Five candidates are advancing to a public interview Monday before the Baltimore County Council to see who will serve as the next county executive, replacing outgoing Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., who’s leaving for Congress in January.

“It’s a really important selection for the future of the county in the next two years and beyond,” said Council Chairman Izzy Patoka.

The council selected five out of 12 applicants to advance to the next step in the selection process. They are former State Sen. Jim Brochin; Yara Cheikh, president of the Baltimore County Public Library Board of Trustees; State Sen. Kathy Klausmeier; George Perdikakis, former head of the Maryland Environmental Service and Baltimore County’s environmental protection agency; and Barry Williams, who’s served as director of both the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks and Department of Workforce Development.

The interview will take place around 7 p.m., shortly after the conclusion of the council session that starts at 6 p.m. The candidates have been given a list of questions and will give 15-minute presentations on their qualifications to be the next county executive. They’ll present in random order while the other candidates wait in another room, in order to ensure a fair process.

“We want to make sure we have original thought from all the candidates,” Patoka said.

Usually the county executive would be chosen through an election, but the county charter says the council selects the next executive if there’s a vacancy.

“I know I can offer a lot,” said Perdikakis, the former environmental agency head. “I’m not going to be just a fill-in person; I’m going to be a doer. I work. I have proven it.”

The interview comes after a public forum last week where county residents spoke about the qualities they’re looking for in the next county executive.

“I thought it was a good way to air out people’s concerns and a good way to form a consensus on what people were looking for,” said Brochin, the former state senator.

Cheikh also said she listened to the forum last week.

“They’re concerned about safety in their communities and the strength of their schools,” in addition to “quality of life issues,” she said.

Only a Democrat can be selected for the position, since the county charter states the person filling a vacancy must be of the same political party as the person leaving.

Patoka said all five candidates have committed not to run in 2026. He previously said this was a request of the council, in order to ensure the future incumbent wouldn’t have an unfair advantage. Klausmeier, Brochin, Cheikh, and Perdikakis previously confirmed they don’t plan to run in 2026, and Williams could not be reached for comment.

“I’m sad I didn’t make it,” said Aris Melissaratos, who’d applied for the position and previously served as the state’s secretary of business and economic development. But he added he was impressed with how the council handled the process, and described the public forum as a “remarkable exhibition of civic involvement.”

“I watched democracy in action,” he said, “and may the best person win.”

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