What's on the Ballot: A Voter's Guide to Maryland's June 23 Primary — From the Governor's Race to the Streets of Baltimore

Fourteen days before the primary election, Maryland voters face consequential choices at every level of government — a governor seeking a second term, a wide-open county executive race, an indicted state senator, a state's attorney running essentially unopposed, and dozens of legislative races shaping the future of Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Here is what you need to know.

Maryland goes to the polls on June 23, and the stakes extend well beyond any single race. Across the state — and with particular intensity in Baltimore City and Baltimore County — voters will shape who governs their neighborhoods, who prosecutes their cases, who controls the county's multi-billion-dollar budget, and whether the Democrats who have dominated Maryland politics for decades can hold together a coalition now under pressure from multiple directions. Early voting runs June 11 through June 18. Here is a race-by-race breakdown of the most consequential contests.

The primary is effectively the general election in most of these races. Maryland is one of the nation's most reliably Democratic states, and in Baltimore City especially, the Democratic nominee in nearly every contest is the odds-on favorite in November. That makes June 23 — not November 3 — the day that matters.

  ✦  ✦  ✦ 

GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND

Democratic Primary: Wes Moore vs. Eric Felber

Governor Wes Moore is seeking a second term in one of the least competitive primaries on the statewide ballot. His only Democratic challenger, Eric Felber, is a physician and 2024 congressional candidate who has been largely absent from major campaign forums and has raised minimal funds.

Gov. Wes Moore  |  Democrat (Incumbent)  |  Running for second term

Moore, 47, has built one of the more striking political résumés in recent Maryland history: a decorated Army paratrooper, Rhodes Scholar, bestselling author, and former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation. His first term was defined by two signature achievements that he has made central to his reelection case: the passage of the FAMLI Act, establishing paid family and medical leave for Maryland workers, and what his administration has called a historic reduction in violent crime — a 60 percent drop in Baltimore homicides between 2022 and 2025, which his team attributes in part to the Group Violence Reduction Strategy. Moore is also running on his record of fiscal stewardship and his administration's investments in early childhood education.

His vulnerabilities entering the primary are more national than local. A May 2026 Politico report raised questions about claims Moore made about his White House Fellows résumé regarding military honors, which Moore's office pushed back on but which generated a week of unflattering coverage. His approval ratings remain solid, and no major Democratic figure has stepped forward to challenge him.

Eric Felber  |  Democrat  |  Physician and 2024 congressional candidate

Felber, a physician who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2024, entered the governor's race arguing that Moore's administration has not done enough on the structural budget deficit and healthcare access in rural Maryland. He has struggled to raise money, gain endorsements, or break through in a race dominated by an incumbent with strong approval numbers. He did not respond to the Baltimore Banner's voter guide questionnaire.

Republican Primary: A Crowded Field Seeking a Longshot

Nine Republicans are competing for the right to face Moore in November, a field that is a striking contrast to the days of popular two-term Gov. Larry Hogan, whose brand of moderate Republicanism has largely given way to a more Trump-aligned primary electorate. Hogan, who lost a 2024 Senate race to Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, chose not to enter the governor's race, and polling suggests Moore would lead him even if he had.

The most notable Republican candidate is Baltimore businessman Ed Hale, owner of the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team and a former CEO of First Mariner Bank, who switched his party registration from Democrat to Republican specifically to run for governor. Former Del. Dan Cox, the 2022 Republican nominee who lost to Moore by 32 points, is running again, this time on a platform centered on tax cuts, housing affordability, and in-state energy production. Neither has generated the kind of fundraising or polling to suggest they pose a serious November threat in a state where Kamala Harris won by 29 points in 2024.

  ✦  ✦  ✦ 

STATEWIDE OFFICES

Attorney General: Anthony Brown Runs Unopposed

Attorney General Anthony G. Brown  |  Democrat (Incumbent)  |  Running for second term

Incumbent Attorney General Anthony Brown faces no Democratic challenger and only token Republican opposition from attorney Jim Rutledge. Brown, a former congressman and lieutenant governor, has made consumer protection and reproductive rights enforcement central to his term — particularly in response to Trump administration federal policies that he has argued conflict with Maryland law. He enters the fall as a heavy favorite.

Comptroller: Brooke Lierman Runs Unopposed

Comptroller Brooke Lierman  |  Democrat (Incumbent)  |  Running for second term

Lierman, the first woman elected Maryland Comptroller, is also running without a Democratic primary opponent. A former Baltimore City delegate and Harvard Law graduate, Lierman has focused her term on tax equity, small business support, and fiscal transparency. She will face Republican Sonya Dunn in November. The Democratic primary is a formality.

  ✦  ✦  ✦ 

BALTIMORE COUNTY EXECUTIVE

The Marquee Race: A Wide-Open Democratic Primary

Of all the contested elections in the Baltimore region this cycle, none is generating more attention — or spending — than the race to become Baltimore County's next executive. Interim Executive Kathy Klausmeier, appointed by the county council in January 2025 to fill the seat vacated when Johnny Olszewski went to Congress, pledged not to seek election in order to avoid incumbency advantage for an unelected official. That has produced a genuine, competitive Democratic primary among five serious candidates.

The general election in November will be a formality: the Democratic nominee in a county that Kamala Harris carried by more than 30 points will be the favorite. The primary is the real election.

Councilman Julian Jones  |  Democrat  |  Three-term Baltimore County Council Member, District 4

Jones, 54, of Woodstock is the first Black candidate to seek the Baltimore County Executive office — a historical distinction that has become central to his campaign's narrative and organizing strategy. A retired Anne Arundel County firefighter and three-term council member, Jones has campaigned on public safety, education investment, and aggressive economic development. He envisions what he calls a 'hunter' approach to the county's economy: creating proactive teams to seek out businesses and opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to the county. He has the backing of Governor Moore and U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, endorsements that have brought significant institutional resources into his corner.

