The Baltimore County Executive is the highest elected official representing the government of Baltimore County, Maryland

Baltimore County, Maryland

Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...

. The post was established with the implementation of the Home Rule

Home rule

Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....

 Charter for Baltimore County on December 6, 1956. Previously the powers of the County Executive were vested with the Board of County Commissioners in Baltimore County, which with the implementation of the Home Rule Charter ceased to exist. The County Executive is elected to post every 4 years, coinciding with the elections for the county council and governor of Maryland.

The current County Executive is Kevin Kamenetz. Two former County Executives have achieved prominence since leaving office: Spiro T. Agnew, who went on to become Governor of Maryland

Governor of Maryland

The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...

 and the Vice President of the United States

Vice President of the United States

The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...

 under Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...

, resigning in disgrace due to scandal; and Dutch Ruppersberger

Dutch Ruppersberger

Charles Albert "Dutch" Ruppersberger III is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party....

, who currently represents the 2nd Congressional District of Maryland

Maryland's 2nd congressional district

Maryland's 2nd congressional district elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives every two years. The district comprises parts of Harford, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel Counties, as well as small portions of the City of Baltimore...

 in the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

.

List of County Executives

	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party
1	Michael J. Birmingham	1956	1958	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
2	Christian H. Kahl	1958	1962	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
3	Spiro T. Agnew	1962	1966	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
4	Dale Anderson Dale Anderson (politician) Naaman Dal E. Anderson was a Maryland politician who held several positions, including Baltimore County Councilman, Baltimore County Executive, and Maryland State Delegate...	1966	1974	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
	Frederick L. Dewberry (acting)	1974	1974	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
5	Theodore G. Venetoulis	1974	1978	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
6	Donald P. Hutchinson Donald P. Hutchinson -Background:Donald Hutchinson is a former Maryland politician who held several positions, including Maryland State Delegate, Maryland State Senator, and he was the 6th elected Baltimore County Executive.-Education:...	1978	1986	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
7	Dennis F. Rasmussen Dennis F. Rasmussen Dennis F. Rasmussen is a Maryland politician, who ran as a Democrat in the 2006 Maryland U.S. Senate election. He lost the nomination to Ben Cardin, after receiving 2% of the votes...	1986	1990	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
8	Roger B. Hayden Roger B. Hayden Roger B. Hayden was the County Executive of Baltimore County, Maryland from 1990-1994.During Hayden's single term as county executive, he was controversial for various decisions made within the county, including the closing of nine of the then 24 branches of Baltimore County Public Library.-...	1990	1994	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
9	Dutch Ruppersberger Dutch Ruppersberger Charles Albert "Dutch" Ruppersberger III is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party....	1994	2002	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
10	James T. Smith, Jr. James T. Smith, Jr. James T. Smith Jr. is the former County Executive of Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Smith was elected in 2002 as a Democrat and ended his 8 year tenure on December 6, 2010. His successor is former county councilman Kevin B...	2002	2010	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
11	Kevin B. Kamenetz Kevin B. Kamenetz Kevin B. Kamenetz is the current County Executive of Baltimore County, Maryland, elected on November 2, 2010. He previously served as a four-term County Councilman representing the Second District of Baltimore County.- Personal life :...	2010	current	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...