Two state delegates are vying for a Maryland Senate seat from Baltimore County following Kathy Klausmeier’s appointment as county executive.

Dels. Carl Jackson and Harry Bhandari, both of whom have served in the House of Delegates since 2019, will be interviewed Tuesday night by a local Democratic committee for the state Senate seat that Klausmeier held for more than two decades.

Klausmeier represented legislative District 8, which includes Carney, Overlea, Perry Hall, Parkville, Towson, Rossville, Rosedale and White Marsh. The Baltimore County Council tapped Klausmeier to be county executive earlier this month.

Members of the party’s 8th District committee will conduct interviews at 6 p.m. Tuesday and make a recommendation to the Baltimore County Democratic Party’s central committee. State law requires that when a legislator vacates their position, the replacement come from the same political party.

The central committee will pass along its recommendation to Gov. Wes Moore, who has 15 days to make an official appointment. The new senator will serve out the remainder of Klausmeier’s term, which ends in January 2027.

“We’re looking to appoint somebody who has priorities already that they want to accomplish,” said Kim Ross, the chair of communications for the Baltimore County Democratic Party.

The party isn’t looking to find someone exactly like Klausmeier, but might prefer someone with some of her positive qualities, Ross said. “Her style is signature. She is relatable. People feel heard, seen. … You felt like you could have a conversation with her.”

Jackson, 40, said he started serving in state government to “bring investment” to underserved areas in the 8th District and throughout Maryland and would continue to do so in the state Senate.

“Since the 2020 session, I have built the legislative relationships, the business contacts, and the community partnerships that have made investments into less influential 8th District communities a reality,” he wrote in a statement.

Jackson has held various jobs in the University of Maryland system, according to his legislature bio.

“Along with my District 8 colleagues, I have helped bring over $6.6 million in capital investments into our communities through the legislative bond process for everything from schools to community centers to parks and playgrounds,” Jackson continued. He said he had “a proven track record of working with local, state and federal elected officials and departments.”

Bhandari, a 47-year-old educator, said he’d look to advocate for more workforce training programs and continue pushing for affordable health care, clean energy policies and diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Maryland.

“The Democratic Party should select me because I bring a proven record of delivering transformative results for District 8 and Maryland while honoring the legacy of former Senator Kathy Klausmeier, whose leadership greatly benefited our community,” Bhandari wrote in a statement.

During his time as a state delegate, he said, he has “passed nearly two dozen bills addressing healthcare, education, equity, and public safety,” including a law barring registered sex offenders from in-person school attendance.