BALTIMORE _ Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz spent nearly three decades building a close-knit family, a successful legal career and a formidable political machine _ all from the comfort of his native Baltimore County.
And for the past year, Kamenetz had taken his no-nonsense brand of Democratic politics on the road, traversing the state to amass a $2 million war chest to finance his bid to be Maryland's next governor.
Then _ suddenly _ he was gone.
At around 2 a.m. Thursday, Kamenetz awoke at his Owings Mills home with chest pains, drove with his wife to a nearby fire station and collapsed. Less than 90 minutes later he was pronounced dead of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Towson, the seat of his political power and a chief benefactor of his pro-development policies.
The death of the 60-year-old immediately reshaped the political landscape in Baltimore County and Maryland.
"It's just shocking," said former Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, echoing the dazed sentiment shared throughout the state's political community.
Kamenetz's family _ his wife, Jill, their teenage sons, Karson and Dylan, and his four siblings _ began preparing for his funeral at 2 p.m. Friday at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation.
In Towson, administration officials worked through their grief to assure the county's 832,000 residents that regulations provide for a clear succession plan: Veteran County Administrative Officer Fred Homan is now acting county executive until the seven-member County Council chooses someone to serve the last seven months of Kamenetz's second term.
And with less than seven weeks before the June 26 Democratic primary election for governor, Kamenetz's running mate, Valerie Ervin, learned she had until next Thursday to decide whether to run in his place or choose another candidate. It's a decision complicated by Kamenetz's success as a candidate: The well-funded campaign has already reserved more than $1 million in airtime for commercials.
Kamenetz was one of seven Democrats competing for the party's gubernatorial nomination, and the most prominent from the Baltimore area. On Thursday, politicians set competition aside to express their shock, to extend condolences to Kamenetz's family and to heap praise on their colleague. A Democratic gubernatorial forum scheduled for Thursday evening at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County was canceled and turned into a vigil for Kamenetz.
"He dedicated his life to public service, to making a difference and he helped to move Maryland forward," said Ben Jealous, a rival in the Democratic primary.
Gov. Larry Hogan _ the Republican whom Kamenetz hoped to challenge _ ordered flags flown at half-staff and expressed his sorrow for the passing of a Democrat who never shied from a fight, whether with a political rival or an ally.
"He was a dedicated public servant in Baltimore County for more than two decades, and we join with the citizens of Baltimore County and all Marylanders in mourning," Hogan said in a statement.
In his 24 years as a Baltimore County councilman and executive, Kamenetz amassed an array of accomplishments _ renovating aging schools, revitalizing downtown Towson and never raising taxes _ that made him a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination.
Critics described him as arrogant, and said he was more beholden to developers than to his constituents _ particularly in Towson, where rapid development rejuvenated its downtown, but did little to expand open space. County residents complained to council members that Kamenetz and his top aides routinely dismissed their concerns.
Kamenetz made no apologies for a leadership style that some found abrasive but that others said was decisive.
"I'll accept whatever criticism is out there. That comes with the job," Kamenetz told The Baltimore Sun last week. "The real answer is the results. We're getting things done and we're not raising taxes, and I think we've got a host of solid accomplishments that will serve this county well for the next generation. That's the bottom line."
Kamenetz awoke in his Owings Mills home feeling tightness in his chest early Thursday. Rather than call 911 for an ambulance, he chose to drive about two miles away to the Chestnut Ridge Volunteer Fire Company, where he had been known to get snowballs with his family.
Kamenetz described himself as impatient and direct. He said public service demands such urgency.
"I have always been the person who will look you in the eye and tell you the truth," Kamenetz said. "That's what we need from our elected officials.
"I'm also the guy who gets things done."
Some saw Kamenetz as impatient. The Rev. Alvin Gwynn, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Baltimore, said he was thoughtful and engaging.
"When he ran for county executive, he came and talked with me for an hour and a half, two hours," Gwynn said.
The two discussed the intertwined histories of Baltimore's black and Jewish communities. Gwynn impressed upon Kamenetz the importance of reaching out to African-Americans in the city. He praised Kamenetz for following through and showing genuine care for the city as he governed the county.
Kamentz applied his work ethic on the campaign trail, spending evenings and weekends at forums and meet-and-greets while running Maryland's third-largest county. He spent the evening before he died at a gubernatorial forum in Bowie, his second campaign event in two days.
