Candidates Believe Timing is Right in District 6 Race

Ryan Nawrocki and Cathy Bevins believe the timing is perfect for one of them to win their first elected office.

The first-time candidates are running for Baltimore County Council in the 6th District which stretches from Essex and Middle River to Parkville. The seat became open after Democratic Councilman Joe Bartenfelder decided to run for county executive rather than seek a fifth term.

Nawrocki, 27, defeated Andrew Peet in the Republican primary election while Bevins defeated Del. Todd Schuler and Stephen Verch in the Democratic primary.

"I've lived in eastern Baltimore County my whole life and when Joe Bartenfelder gave up his seat, I didn't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what might have been," said Bevins, who grew up in Dundalk and now lives in Oliver Beach.

Bevins enters the race with an understanding of the inter-workings of county government. She spent about seven years as the constituent service coordinator for County Executive Jim Smith before becoming the administrator of the Baltimore County Volunteer Firemen's Association earlier this year.

Bevins was one of three candidates hand-picked by land-use attorneys David Gildea and Michael Paul Smith to run for three open council seats in the county. The lawyers helped Bevins raise thousands of dollars through a $1,000 per person fundraiser last year.

Gildea was a former clerk to Jim Smith when the county executive was a circuit court judge. Michael Paul Smith is the county executive's son.

Bevins also received strong support from the county executive, including receiving $25,000 from the Baltimore County Victory Slate, which is comprised of 25 members, including Smith, and candidates for various state and local offices. While the support from Smith has been well-received, Bevins believes her years assisting county residents makes her the perfect candidate for the job.

"I handled over 5,000 constituent calls during my time working for the county executive," said Bevins, who is married with four grown children and two grandchildren. "This would just be an extension of that work. People expect their county councilman to be able to solve local problems.

"We have such a diverse district and I believe I could step in and get right to work especially knowing there are going to be five new members on the County Council. This experience is the biggest difference between me and my opponent."

Nawrocki currently works in public relations for Lifebridge Health. The married father of a 3-year-old daughter also served as public information officer at Baltimore Washington International-Marshall Airport under former Gov. Robert Ehrlich. Ehrlich has endorsed Nawrocki during this campaign.

Nawrocki had mulled over whether to run for several months, but decided to enter the race after learning about the pension Councilman Vince Gardina is set to receive after leaving office. Gardina, a Democrat who represents the 5th District, will earn $54,000 – 100 percent of his councilman salary – for life after serving 20 years in office.

"I think it's unbelievable that someone can earn that type of pension for a 'part-time' job," said Nawrocki, who lives in Rosedale. "Pension reform is something that must be further examined."

Nawrocki said if elected he would push for a charter amendment to mandate a three-term maximum for the County Council. Even if that did not pass, Nawrocki said he would not serve any longer than that.

Additionally, Nawrocki said his youth and political inexperience is a positive as he brings a fresh perspective to a council that has gone relatively unchanged for 16 years.

"We have an unemployment rate in Baltimore County that is a point higher than the state and more than every county that touches our borders," Nawrocki said. "We need people that can come in here and work to make the county a more attractive place for businesses, which includes pushing for a property tax cap on businesses similar to the one that exists for homes."