Crowded field seeks county seat

Five Republicans battle to take on Democratic incumbent Bevins

Republicans in Eastern Baltimore County are lining up for next month’s primary election as the party takes aim at unseating a two-term Democratic councilwoman in the fall.

Five candidates are competing in the June 26 GOP primary for the District 6 County Council seat held by Councilwoman Cathy Bevins, who is running for a third term. The Republican field is the biggest group of hopefuls in any council race in the county.

The winner will face Bevins in the November general election. The councilwoman, elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 with 57 percent of the vote, faces no challengers in the Democratic primary.

She is one of four Democrats on the seven-member council — Republicans hold the three other seats — and knows why the GOP is taking aim.

“They think they can flip my seat to have a 4-3 majority on the council,” Bevins said.

The district includes the communities of Rosedale, White Marsh, Middle River and Parkville.

Bevins’ district is home to more than twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans. But the district voted overwhelmingly for Republican Larry Hogan in 2014, and by a narrower margin for Donald J. Trump in 2016.

The GOP candidates vying for the chance to challenge Bevins say residents are dissatisfied with development and crowded schools.

“You get a general sense that many in the community feel that their concerns, their priorities, are not being listened to by the current councilwoman,” said Ryan Nawrocki, a 34-year-old Middle River man seeking a rematch against Bevins. He lost to her in 2010 by about 500 votes.

Nawrocki owns a marketing and public relations firm. He worked for the Maryland Aviation Administration under Gov. Robert Ehrlich and the Maryland Transit Administration under Hogan. Endorsed by Ehrlich, Rep. Andy Harris and former County Executive Roger Hayden, he’s focused his campaign on issues including education and crime.

Rossville resident Deb Sullivan, 59, said she decided to run for the GOP nomination because she was “fed up with the direction the county’s going.” Her supporters include state Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer Jr., who is running for county executive, and several state lawmakers.

“There’s a lot of overdevelopment, where the developers’ interests have been put above the citizens’ interests,” said Sullivan, a longtime schools activist.

Sullivan, who owns a towing and recovery business with her husband, says county infrastructure has not kept pace with development. Residents are paying the price with crumbling roads and water mains, she said.

Of the Republicans, Nawrocki and Sullivan opened the year with the most cash on hand, according to campaign finance reports — Nawrocki with $19,365 and Sullivan with $18,789. Bevins’ campaign chest in January topped $251,000.

Several candidates said development raises concerns about classroom crowding.

“Where are all these kids for all these new houses going to go to school?” asked Allen E. Robertson, vice president of the Bowleys Quarters Community Association.

Robertson, 62, wants the county to eliminate the Planned Unit Development process, which exempts developers from certain zoning regulations if they offer a community benefit. He has also proposed reducing housing density and expanding open spaces.

Bevins says some new development projects in the district were approved before her time, but are just now being built.

“I’m the one in office, so I’m the one they’re complaining to,” she said.

Erik Lofstad, 34, of Rosedale, has focused on transparency and accountability. He says he would live stream a camera from his office and make his emails public.

“When I talk about transparency, I’m talking about radical transparency where people would pretty much know where I stand at all times,” said Lofstad, a business analyst. His other top issues include fiscal responsibility and public safety.

Candidate Glen Alan Geelhaar, a Parkville resident and engineering assistant, says voters are eager for new ideas, and aren’t as focused on their political party. Geelhaar, 53, wants the county to build a new elementary school for Parkville and has proposed making the county police chief an elected position.

"People want a change, a change in direction,” he said.

Bevins, 59, says she’s worked hard over the past eight years, and her record “will see me through the election.”

She worked as a constituent services coordinator for former County Executive Jim Smith, and says responding to residents’ problems is one of her greatest strengths.