“Congratulations, Madame County Executive.”

With those four words — after a unanimous vote — the Baltimore County Council made history by naming its first female county executive.

After about three decades in the General Assembly, state Sen. Kathy Klausmeier will serve out the remaining two years of former County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.’s term.

Klausmeier, 74, waited for an hour while each councilman took a few minutes to discuss their deep personal ties with the East Side stalwart whom newly elected Council Chair Mike Ertel called “the matriarch” of the Baltimore County political family.

“She sets the standard for showing up, for being there, for the little guys,” said Ertel, who has worked with Klausmeier since his election two years ago because they have neighboring districts.

Councilman David Marks, an Upper Falls Republican, shares a district with her. Councilman Todd Crandell, who represents Dundalk, is also an East Sider. Council members Wade Kach and Pat Young both knew Klausmeier long before because they served alongside her in Annapolis. Councilmen Julian Jones and Izzy Patoka, both Democrats, have gotten to know her during their past few years on the council.

Klausmeier injected some humor into her swearing in, lingering on the words “Baltimore County” the way Orioles fans do on the letter “O” in “The Star-Spangled Banner.” She said her priorities were to increase public safety, balance the budget, make government more efficient, maintain the county’s AAA bond rating and invest in public schools and parks. She also stressed investing in the arts, quipping: “There’s more to life than sports, but you know, go Ravens.”

“I want to hear from all our residents and work with all of them and use my ears to listen,” she said. “Our work will begin in earnest tomorrow morning.”

She envisioned a brief transition, and thanked County Administrative Officer D’Andrea Walker for assisting over the past several days on arrangements, including a security detail. Walker served as interim county executive for five days, which included handling a severe winter storm.

Klausmeier did not take questions, but county staff said she planned to set up interviews at a later time. The position pays $192,000 a year.

Baltimore County is becoming increasingly diverse, and yet the council remains all-male and Jones is the only person of color. Voters overwhelmingly approved a charter amendment last year to expand the council from seven to nine members, a move hoped to bring more diversity.

Only five women have served on the council since 1956, and the county had never before had a female county executive. Klausmeier’s selection ends that streak.

Of the nine Maryland counties with executive leadership, only Baltimore and Montgomery counties had never chosen a woman for the top job before this week. Frederick County, which switched to a county executive form of government in 2014, has only had women at the helm. Anne Arundel County has had two women in the top position, though only one of those, Janet Owens, was elected; the other, Laura Neuman, was appointed to fill a year of a departing executive’s term.

The search for a new county executive was set in motion by Olszewski’s election to Congress in November. He had held the job for six years. The council sought a replacement who would not seek the job when it comes open in 2026, when three councilmen are expected to run for the post. Klausmeier has said she would not seek a four-year term, though she has not ruled out running for her Maryland Senate seat again when the term ends.

Patoka said council members informally settled on Klausmeier during a Jan. 3 closed session. It was not a vote, Patoka said, but rather a confirmation that Klausmeier was the candidate who would have unanimous support.

The council had planned to vote Monday evening, but the planned meeting was postponed due to the snowstorm. At 9 a.m. Tuesday, council attorney Thomas Bostwick called the four other contenders to inform them that they had not been selected. And Patoka called Klausmeier to let her know she had the job.

Klausmeier’s selection was not a surprise to those closely watching the process.

The county charter requires that the council choose the next county executive should the current officeholder leave. The only requirements are that the successor live in the county and hold the same party affiliation as the departed executive. The council received 12 applications and had to quickly sift through them in a process that had never been done before, Patoka said.

Klausmeier indicated her interest in the position early on, joining Olszewski at county events prior to her selection. She attended the November dedication of a county coronavirus pandemic memorial at Lake Roland, though the park is well outside of her East Side district.

Olszewski, too, is close with Klausmeier. They served together in the General Assembly from 2006 until 2015. In a statement Tuesday, he called her a “lifelong friend.” After her swearing in, she thanked Olszewski and said, “He led the way for me.”

Patoka said he never had any discussions with Olszewski about who to choose for the position.

Council members were won over by Klausmeier’s deep government experience, smarts, strong work ethic, bipartisan record and warm, engaging personality, according to several involved in the process.

Former state Sen. Jim Brochin was also a strong contender, but several councilmen were troubled by his comments that he would work more closely with ICE regarding unauthorized immigrants in the county jail who had committed serious misdemeanors or felonies. Brochin lost to Olszewski in 2018′s primary by just 17 votes.

Yara Cheikh, a respected education activist who leads the county’s library board, impressed the council members during her interview, but some worried she didn’t have the government experience to tackle the looming problems. Former county parks director Barry F. Williams and former county environmental protection head George G. Perdikakis Sr. also were finalists.

Expressing a sentiment shared by other councilmen, Marks said each candidate had desirable qualities, and perhaps the ideal person was a combination of all five of them. With that possibility not on the table, the council came together behind Klausmeier, though members noted it was not an easy decision.

Klausmeier began her public service career as president of the PTA at Gunpowder Elementary School, when her two daughters were students there. She now has four granddaughters and lives in Perry Hall, where she grew up. Klausmeier worked as a child-life coordinator for the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center. She served as vice chair of the Maryland Senate Finance Committee, which considers legislation that deals with banks, consumer protection, health care, substance abuse and workers’ compensation, among other matters.

“She’s always been active, always been involved,” said one of her daughters, Krista Klausmeier. “It’s fun to be here, to see her where she is now.”

The senior Democratic lawmaker is known for her inclusive nature, working not just with younger colleagues in the Senate and constituents in her district but across the aisle. Bipartisanship is crucial in the county and on the council, where three Republicans and four Democrats often vote in unexpected ways to pass shared priorities.

“She has this charm that draws people in,” said state Del. Carl Jackson, a Baltimore County Democrat.

The Maryland General Assembly begins its legislative session Wednesday without one of its most senior senators. The Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee will choose Klausmeier’s replacement, but that will take a few weeks. Should they name a delegate — both Jackson and Del. Harry Bhandari said they would apply — the committee will have to replace that person as well.

Baltimore County’s new leader faces myriad challenges, including population loss, aging infrastructure and likely looming budget shortfalls. There are also a large number of federal workers whose employment may be threatened by President-elect Donald Trump’s efforts to downsize the government.

Jackson said difficult tasks will not be a problem for his colleague: “She’s very well-rounded and uniquely positioned to take over.”

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Laura Neuman’s surname.