Thomas L. Bromwell, head of Baltimore County's state senators, beat back a determined Republican challenger to win a fourth term yesterday, but in a stunning defeat, House Majority Leader Kenneth H. Masters of Catonsville lost his seat and the county's only powerful leadership position in the General Assembly.
Senator Bromwell defeated the GOP challenger, Del. John J. Bishop Jr., 45, by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent and proclaimed it "a sweet victory after a tough primary and a tough general election. I just feel grateful to the voters of the 8th District."
Mr. Bishop had represented the Towson-based 9th District and was moved into the 8th by the redistricting after the 1990 census, and this year decided to challenge Mr. Bromwell for the Senate seat.
"I don't want to talk about it," Mr. Bishop said last night as he stalked out of a Republican gathering at the Tall Cedars Hall on Putty Hill Avenue.
Masters comes in last
Mr. Masters finished last in a four-candidate race for Baltimore County's two seats in District 12A.
Howard County has the third seat in that district.
Mr. Masters, who could not be reached for comment, may have fallen victim to heavy ticket splitting, as voters said they would choose candidates they felt would be most responsive to their demands.
Absentee ballots could still be a factor in close races. Doris J. Suter, the county election board administrator, said about 7,000 ballots, an unusually high number for a nonpresidential election, were mailed out and 5,500 to 6,000 have been returned.
The absentee ballots are to be counted tomorrow.
In the 8th District House race, Democratic newcomer Katherine Klausmeier, 44, of Parkville, a child-life coordinator at St. Joseph Medical Center, led all candidates in the vote and will join re-elected incumbent GOP Dels. James F. Ports, Jr., 35, of Perry Hall, and Alfred W. Redmer, Jr., 38, of Parkville, in the House.
20 percent in city
On the west side, the new 10th District made political history by electing the county's first black members to the General Assembly.
Created after the 1990 Census, the 10th has a 62 percent black population, elected a black senator and three black delegates.
The new district's boundaries cross the city-county line, giving it makeup of 80 percent county residents and 20 percent city residents.
