# Kathy Klausmeier

Katherine A. Klausmeier (née Nossel; born February 22, 1950) is an American politician who is the 15th and current county executive of Baltimore County, Maryland, serving since 2025. She is the first woman elected to serve in the position.
Born and raised in Maryland, Klausmeier graduated from the Community College of Baltimore County before working at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center for thirty years and later serving as the president of the Gunpowder Elementary School parent-teacher association. A member of the Democratic Party, Klausmeier served two terms in the Maryland House of Delegates representing the 8th district from 1995 to 2003. The district covered most of the eastern portion of Baltimore County, including the towns of Parkville and Perry Hall. She then represented the district in the Maryland Senate from 2003 to 2025, including as the president pro tempore of the Maryland Senate from 2019 to 2020. At the time of her resignation in 2025, Klausmeier was the dean of the Maryland Senate.

## Early life and career
### Early life and education

Katherine Nossel was born in Baltimore on February 22, 1950, to Jerome Bernard Nossel, a local tavern owner, and Elizabeth (née Stager). She was raised in Perry Hall, Maryland of northeastern suburban Baltimore County. She attended and graduated from the all-girls student body at The Catholic High School of Baltimore and attended the nearby Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), where she received an associate degree in 1971. Klausmeier also attended, but did not graduate from Towson University in Towson, Maryland.

### Early career

After graduating from CCBC, Klausmeier worked as a child life coordinator at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center for thirty years. She also served as the president of the Gunpowder Elementary School parent-teacher association from 1987 to 1989, and again from 1991 to 1994. Klausmeier first became involved with politics as an election judge in 1990 and 1992. From 1991 to 1992, she served as the education chair of the Baltimore County League of Women Voters. Klausmeier served as the vice president of the Baltimore County Commission for Women from 1991 to 1993, and chaired the task force charged with studying whether to create an elected or appointed school board in Baltimore County in 1993.

## Maryland General Assembly

Klausmeier was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1994, and was sworn in on January 11, 1995. She served as a member of the Environmental Matters Committee during her entire tenure.
Klausmeier was elected to the Maryland Senate in 2002, and was sworn in on January 8, 2003. She has served as a member of the Finance Committee during her entire tenure, and became the committee's vice chair in 2023. From 2019 to 2020, Klausmeier served as the president pro tempore of the Maryland Senate, making her the second woman in Maryland history, after Ida G. Ruben, to hold the position.
In the 2018 Maryland Senate election, Klausmeier was challenged by state delegate Christian Miele, who received the backing of Governor Larry Hogan and the Maryland Republican Party in their "Drive for Five" campaign. The election was seen as one of the most competitive in the Maryland Senate, as Miele was expected to benefit from having the endorsement of Governor Larry Hogan, who won the district by 37 points in 2014, but Klausmeier was seen as being the slight favorite due to her high name recognition and strong community roots. During the election, Klausmeier shifted toward the center in an attempt to appeal to Republican voters, including photos of her with Hogan in campaign mailers. She defeated Miele in the general election on November 6, 2018, edging out Miele by a margin of 1,061 votes, or 2.3 percent.

## Baltimore County Executive

In August 2024, after Johnny Olszewski won the Democratic nomination in the 2024 U.S. House of Representatives election in Maryland's 2nd congressional district, Klausmeier expressed interest in serving the remainder of Olszewski's term as Baltimore County Executive. If nominated by the Baltimore County Council, she has also suggested that she would run for reelection to her Senate seat in 2026. She formally applied to fill the remainder of Olszewski's term as county executive after his victory over Kimberly Klacik in the general election in November 2024. In her campaign for county executive, Klausmeier has cited public safety and aggressive driving as her top priorities. On January 7, 2025, the Baltimore County Council voted to elect Klausmeier as its next county executive. She is the first woman to serve as Baltimore County Executive as well as the oldest person to serve as Baltimore County Executive, having been sworn in at 74 years old.

## Political positions

The Baltimore Sun has described Klausmeier as a moderate.

### Crime and policing

During the 2021 legislative session, Klausmeier was the only Senate Democrat to vote against a bill that would require courts to impose sentences below the minimum when sentencing a juvenile criminal offender as an adult and the Maryland Police Accountability Act, a police transparency and accountability reform package that repealed the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights.
In 2022, Klausmeier was the only Senate Democrat to vote against a bill repealing a law that allowed children to be arrested for disturbing school activities.
During the 2023 legislative session, Klausmeier supported a bill to make handgun theft a felony.

### Environment

In 2019, Klausmeier voted against a bill that would make Wheelabrator Baltimore ineligible to receive subsidies meant for renewable energy, saying that the bill would harm the incinerator and counties that use it to burn trash.
During the 2021 legislative session, Klausmeier introduced legislation to establish an Office on Climate Change within the governor's office to centralize combat change efforts. She also advocated for requiring all newly-built schools in Maryland to be carbon neutral.

### Gun policy

During the 2018 legislative session and following the Parkland high school shooting, Klausmeier introduced legislation requiring lockable doors in every Maryland classroom and annual active threat drills in schools. The bill passed and became law.
In 2020, Klausmeier was the only Senate Democrat to vote against overriding Governor Larry Hogan's veto on a bill to repeal Maryland's Handgun Permit Review Board, which handled conceal carry applications.
In 2021, during debate on a bill that would prohibit people from carrying guns at polling places, Klausmeier was the only Senate Democrat to support an amendment to the bill that would exempt police and off-duty or retired officers from the bill.

