Mansoor Shams entered the race for Baltimore County executive last month out of frustration.

Four other Democratic candidates had been waging a long and expensive fight for the county’s top political office. But to Shams, a 43-year-old county employee and Marine Corps veteran, none of them had offered meaningful solutions to voters’ most pressing concern: affordability.

“It bothered me so much,” Shams said in an interview. “I recognized they were going to do nothing for the people of this county but fulfill their obligations to whoever their large donors are.”

The Towson resident felt compelled to join the field, even though he’s never held elected office and lags far behind his rivals in both name recognition and fundraising. He launched his campaign on Jan. 28, promising to reorient county government around tackling the cost-of-living crisis.

Shams’ progressive platform includes three main proposals: direct monthly payments of up to $250 for households making under $75,000 a year, county-run mini-marts offering basic goods at low prices, and property tax reductions for seniors.

“My genuine desire here is to really serve the people of this county who are badly suffering,” said Shams, an outreach worker with the county’s Department of Recreation and Parks.

“I know some of the things that I talk about might be radical, but I think that’s what is needed,” he added.

The field for the June 23 Democratic primary is crowded and formidable. Three sitting county councilmen — Julian Jones, Izzy Patoka and Pat Young — as well as Nick Stewart, a financial attorney and former school board member, announced their candidacies months ago. The four of them raised a combined $1.3 million last year.

Shams has joined Young in using the county’s new public financing system, which limits campaign contributions to $250. To qualify for matching public funds, county executive candidates must raise $50,000 in small donations from at least 550 individuals.

Shams said that in under three weeks, his campaign has collected nearly $22,000 from over 130 donors.

A focus on affordability

“Affordability,” a catchall term that reflects the costs of housing, groceries, utilities and other essentials, has become a buzzword in political campaigns nationwide.

Shams, though, said his focus on the issue is personal.

Born in Pakistan, he immigrated to the U.S. at age 6 and grew up mostly in Howard County, where he and his family lived in subsidized housing and relied on food stamps. He spent part of his childhood in foster care.

After graduating from high school in 2000, Shams served four years in the Marines, working as an administrative clerk and rising to the rank of corporal. But in the years after leaving the military, he moved to Baltimore County and experienced financial difficulties, at times needing government assistance to get by.

Shams’ supporters said those experiences help him relate to the growing number of residents who struggle to make ends meet. Household incomes in the county have gradually declined, while housing costs have risen, making the county one of the state’s least affordable places to rent.

“For him, there’s a real sorrow in seeing the country as a whole and the government fail in its commitment to the people,” said Pat Shannon Jones, an ordained minister who is advising Shams’ campaign. “He, of course, has experienced his own financial hardship, so he wants to help people who are struggling right now.”

The moment calls for an ambitious agenda, Shams said. He has proposed eliminating the county portion of property taxes for longtime homeowners by age 70.

Asked how he would pay for his policies at a time when local jurisdictions are strapped for cash, Shams brought up recent proposals to double the County Council’s salaries and pensions.

“We have money for politicians to enrich themselves, and then we say that we don’t have money for people that are starving out there,” Shams said. “I don’t think it makes sense.”

He suggested raising funds by freezing nonessential hiring, reviewing all contracts for waste, and eliminating underused buildings and programs.

“Whenever they talk about, ‘Oh, we don’t have money for this, we don’t have money for that,’ I just look at it like, ‘No, you just didn’t prioritize it right,’” Shams said.

The Muslim Marine

Shams is a married father of four with two master’s degrees from the Johns Hopkins University and a range of professional experience. He’s served as an assistant to two chairmen of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, worked as a wealth adviser at J.P. Morgan, owned cellphone and export businesses, and held a term membership at the Council on Foreign Relations, a foreign policy think tank.

Before running for office, he gained national attention as the founder of MuslimMarine.org, an organization aimed at combating bigotry and Islamophobia through education, public speaking and community dialogue.

As part of his work, Shams has appeared on television and delivered talks to colleges, government agencies and law enforcement groups. He also walked across 25 states with a sign that read, “I’m a Muslim and a U.S. Marine. Ask me anything.”

Jones, the adviser, said Shams has long worked to bridge divides and bring people together. The two met through their involvement in interfaith outreach with local churches, synagogues and mosques.

“There was always a focus on open doors, open communication — all are welcome,” Jones said. “He’s always looking for common ground and how we are alike.”

Shams said he would bring that same openness and accessibility to the county executive’s office, adding that elected officials have walled themselves off from the people they serve. As part of his platform, Shams has promised to hold office hours several days a week and allow constituents to schedule meetings with him.

Republicans Patrick Dyer and Kimberley Stansbury, along with independent Rob Daniels, are also running for county executive. The winner of the Democratic primary will be heavily favored in November’s general election, given the party’s 2-to-1 advantage in voter registration in the county.

Shams is attempting to become the first South Asian and the first immigrant to hold the office.