Del. Pat Young to Seek Baltimore County Council Seat

Two-term state Del. Patrick G. Young Jr. (D-Baltimore County) announced Saturday that he plans to seek a seat on the Baltimore County Council in 2022, rather than run for a third term in the House of Delegates.

Young will run for the District 1 seat on the council being vacated by three-term Councilmember Tom Quirk (D), who chose not to seek a fourth term representing the southwestern part of the county.

“I am running because we have a unique opportunity to make significant investments in our community,” Young said. “From improving our schools, to investing in affordable and fair housing, to ensuring small businesses have the resources they need to reopen safely — we are at a moment when we can make a great impact right here on the county level.”

Young, a 38-year-old Marine Corps combat veteran, is finishing his second term in the House representing District 44B. He is the chair of the Baltimore County House delegation and has served on the Appropriations Committee since entering the legislature. He is also chairman of the Oversight Committee on Personnel.

It isn’t clear whether other candidates will run for the 1st District seat that Quirk is vacating. Young reported $26,661 in his campaign account in mid-January.

It also isn’t clear what will happen to Young’s legislative district during the next round of redistricting. The 44th District currently straddles both Baltimore County and Baltimore City.

Quirk, 50, who was first elected in 2010, announced his decision not to seek re-election earlier this year even though Baltimore County has no term limits on the books for its county council members.

Quirk introduced legislation this year to put a ballot measure instituting a three-term limit for council members before county voters. But while four of the council’s seven members voted for the measure, that was one vote shy of the five votes needed to put the question on the 2022 ballot.

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