There are four contested races on the fall ballot, while three candidates are running unopposed. Meanwhile, the terms of four appointed members on the 11-member board are expiring later this year; their replacements will be appointed by the next governor, likely in January. Early voting has started and Election Day is Nov. 8.
Among the conservative contenders, none has drawn as much attention as Maggie Litz Domanowski, a mother of three children now enrolled in county schools whose past social media comments have come under scrutiny. She is running in council District 3 against retired educator Diane Jean Young.
Former state Sen. Jim Brochin recently endorsed Young, citing her experience as an educator and her volunteer work as a court appointed special advocate in Baltimore County. He also accused Domanowski of backing Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox, who claimed falsely that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. Anyone who aligns with Cox “is a nonstarter and should not be part of any part of leadership,” Brochin said.
Domanowski did not answer a question from The Banner about whether she supports Cox, but did say she will work with and support whoever becomes the next governor.
As a senator, Brochin passed a bill that allowed board members to be elected instead of exclusively appointed. He described himself as a “very conservative Democrat” who voted with Republicans 40% of the time in the state Senate. He said Young’s more than two decades working in the Baltimore City and county school systems make her particularly qualified to serve on the board.
Domanowski has been endorsed by two Republican County Council members seeking reelection, Wade Kach and David Marks; state Del. Kathy Szeliga, who represents Baltimore and Harford counties; and U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, a social conservative who represents Maryland’s 1st District and is running for a seventh term.