By AFRO Staff
Baltimore County Executive John “Johnny O” Olszewski Jr. stands out when scrolling the list of candidates for Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District.
As county executive, he has modernized Baltimore County’s government and addressed issues like police reform and gun safety. Though he is only 41, he is a veteran of politics, having served in political offices since he was 23.
Olszewski was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2006, serving District 6 until 2015. While there, he served as chairman of the Baltimore County House Delegation, helping lead economic growth and school board reform efforts for the county. He was also in the House Economic Matters Committee and chaired the subcommittee on Banking, Economic Development, Science and Technology.
In the past month, Olszewski has shown extraordinary leadership as state and local leaders plan and execute recovery efforts for the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed in the early morning hours of March 26 after being struck by a container ship. The catastrophic event has been gracefully handled by Olszewski and an array of stakeholders.
Olszewski has served the community in a variety of ways over the years, including being a teacher in the Baltimore County Public School System, being a member of the Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee and a delegate in the 2012 Democratic Party National Convention.
For all of these reasons, the AFRO endorses Olszewski as the Democratic nominee to represent 2nd Congressional District.