Two days after announcing his congressional campaign, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said last month that he had raised $400,000, which would create the largest war chest so far of any candidate in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger.
That sum, which is not yet reflected in Federal Election Commission filings, would pale in comparison to the $1.73 million Olszewski had banked in his state campaign account as of his January report to the Maryland State Board of Elections. But federal candidates are barred from using any state election donations and accounts, raising the question of what the Democrat will do with the excess cash now that he’s running for U.S. instead of Maryland office.
Olszewski is running in the 2nd Congressional District, which includes most of Baltimore and Carroll counties and a small piece of Baltimore City, in Maryland’s May 14 primary.
State officeholders can refund donations to donors, who can then give that money to candidates’ federal campaigns, but it’s a “cumbersome” process, according to Dan Weiner, an expert at the Brennan Center for Justice and former FEC lawyer.
According to the Maryland Board of Elections, when a candidate closes a campaign committee, it must have a zero balance. They can offload remaining dollars in several ways, including returning donations to their original donors; giving them to a state or local central committee from the same political party; donating them to the fund that gives money to candidates using public financing, or making a gift to a recognized nonprofit or charity.
Eric Schleibaum, Olszewski’s state campaign treasurer, said the county executive had not yet discussed what he would do with his state funds if he’s elected to Congress in November.
“My current focus is on the work in front of me as county executive and in my effort to represent Maryland’s 2nd District in Congress,” Olszewski said in a statement when asked about his state funds.
In the past, outgoing county officials have transferred some of their state campaign funds to other elected officials or made charitable donations, according to a review of county finance reports. Former County Councilman Tom Quirk, an Oella Democrat who stepped down in 2022, gave his remaining campaign dollars to organizations such as NeighborSpace of Baltimore County, Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park, Arbutus Santa House and Patapsco Heritage Greenway.
Former Councilwoman Cathy Bevins, a Middle River Democrat who left office at the same time, donated $6,000 to Olszewski’s state campaign last March. She also gave money to the Natural History Society of Maryland on Belair Road, the Overlea ArtsFest, and Summit Community Foundation, a substance use disorder recovery organization based in downtown Baltimore.
The decision may not be a pressing one for Olszewski. While he can’t use the state funds in his federal campaign, he doesn’t have to clear out the state account until eight years after he’s last held or run for office.
Election 2024: Who’s running for Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District
Regarding Olszewski’s speedy federal fundraising effort, well-funded candidates for any race often gain an advantage because they are quickly able to hire staff, rent a campaign office, and build a robust fundraising infrastructure that begets more donations in a federal election, Weiner said.
“In the age of online fundraising platforms like WinRed and ActBlue, it’s not that inconceivable for a candidate to amass a large war chest in a short period of time,” he said of Olszewski’s rapid buildup of federal funds. “If you have hundreds of thousands of dollars on hand out of the gate, it’s a huge advantage over someone who has to start from scratch.”
Ruppersberger and U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, a Southern Maryland Democrat, endorsed Olszewski on Feb. 21, ensuring he would enjoy support from long-tenured politicians with deep pockets.
On the Republican side, Kimberly Klacik of Middle River, who has hosted talk shows on WBAL-AM and WCBM-AM in Baltimore, is among the 2nd District candidates. She ran against U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume in 2020 in Baltimore’s 7th Congressional District. While Mfume won overwhelmingly, Klacik raised an astonishing $8.3 million in that race after then-President Donald Trump promoted her campaign on social media. She spent about $7.5 million, ending 2020 with around $800,000 on hand, according to the FEC. Her campaign had about $2,400 on hand as of Dec. 31.
If Olszewski wins the Democratic primary and the general election in November and is sworn into Congress in January, the county administrative officer would initially take over as acting Baltimore County executive, according to the county charter. That’s not expected to be current County Administrative Officer Stacy Rodgers, though; she said last month that she will retire in April.
Under the charter, the council can appoint via majority vote any member of the outgoing incumbent’s party to take over permanently as county executive for the remainder of Olszewski’s term, which ends in 2026.