Councilman Izzy Patoka  |  Democrat  |  Seven-term Baltimore County Council Member, District 2 (Pikesville)

Patoka, who entered the race with more than $1.4 million cash on hand — more than any opponent — brings a background as an urban planner and former founding director of Baltimore City's Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods (now known as MONSE). He has made school overcrowding and budget transparency his signature issues, proposing legislation to reduce overcrowding that he notes his opponents did not support. His campaign has been buoyed by the teachers' union endorsement from the Teachers Association of Baltimore County (TABCO), which represents some 8,200 members. Critics, including community advocates, have pointed to his vote during redistricting that some argued weakened Black political representation in the county — a liability in a race where coalition building across racial and geographic lines is essential.

Councilman Pat Young  |  Democrat  |  Baltimore County Council Member, District 1 (Catonsville)

Young, a Catonsville Democrat, has distinguished himself in the field as the only candidate using Baltimore County's public financing system, accepting only small individual donations of up to $250 each and no contributions from PACs, law firms, or developers. That posture has earned him a reputation for independence, though it has also constrained his resources in a spending-heavy race. Young and attorney Nick Stewart are seen as competing for overlapping geographic and ideological bases in western and central Baltimore County, a dynamic that could complicate both of their paths.

Nick Stewart  |  Democrat  |  Attorney and former Baltimore County School Board member

Stewart, a financial attorney and former school board member, is running the clearest outsider campaign in the race, raising $400,700 in 2025 and positioning himself as a check on insider politics and developer influence. He has earned the endorsement of the Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police, which said he 'recognizes the importance of giving officers the tools, staffing, and support they need.' His campaign has found traction in corners of the primary electorate that distrust the established council members, though analysts note that his geographic base overlaps significantly with Young's.

Mansoor Shams  |  Democrat  |  Marine veteran and county recreation and parks employee

Shams, a Pakistani American Marine veteran and community outreach officer for the county, is the longest-shot candidate in the field but has used his candidacy to amplify issues of diversity and community investment that he argues the established candidates insufficiently address. He has been the least active on the fundraising circuit, but has been present at candidate forums.

  ✦  ✦  ✦ 

BALTIMORE CITY: THE RACES THAT SHAPE THE STREETS

State's Attorney: Ivan Bates Running Essentially Unopposed

State's Attorney Ivan Bates  |  Democrat (Incumbent)  |  Running for second term

Ivan Bates, who unseated the embattled Marilyn Mosby in 2022 on a platform of accountability, restored police relationships, and "certainty of consequences" for gun crimes, is seeking reelection in a race with no significant Democratic primary challenger — a remarkable reversal of fortunes for a city office that was among the most contested in the state just four years ago.

Bates has campaigned on a record he argues speaks for itself: a homicide rate in Baltimore City that has declined dramatically during his tenure, a restored working relationship with the Baltimore Police Department, and the revitalization of what he calls a previously dark and demoralized office. "Three years ago, I walked into an office that few people wanted to stay in," he has said. "The office was dark. It was dreary." The transformation he describes extends well beyond cosmetic improvements — though the political calendar has not been without its own drama. In April, Bates found himself in an awkward dispute with Mayor Brandon Scott over whether Scott had actually endorsed him, a social media spat that underscored the complicated relationship between the two men. His term ends January 4, 2027.

The 41st Legislative District: The Attar-Ruff Senate Race

The most closely watched state legislative primary in Baltimore City is in the 41st District, where incumbent State Sen. Dalya Attar is facing her most formidable political challenge — not just from primary opponent Del. Malcolm Ruff, but from eight federal charges including extortion and conspiracy stemming from an alleged scheme to blackmail a political consultant. The case and its implications for the race are covered in full in our separate reporting. Polls open June 23.

Del. Malcolm Ruff  |  Democrat  |  Maryland House of Delegates, 41st District

Ruff, 41, a civil rights attorney who grew up in the district and was appointed to the House of Delegates in 2023, has assembled a coalition that is extraordinary in its breadth: endorsements from Governor Moore, Mayor Scott, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, Sen. Antonio Hayes, former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and seven Baltimore City Council members. His campaign centers on investment in the district's working-class communities and the argument that the 41st District deserves representation unclouded by federal criminal proceedings.

State Sen. Dalya Attar  |  Democrat (Incumbent)  |  41st District

Attar, the first Orthodox Jewish woman elected to the Maryland Senate, maintains her innocence on all eight federal charges and continues to campaign on her legislative record, which includes juvenile justice reforms and community investment. She has framed the indictment as politically motivated and built on the testimony of a "disgruntled former employee." Her continued candidacy rests on the bedrock legal principle that an indictment is not a conviction, and on the genuine concern within parts of the Orthodox Jewish community that her defeat could set back decades of political organizing for that community's representation in Annapolis.

  ✦  ✦  ✦ 

HOW AND WHEN TO VOTE

Early voting runs June 11 through June 18, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at locations across Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by or before June 23. Drop boxes are available 24 hours a day. Election Day is Tuesday, June 23, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Same-day voter registration is available in person at early voting centers. Find your polling place, early voting location, and drop box at elections.maryland.gov.

In a state where the Democratic primary is often the only election that matters, June 23 is not a rehearsal. It is the main event. For Baltimore City and Baltimore County residents, the choices made in the next two weeks will reverberate through school budgets, prosecutor's offices, county boardrooms, and state legislative chambers for the next four years. The time to pay attention is now.