### Healthcare

During the 2018 legislative session, Klausmeier introduced a bill that would allow pharmacists to tell consumers that they can pay less for their prescription drugs. In 2019, she introduced legislation to establish the Prescription Drug Affordability Board to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs.

### Marijuana

During the 2021 legislative session, Klausmeier voted for a bill to decriminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia, but voted against voting to override Governor Larry Hogan's veto on the bill, resulting in its death.

### Paid sick and family leave

In 2017, during debate on a bill to provide workers with up to seven days of paid sick leave, Klausmeier introduced an amendment to lower the amount of days to five. After the amendment was rejected, she voted against the bill.
In 2022, Klausmeier was the only Senate Democrat to vote against the Time to Care Act, which provided workers with up to 24 weeks of paid family leave.

### Social issues

In February 2011, Klausmeier said that she was "conflicted" on how she would vote on the Civil Marriage Protection Act, which would legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland. She later said that she would vote for the bill, and voted for it again when it was reintroduced in 2012.
In 2016, Klausmeier was one of four Democrats to vote against overriding Governor Larry Hogan's veto on a bill to restore voting rights to felons on parole.
During the 2019 legislative session, Klausmeier introduced a bill that would prohibit companies from charging higher insurance premiums to families who own Rottweilers or pit bulls. In 2020, she was the only Senate Democrat to vote against the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act, which would make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against renters on the basis of source of income.
In 2020, Klausmeier introduced legislation to ban registered sex offenders from school campuses. The bill was introduced after Santino Sudano, a 21-year-old student at Parkville High School, was charged with second degree rape after pleading guilty to a fourth degree sex offense in April 2018.
During the 2021 legislative session, Klausmeier was the only Senate Democrat to vote against a bill to extend the state's earned income tax credit to undocumented immigrants. In 2023, she again voted to exempt undocumented immigrants from the state's earned income tax credit.

### Taxes

In 2007, Klausmeier introduced a bill that would provide tax breaks to businesses that ban smoking, seeking to prevent a bill that would ban smoking in bars and restaurants statewide.
During the 2020 legislative session, Klausmeier introduced legislation to reduce toll late fees from $50 to $5.
In March 2023, Klausmeier was one of five Democrats to vote for an amendment to decouple the state's gas tax from inflation. The amendment was rejected by the Maryland Senate in a 20-27 vote.

## Personal life

Klausmeier is married to John Klausmeier, who owns and operates Klausmeier & Sons Auto Repair in Nottingham, Maryland. Together, they have two daughters. She is Catholic.

## Electoral history

Maryland House of Delegates District 8 Democratic primary election, 1994 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Katherine A. Klausmeier | 8,213 | 32.3 |
| Democratic | Daniel E. McKew | 6,419 | 25.2 |
| Democratic | John G. Disney | 4,747 | 18.7 |
| Democratic | David A. Lessner | 3,190 | 12.5 |
| Democratic | Charles Patrick Kazlo | 2,854 | 11.2 |
Maryland House of Delegates District 8 election, 1994 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Katherine A. Klausmeier | 17,496 | 19.9 |
| Republican | Alfred W. Redmer Jr. (incumbent) | 16,373 | 18.6 |
| Republican | James F. Ports Jr. (incumbent) | 15,244 | 17.3 |
| Republican | Calvin Clemons | 13,996 | 15.9 |
| Democratic | Daniel E. McKew | 12,931 | 14.7 |
| Democratic | John G. Disney | 11,886 | 13.5 |
Maryland House of Delegates District 8 election, 1998 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Katherine A. Klausmeier (incumbent) | 19,835 | 21.0 |
| Republican | Alfred W. Redmer Jr. (incumbent) | 17,846 | 18.9 |
| Republican | James F. Ports Jr. (incumbent) | 17,756 | 18.8 |
| Democratic | J. Joseph Curran III | 17,583 | 18.7 |
| Republican | Joseph C. Boteler III | 11,306 | 12.0 |
| Democratic | Taras Andrew Vizzi | 9,927 | 10.5 |
Maryland Senate District 8 Democratic primary election, 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Katherine A. Klausmeier | 10,463 | 85.2 |
| | Democratic | Raymond C. Shiflet | 1,815 | 14.8 |
Maryland Senate District 8 election, 2002 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Katherine A. Klausmeier | 24,590 | 58.5 |
| Republican | John W. E. Cluster Jr. | 17,426 | 41.4 |
| Write-in | Write-in | 55 | 0.1 |
Maryland Senate District 8 election, 2006 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Katherine A. Klausmeier (incumbent) | 24,299 | 58.2 |
| Republican | Craig Borne | 17,401 | 41.7 |
| Write-in | Write-in | 37 | 0.1 |
Maryland Senate District 8 election, 2010 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Katherine A. Klausmeier (incumbent) | 25,155 | 59.7 |
| Republican | Dee Hodges | 16,968 | 40.2 |
| Write-in | Write-in | 41 | 0.1 |
Maryland Senate District 8 election, 2014 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Katherine A. Klausmeier (incumbent) | 23,638 | 61.2 |
| Republican | Erik Lofstad | 14,938 | 38.7 |
| Write-in | Write-in | 37 | 0.1 |
Maryland Senate District 8 election, 2018 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Katherine A. Klausmeier (incumbent) | 24,332 | 51.1 |
| Republican | Christian Miele | 23,271 | 48.8 |
| Write-in | Write-in | 45 | 0.1 |
Maryland Senate District 8 election, 2022 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Katherine A. Klausmeier (incumbent) | 22,773 | 66.3 |
| Republican | Ken Fitch | 11,554 | 33.6 |
| Write-in | Write-in | 41 | 0.1 |