Six out of seven of Baltimore County’s council members say they plan to run for reelection next year or are leaning in that direction. This comes as the county is about to redraw its council districts based on the decennial census.
Democratic Councilwoman Cathy Bevins said she intends to run for a fourth four-year-term. Her district runs from Democratic Towson to Republican Middle River.
“It would be nice if redistricting went into a little bit more Democratic territory for me,” Bevins said. “That would be swell. I would be giddy over that.”
Bevins said redistricting will not affect her reelection plans and she is starting to raise money.
The county’s redistricting commission must make a recommendation to the council by October 15 on how the councilmanic lines should be redrawn for the next decade. The council will vote early next year on what its district lines will be.
Bevins went through this once before, in the 2014 election that followed the 2010 redistricting. She said she picked up more than a half dozen new precincts. She had to knock on around 5,000 doors to introduce herself to those voters. Bevins said she is ready to do that again.
“I’m going to introduce myself and show them what my record is and hope they like me.”
Democrats Julian Jones and Izzy Patoka and Republicans Todd Crandell and Wade Kach said they will run again.
Republican David Marks said he is leaning toward running for what would be his fourth term.
Kach, who represents the middle of the county to the Pennsylvania line, is running for a third term. Before serving on the council, he was in the Maryland General Assembly for 40 years, so he has been through redistricting a time or two.
“I’ve been through so many of these, I can tell you that it’s too premature,” Kach said. “We don’t even have the numbers per precinct.”
The United States Census Bureau released the 2020 census last week. In an email, Thomas Bostwick, the county council’s legislative counsel, said the county does not yet have the census data from the state it needs for redistricting. Bostwick said he hopes the redistricting commission will have some census data before its next meeting August 24.
Democratic Councilman Tom Quirk, who represents the 1st District, which includes the Arbutus and Catonsville areas, announced earlier this year he will not run for reelection.
Two Democrats have filed to run in the 1st district to replace him: Delegate Pat Young and business owner Paul Dongarra.
Earlier this year, Quirk proposed three-term limits for council members. That proposal was defeated.
