Julian Jones declared victory Tuesday night in the race for Baltimore County executive, putting him on track to become the county's first elected Black county executive after a decade representing the council's 4th District. The Democrat was holding a commanding lead over Republican Patrick Dyer as ballots continued to be counted across the county.
As of 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jones led Dyer by 25 points with 70% of the votes counted, according to WBAL-TV. A separate snapshot from Patch showed that at 11:22 p.m., results released by the Maryland Election Board had Jones with 129,943 votes to Dyer's 71,279. The three-way contest also included unaffiliated candidate Rob Daniels, per Patch's reporting. Those figures were snapshots from election night rather than certified final results.
Jones beat his Republican rival to become Baltimore County's first elected Black county executive, according to The Banner. He has represented the council's 4th District since 2014, the station's report notes, and he is set to be inaugurated alongside other new county officials on December 5, The Banner reported.
An Open Seat After an Unusual Succession
The county executive's office was open this cycle following the County Council's appointment of Kathy Klausmeier in January 2025 to fill the remaining term, per the same WBAL-TV account. That appointment came with a condition: Klausmeier agreed not to run for a full term of her own, the station reported.
In his victory remarks, Jones pledged to make the county safer, more affordable and prosperous for families, according to WBAL-TV's report. He said he traveled to every corner of Baltimore County during the campaign, and described hearing from parents concerned about the state of schools, seniors worried about affording to remain in their communities, and small business owners struggling to grow.
Public Safety and a 24/7 Crisis Center
On crime, Jones said he would redirect officers' focus away from welfare checks and mental health calls toward fighting violent crime. He said he wants to create a 24/7 crisis center and expand the county's mobile crisis unit, the station reported. He has also voiced support for greater use of school resource officers to intervene early with young people.
Schools, Recreation and an Energy Pitch Modeled on Montgomery County
Jones has proposed leveraging private partnerships to build 15 schools that the county would lease, and he has pledged to open eight recreation centers and two aquatic centers. He has said bringing people and jobs to Baltimore County is key to its future.
On energy costs, Jones has pushed for Community Choice Aggregation, a model already used in Montgomery County, under which Baltimore County would purchase energy with more renewable options from suppliers and offer reduced rates to residents. Speaking to WYPR back in March, Jones said electricity prices had been breaking records every year and that he did not expect them to get cheaper without major action.
Housing Pressures Loom Large
The incoming administration takes over amid mounting housing strain. More than half of renting households in the county are considered cost burdened, spending at least 30% of their income on housing, The Banner has reported. A county housing assessment also found a nearly 19,000-unit deficit in homes affordable to the county's lowest-income residents, and estimated the county needs more than 12,000 additional homes to accommodate projected growth through 2037.
Separately, a Baltimore County housing report found the county leads Maryland in evictions, according to state data cited by The Banner. Jones' win also comes in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1, and no Republican has been elected county executive since 1990, when Roger Hayden served one term, per The Banner's reporting.
Other Races on the Ballot
Jones was not the only history-maker on Tuesday's ballot. Clyde Boatwright won the race for county sheriff and is set to become the first Black sheriff in that role, The Banner reported. Sarah David ran unopposed for state's attorney after defeating incumbent Scott Shellenberger in the June primary, according to the outlet.
