Glassman Preparing 2026 Bid for Harford County Executive; Boniface Expected to Join Slate
BEL AIR, Md. — Former Harford County Executive and former state senator Barry Glassman is preparing to run again for the county’s top office, according to confidential Republican sources in Harford County who say an announcement could come “within days.”
Glassman, who served two terms as County Executive from 2014 to 2022, is fully eligible to run again after sitting out the required one term while mounting an unsuccessful statewide bid for Comptroller. Maryland law imposes a two‑term limit on consecutive county executive service but allows former executives to return after a four‑year break.
Teaming With Billy Boniface?
Multiple GOP operatives in Harford County tell Maryland Wire that Glassman is expected to run on a coordinated ticket with Billy Boniface, his longtime senior aide and former Director of Administration. Boniface is currently running for County Council President, a seat being vacated by Patrick Vincenti, who is also seeking the executive’s office.
While Vincenti has entered the race, several Republican insiders say his campaign “has not caught fire,” leaving the field unsettled. Meanwhile, incumbent County Executive Bob Cassilly remains a polarizing figure within the party, creating what one strategist described as “a wide open lane for a steady, respected, consensus‑builder like Glassman.”
Glassman has not made any public statements indicating he intends to run, and no campaign committee has yet been filed. However, GOP sources insist the former executive has been making calls, sounding out supporters, and preparing the infrastructure for a formal return.
One Havre de Grace resident, who asked to be identified only as an “HDG housewife”, described Glassman’s enduring popularity in more personal terms.
> “Barry always looked perfect—perfect hair, perfect suit. If only he were taller,” she said with a laugh. “He’s a dreamboat. People just like him.”
Glassman left office in 2022 with high favorability ratings and a reputation for fiscal steadiness, traits that some Republicans believe could appeal to voters seeking an alternative to the increasingly contentious Cassilly administration.
If Glassman enters the race, the Republican primary would immediately become one of the most closely watched local contests in Maryland’s 2026 cycle.