My name is Karson Kamenetz, and I’m running for Baltimore County Council. I have worked in the county, in Annapolis for the Chair of the Baltimore County House Delegation, and I was elected in 2022 to the Democratic State Central Committee. A lot of what has pulled me toward public service is the belief that local government has a responsibility to improve people’s lives, and we have a responsibility to step up if they fall short. That means everything, from safer streets to cleaner communities, or just showing up to listen. I love this place, but I love it enough to believe we can do better.

Baltimore County is home, and I’ve lived in the Pikesville-area for my entire life. I love it here. I’m a Baltimore Hebrew congregant, I’ve lobbied in Annapolis with the Baltimore Jewish Council, and I’m fairly active in The Associated. When my father Kevin was in office, it really felt like he was someone people in the community could count on. He showed up consistently, stayed engaged, and built trust over time. Those are values that have stuck with me, and taught me that being part of a community isn’t about making appearances, it is about being present and dependable. If elected, those themes of constant engagement and follow-up are something you should expect and hold me accountable to.

I am a people person, which is probably a good trait if you’re asking strangers to talk to you all day. Running for office, I get to meet a lot of people that I would have never crossed paths with otherwise, and that is really what energizes me on a daily basis. I’ve learned a lot about the diverse communities that make up this new District 4 just by showing up and listening, and I’ve really enjoyed making a lot of genuine connections with people throughout the community. If there are issues you are hearing about in the community, especially in and around Pikesville, Smith Ave, and the surrounding neighborhoods, I hope you’ll share them. I want to make sure your voices are heard and adequately represented by someone who is paying attention, knows how the county works, and who is willing to keep showing up to solve problems. That is the job I am running to do.

I am a total techie. I grew up teaching myself how to code in languages that are now basically extinct. I even spent years doing cybersecurity red-team and blue-team competitions. I always found it especially satisfying to spend hours working on something and finally see the code do exactly what you expected, or finally find the vulnerability you knew had to be there. That mindset has shaped how I view my campaign and county government. Many systems are outdated, inefficient, or more expensive than they should be, and taxpayers ultimately pay the price. I believe having someone on the County Council who is focused on modernizing systems and using technology more intelligently is critical today.

If something matters to you, show up for it. Showing up for what’s right, even in the smallest of ways, is how we improve the quality of life for ourselves and our peers. It is how strong communities stay strong. People have more power than they think when they stay involved and look out for each other.

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers

I’m definitely hard on myself, which is probably just my version of refusing to sit there and get run over.