican challenger Kim Klacik in Maryland's 2nd Congressional District. (Jacob Baumgart/Patch)

Last updated Wednesday at 12:26 a.m.

MARYLAND — Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski (D-District 2) and current State Sen. Sarah Elfreth (now D-District 3) are projected to win their races for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Associated Press said Tuesday evening. The Baltimore Banner reported that 36-year-old Elfreth is Maryland's youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

All of Maryland's House incumbents are also projected to win reelection, the AP said. These Congressmen are projected to return to Capitol Hill: Andy Harris (R-District 1), Glenn Ivey (D-District 4), Steny Hoyer (D-District 5), Kweisi Mfume (D-District 7) and Jamie Raskin (D-District 8). Maryland still awaits a race call in District 6, which pits former state Del. Neil Parrott (R) against federal employee April McClain Delaney (D).

Congressmen C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-District 2) and John Sarbanes (D-District 3) are both retiring and chose not to seek reelection. Rep. David Trone (D-District 6) ran for Senate but lost the primary to Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, freeing his House seat. In Congress, Olszewski wants to address public safety, abortion rights and the cost of living.

Back in Baltimore County, Olszewski thinks one of his biggest accomplishments was investing $225 million in parks and open space. The former civics teacher takes further pride in planning $3 billion in school construction and improvements. "[I'm] very proud of the ways in which we're improving our infrastructure, making our communities more desirable," Olszewski told Patch in an exclusive Tuesday interview.

Olszewski also believes he "made Baltimore County government more open, more accessible, more transparent." He highlighted the creation of the Offices of the Inspector General and Community Engagement. He also pointed to the new 311 information line, town hall meetings, open budgets and data dashboards. "The list goes on and on, and really this is about trying to turn government from the inside to be more outfacing," Olszewski said. "The government that is accessible and transparent and connected is one that serves its residents best." Olszewski has come under fire in recent months after reports that his administration made secret pension payments to his friend's brother. The state GOP called for Olszewski's immediate resignation, while County Council Republicans instead asked for an investigation before jumping to conclusions. The county executive dismissed the accusations as "a political party trying to score political points." He reaffirmed his commitment to the inspector general evaluating reports of governmental wrongdoing, but he said he's an open book.

"People who know me know that I am a person of integrity, that I operate with openness and fairness in all that I do," Olszewski said. "Everything we've done has been moral, ethical, legal."

Kweisi Mfume (D)*: 78.51%

Scott M. Collier (R): 18.84%

Ronald M. Owens-Bey (Libertarian): 2.43% District 8 Jamie Raskin (D)*: 75.38%

Cheryl Riley (R): 21.96%

Nancy Wallace (Green Party): 2.46% District 2 (Klacik vs. Olszewski) The highest-profile House race in Maryland is in District 2, which covers most of Baltimore and Carroll counties, along with a sliver of Baltimore City. Olszewski is taking on Republican Kim Klacik, a repeat candidate previously endorsed by then-President Donald Trump (R). Olszewski was elected county executive in 2018 and reelected in 2022. The Dundalk native bills himself as a fighter for the middle class. With a waterfront home on Millers Island, he views himself as an environmentalist. Implementing red-flag gun laws is another priority for him. "I hope that folks who have looked over the totality of my career see that I am someone who has been responsive," Olszewski said in a Baltimore Banner story published on Oct. 24. Klacik thinks the pension payments hurt Olszewski's credibility.

"When I speak to voters, there are some that are saying, 'I just can't imagine promoting him to the federal level considering what he's done as a county executive,'" Klacik told The Banner. "Whether it was with taxpayer dollars, that secret pension payment, things like that."

Klacik, a Black woman, soared to national attention in 2020 behind a viral campaign ad entitled "Black Lives Don't Matter To Democrats." The video spotlighted Baltimore's crumbling infrastructure and gun violence. She argued that Democrats have failed the city for decades and urged Black residents to vote for Republicans. The ad, which has nearly 1 million views on YouTube, drew an endorsement from Trump in her 7th District race. Klacik lost two elections to former NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume (D) after Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings died, opening up the seat representing Baltimore. Klacik is running again, this time in the 2nd District. "There are some people that probably feel that they don't know me very well," Klacik told The Banner, which noted that she's never held public office. "I'm looking at it as: He has a poor record where I have no record at all. People are going to have to think, 'Do we choose who we know or the person that we don't know and hope that they are better?'" U.S. House District 2 candidate Kim Klacik (R) had campaign signs at the polls in Perry Hall. (Jacob Baumgart/Patch) District 2 Voter Reactions Patch interviewed voters Tuesday at Perry Hall High School, a polling site with a melting pot of political orientations.

Conservative Noreen Kennedy backed Klacik.

"She's awesome. She's feisty," Kennedy said, recalling Klacik's ad. "She loves Baltimore ... Baltimore needs help." Joe Rodriguez voted for all the Republicans on his ballot. He disapproved of Olszewski's performance as county executive, so he voted for Klacik. "I've seen Johnny O and what he's running for, and I'm not with him," Rodriguez said. John Douglas, a registered Republican and split-ticket voter, also turned to Klacik.

"I don't particularly like Johnny Olszewski," Douglas said. "He's another guy that's looking out for himself. He's done things that I don't think are in the best interest of the community." Olszewski's record of funding parks and schools has earned him some name recognition, however, winning him Democratic votes in the primarily liberal district. "He's been the candidate before, and [I] just kind of stuck with the option there: Democrat," said Shelby Fleming, who voted for all the liberal candidates. U.S. House candidate and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski (D), middle, spoke with voters Tuesday at Perry Hall High School. (Jacob Baumgart/Patch) District 3 (Elfreth Vs. Steinberger) In District 3, State Sen. Sarah Elfreth (D-District 30) meets political outsider and businessman Robert J. Steinberger (R). That district covers the northeast half of Anne Arundel County, all of Howard County and southern Carroll County. Elfreth ascended quickly after she was first elected in 2018. She advanced out of a crowded Democratic primary for the House, defeating competitors like District 32 Dels. Mark Chang and Mike Rogers. She also beat Harry Dunn (D), a former U.S. Capitol Police officer who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Elfreth prioritizes education, Chesapeake Bay protection and small businesses. She successfully fought for legislation that used casino taxes to fund disaster relief. That money helped Annapolis storefronts recover from January's flooding. Steinberger, who served in the Navy Individual Ready Reserves, wants to curb illegal immigration. He personally opposes abortion and most federal funding for it, but he believes the procedure should remain available. Steinberger wants to advance Maryland's role in the cybersecurity sector and revamp health care by increasing market competition. District 6 (Delaney Vs. Parrott) District 6 pits former state Del. Neil Parrott (R) against federal employee April McClain Delaney (D) in a race for northwest Montgomery County, all of Frederick County and all of Western Maryland. This could be the state's closest Congressional race. It may also be the Maryland GOP's best chance to gain its second Republican congressman behind District 1 incumbent Andy Harris. With the Democratic Trone losing his Senatorial primary, his District 6 House seat is now open for newcomers. A poll released in September had Parrott with 41% of the vote to Delaney's 39% while 20% of the electorate was undecided. The survey had a margin of error of +/- 5.6 percentage points. Pollsters think the election will come down to Frederick County, where Delaney led 44% to 29%.