U.S. House, Maryland 2nd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Maryland's 2nd Congressional District?
Johnny Olszewski has the strongest record in Maryland's 2nd Congressional District. Johnny Olszewski scores 72 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Johnny Olszewski's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Dave Wallace (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Johnny Olszewski
On the ballot as John "Johnny O" Olszewski, Jr.
72 / 100
Public evidence on 15 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 70
Republican
Dave Wallace
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Johnny Olszewski
- On the record2026-07-14
Acknowledged that he supported a 2021 meeting between the county inspector general and his chief of staff that led to her lawsuit against the aide and a $100,000 county settlement.
- On the record2026-04-13
Called on fellow Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell to resign from Congress over sexual misconduct allegations.
Source: CNN, Apr. 13, 2026
- On the record2026-08-27
Held an in-person question-and-answer session with constituents at the Westminster Senior Center.
Source: Baltimore Sun, Aug. 27, 2026
- On the record2025-02-06
Voted for the HALT Fentanyl Act, which Democratic Leader Jeffries and most House Democrats opposed.
- On the record2024-12-18
The Baltimore County inspector general found no wrongdoing by him in an $83,000 settlement with a retired firefighter whose brother is his friend, but found the county improperly withheld the agreement from a records request.
Sources: WYPR, Dec. 18, 2024, WBFF, Dec. 18, 2024
- Credit2026-07
His RESIDE Act, a HUD pilot of up to $10 million in grants to convert vacant properties into affordable housing, became law within the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.
Sources: WYPR, July 14, 2026, Baltimore Fishbowl, July 15, 2026
- Credit2025 to 2026
Missed 2 of 676 House roll call votes from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Dave Wallace
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Johnny Olszewski. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed May 15, 2026. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found; no periodic transaction reports on the Clerk index.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075628, House Committee on Ethics site search for Olszewski, FEC administrative fines search
Dave Wallace. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Johnny Olszewski. Voted Yea on the HALT Fentanyl Act and the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act in 2025 when Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Nay, and in April 2026 called on fellow Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell to resign.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 33, 2025, HALT Fentanyl Act, House Clerk Roll Call 68, 2025, Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act, CNN, Apr. 13, 2026
Dave Wallace. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Johnny Olszewski. Held an in-person constituent Q&A in Westminster in August 2026, reported by the Baltimore Sun, and says he hosted or attended 11 town halls in his first year. Answered the Sun and Banner 2026 questionnaires.
Sources: Baltimore Sun, Aug. 27, 2026, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026
Dave Wallace. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Johnny Olszewski. Served nine years as a state delegate and six years as Baltimore County executive before Congress. A December 2024 county inspector general report found no wrongdoing by him in a questioned settlement. No censure or conduct finding found.
Sources: WYPR, Dec. 18, 2024, House Committee on Ethics site search for Olszewski
Dave Wallace. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Johnny Olszewski. Has held sworn state, county and federal office since 2006. Took his House seat in January 2025, after the January 2021 electoral count; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, GovTrack, Johnny Olszewski
Dave Wallace. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Johnny Olszewski. In his first U.S. House term after two terms as Baltimore County executive (2018 to 2024) and more than nine years in the Maryland House of Delegates.
Sources: Office site, About, Center for Effective Lawmaking, state legislative effectiveness data
Dave Wallace. Has run a family business since 1981 and founded the Restore America's Mission advocacy group; earlier worked in cancer immunology research at NIH. Has not held public office.
Sources: Campaign site, About, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Johnny Olszewski. Sits on the House Foreign Affairs and Small Business committees and gave detailed answers on the budget, the Key Bridge and federal workers in the Baltimore Sun questionnaire.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026
Dave Wallace. Gave detailed questionnaire answers, including a cap tying federal spending growth to population growth plus inflation and Gramm-Rudman-style budget enforcement, and says he would sponsor a Gold Standard Act.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, Campaign site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Johnny Olszewski. Answered the Baltimore Sun and Banner 2026 voter guide questionnaires, offers an e-newsletter, publishes issue pages and holds town halls.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, The Baltimore Banner voter guide, MD-2, Office site, home page, Baltimore Sun, Aug. 27, 2026
Dave Wallace. Answered the Baltimore Sun and Capital Gazette 2026 questionnaire and publishes issue positions on his site. Did not respond to The Banner's questionnaire.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, Campaign site, home page, The Baltimore Banner voter guide, MD-2
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Johnny Olszewski. Lifelong Marylander from Edgemere in eastern Baltimore County, which he represented in the House of Delegates. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 82 percent of itemized individual contributions from Maryland.
Sources: Office site, About, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Dave Wallace. Grew up in Dundalk, graduated from South Carroll High School and lists Finksburg in Carroll County as his hometown. About 25 percent of itemized individual contributions for 2025 to 2026 came from Maryland, per FEC by-state totals.
Sources: Campaign site, About, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Johnny Olszewski. Ran Baltimore County government, whose council passed a budget of about $4.9 billion in 2023. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no debts and no administrative fine.
Sources: WMAR, May 25, 2023, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Dave Wallace. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with $1,000 in debts owed by the committee. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Johnny Olszewski. No Center for Effective Lawmaking House score yet (first term). His RESIDE Act, a HUD vacant-property pilot, became law in July 2026 within the ROAD to Housing Act. Rated meets expectations as a state delegate, 2011 to 2014.
Sources: WYPR, July 14, 2026, Baltimore Fishbowl, July 15, 2026, Center for Effective Lawmaking, state legislative effectiveness data
Dave Wallace. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Johnny Olszewski. Missed 2 of 676 roll call votes, 0.3 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Dave Wallace. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Johnny Olszewski. Keeps a district office in Towson and offers casework. His office reports returning more than $2.9 million to constituents from federal agencies in his first year and closing nearly 1,500 cases.
Sources: Office site, Office Locations, Office site, home page, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026
Dave Wallace. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Johnny Olszewski. Not scored by the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index, whose latest posted House scores cover 2023. Co-led the RESIDE Act with Republican Reps. Maria Salazar and Brian Fitzpatrick; it became law in 2026.
Dave Wallace. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Johnny Olszewski. As county executive, his fiscal 2024 budget of about $4.9 billion passed the county council unanimously. No audit finding against his administration found.
Source: WMAR, May 25, 2023
Dave Wallace. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Maryland's 2nd Congressional District?
Johnny Olszewski has the strongest record in Maryland's 2nd Congressional District. Johnny Olszewski scores 72 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Johnny Olszewski's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Dave Wallace (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Maryland's 2nd Congressional District in 2026?
Johnny Olszewski (Democratic, incumbent), Dave Wallace (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Johnny Olszewski a good candidate for Congress?
Johnny Olszewski scores 72 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 15 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 70 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Dave Wallace a good candidate for Congress?
Dave Wallace has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Maryland race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Maryland 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.