Proclaiming himself the outsider candidate, attorney Nick Stewart Tuesday night announced he is running for Baltimore County Executive in 2026.
Stewart, a Democrat, is running on fixing the county’s housing crisis which he says is a moral issue.
With his wife Katie and his four children by his side, Stewart told the crowd of supporters at Heavy Seas Beer in Halethorpe that seniors are struggling to stay in their homes and public servants like nurses and firefighters can’t afford to live in the communities they serve.
Stewart said the county has done that to itself by getting tangled in red tape.
“It cannot take six years to build a new housing unit in Baltimore County,” Stewart said. “It cannot take 15 years to build a new high school. It cannot take 90 minutes to travel from Rosedale to Tradepoint Atlantic. It cannot be that we allow redevelopments to die because they’ve been delayed into the grave.”
Stewart, who is a co-founder of the smart growth group We The People-Baltimore County, has routinely skewered county council members for blocking development reform and running their districts like fiefdoms.
“We have a moment now,” Stewart said. “We can choose progress over endless procedure.”
Barry Williams, who recently lost a bid to be appointed county executive by the county council when Johnny Olszewski resigned after winning a congressional seat, endorsed Stewart’s candidacy.
“I don’t always expect to agree with the county executive, but I do need assurance that the county executive is looking out for all in Baltimore County, and not prone to parochial, petty politics,” Williams said.
Abby Beytin, who worked with Stewart when he was on the county school board and she was the president of TABCO, the teachers’ union, said he has the vision, the work ethic, the commitment and the confidence.
“With the looming uncertainty about budget cuts and who knows what else coming from the federal government, we truly understand the importance of elections,” Beytin said. “Elections matter and electing caring, capable people is critical.”
Stewart joins First District County Councilman Pat Young in the race for the Democratic nomination for Baltimore County Executive. Others are expected to follow in what likely will be a costly and competitive battle. The seat will be open because the current county executive, Kathy Klausmeier, said she will not run in 2026.
Council members Julian Jones and Izzy Patoka are expected to jump in. Both have raised more than $1 million according to campaign finance reports that were released in January.
State Sen. Charles Sydnor said he is considering the race as well and expects to make a decision in June.
In an interview, Stewart said he will be able to compete against better known candidates with more money to spend because people have had enough waiting for their government to deliver.
Stewart said, “At the end of the day, what we have the benefit of is tapping into issues that people care very much about.”
Stewart also has hired the same fundraiser as Governor Wes Moore. He said he currently has raised nearly $150,000.
The winner of the Democratic nomination has a good shot at becoming the next county executive. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the county by more than two to one. The last Republican to be elected county executive was Roger Hayden in 1990.
