Nick Stewart, who is a Democratic candidate for Baltimore County Executive, picked up the endorsement Monday of Jim Smith, who once held that job.
At a news conference in Essex, Smith criticized the three council members Stewart is running against for the Democratic nomination, Izzy Patoka, Julian Jones and Pat Young.
“They have a political bio if you will,” Smith said. “Where are the accomplishments? Where are the things that would make you think they can step from being a legislator into being the chief executive? It’s just not there.”
Smith said Stewart, who is an attorney and a former school board member, would bring freshness, energy and integrity to the position.
“Same old same old is not going to make a difference,” Smith said.
Councilman Patoka said he finds it ironic that “someone who claims to be fresh and new is bringing in Baltimore County old guard to create that freshness. It’s two conflicting themes to me.”
Smith was Baltimore County Executive for eight years and left office in December of 2010.
Stewart was joined at the news conference by two former council members, Vicki Almond and Tom Quirk, as well as the former county executive.
Patoka added that he and the council have a long series of accomplishments, from banning plastic bags, to expanding the size of the county council to allowing cameras on school buses to catch reckless drivers.
“Anybody who says we’re not doing much is really not paying attention,” Patoka said.
Stewart held his news conference with Renaissance Square in Essex as the backdrop. It is a housing development that was begun during Smith’s administration. The former county executive said it replaced “a slum.”
Smith said Stewart “wants to do the work that will put Baltimore County in the forefront.”
Stewart, who has made housing a key part of his campaign, said Renaissance Square represents what is possible.
“We are in crisis,” Stewart said. “We face an affordability crisis.”
He said that is driven by the high cost of housing.
Stewart added, “We have got to change the way we do business. We cannot afford more of the same.”
Both Patoka and Jones enjoy a huge advantage in fundraising in the June 23 primary.
However, Stewart is using the same fundraising organization as Gov. Wes Moore.
Councilman Young is financing his campaign using public money.
