There are fewer candidates running for county executive than there were four years ago, but their campaigns have raised $4.2 million more than at the same point in 2022, for a total of $16.24 million, according to preprimary campaign finance reports.
Most of the fundraising has come in three large counties with open executive seats: Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties, where Executive Marc Elrich and Executive Steuart Pittman are term-limited, and Baltimore County, where Executive Kathy Klausmeier said she would not run for the job she was appointed to last year.
Despite a robust Democratic race to succeed Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, fundraising there is actually down from four years ago. But fundraising is up in Harford County, where Executive Bob Cassilly (R) is defending his seat against two Republican challengers.
More than a quarter of the state’s $16.24 million raised in county executive races came in Montgomery County, where the five Democrats and two Republicans in the race reported pulling in a total of $4.52 million as of their last report.
