Nick Charles Unanimously Appointed to District 25 Senate Seat
Following a unanimous appointment by the Democratic Central Committee, the 25th District’s Senate seat, previously held by Sen. Melony Griffith (D), will now be filled by Del. Nick Charles (D- District 25).
Gov. Wes Moore (D) is expected to sign off on Charles’ appointment in coming weeks.
“I’ve watched Delegate Charles work in a community and really demonstrate leadership in the way that an elected official should,” said Griffith. “He is a true community leader that works with our community and will be a phenomenal member of the Senate.”
Charles is likely to serve on the Senate’s Judiciary Committee.
Griffith, who chaired the Senate’s Finance Committee, resigned her Senate seat to lead the Maryland Hospital Association, officially ending duties on Oct. 31. Senator Pam Beidle (D– District 32) will now lead the Finance Committee.
Charles was the only applicant and following his appointment, an appointment for the delegate seat will be held prior to the legislative session. Some of the potential candidates for the seat include former Delegate Angela Angel (D) and Prince George’s Central Committee members Nova Coston (D-District 25) and the Rev. John Richardson (D), who serves as assistant treasurer. Coston confirmed her interest in applying for the post via text. Antoine Thompson, the executive director of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) and former New York State Senator, is also planning to file for the seat.
Charles has also served as the Chair of the Prince George’s House Delegation since 2021, a position that will be filled before the pending legislative session. The delegation will be discussing their pre-filed bills in early December.
Democratic Delegates Karen Toles and Kent Roberson were originally appointed to their seats upon the election of then-Delegate Dereck E. Davis (D) to state treasurer and the resignation of Darryl Barnes (D) former chair of the Black Caucus.
Sarbanes Retiring, Leaving Wide-Open 3rd Congressional District Primary
With the retirement of longtime Congressman John Sarbanes, Maryland’s deep-blue Third Congressional District is poised to have a new representative for the first time since 2007. Sarbanes was first elected in the 2006 midterms and has held the seat without serious competition in the primary or general elections since.
Delegates Vanessa Atterbeary (D– District 13) and Terri Hill (D– District 12) and Sen. Sarah Elfreth (D– District 30) have already announced their plans to run for the open seat. Delegate Mike Rogers (D– District 32) recently announced that he is planning to run for the 3rd Congressional seat. He is hopeful that PACs supporting veterans will assist his campaign.
The seat has never been held by an African-American, and the last woman to hold the seat was former Sen. Barbara Mikulski in the 1980s.
Large Field of Contenders in 6th Congressional District
Maryland’s Sixth Congressional District is the most competitive congressional seat in the general election, with two-time Republican nominee Neil Parrott reaching or eclipsing 39% in both of his previous runs.
The candidates in the Democratic primary include Hagerstown Mayor Takesha Martinez, the first Black Mayor of her town; Del. Joe Vogel (D–District 17), one of the youngest members of the House of Delegates; April McLain Delaney, attorney and wife of former Sixth District Congressman John Delaney; Destiny Drake West, senior program specialist at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and senior legislative analyst at the Department of Health and Human Services; and former gubernatorial candidate and Obama Administration veteran Ashwani Jain.
Ulman, Mickens Dukes Elected as New Maryland Democratic Party Leaders
During the Maryland Democratic Party convention held on Nov. 18, Margrave Strategies president and former Howard County Executive Ken Ulman was overwhelmingly elected to serve as the next chair of the Maryland Democratic Party.
Traditionally, the convention to elect the Maryland Democratic Party’s leadership is held in the late fall following the gubernatorial election. Yvette Lewis, the former party chair, announced she was leaving the post on Oct. 6, following her second term.
Governor Wes Moore (D) nominated Ulman and former Prince George’s Community College President Charlene Mickens-Dukes to serve as the chair and first vice chair respectively.
“This is not a decision that came easy. This took months of deliberation and thought and about who not just meets the moment but jumps over the bar. Then weeks of convincing,” said Moore. “The opportunity costs of getting it wrong are too high. We’ve seen examples of what it looks like when this goes wrong.”
Baltimore County Central Committeemember Ed Crizer (D) and Charles County Central Committeemember Vontasha Simms (D) both ran for the chair position, garnering 22 and 10 raw votes respectively. In nominating speeches, Baltimore County Central Committee Member Ian Miller (D) called for Democrats to support the immigrant advocacy organization CASA and to oppose war in the Middle East, while Fifth District candidate McKayla Wilkes called on Democrats to prioritize issues such as housing and student loan debt.
Maryland Women’s Caucus Hires Ariyana Ward as New Executive Director
Women Legislators of Maryland announced on Nov. 16 that Ariyana Monee Ward will serve as the newest executive director of the caucus.
“We look forward to having Ariyana serve in this critical role,” said Delegate Patterson in a press release. “Her familiarity with both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly coupled with her multifarious leadership positions make her uniquely qualified for not only conducting the administration of this caucus, but also implementing our legislative and educational programs.”
Ward served as an intern for the Legislative Black Caucus during the previous General Assembly’s session and has built relationships with several members of the House and Senate by filling essential roles in their offices. Ward served as president of the NAACP #7800 Chapter, in Frostburg, Maryland from 2020- 2023 and as president of Frostburg State University’s Student Government Association for two years. She is a graduate of Frostburg State University’s Honors Program, where she was a teaching assistant in the Department of Psychology.
“I am deeply honored to be named the Executive Director of the Women Legislators of Maryland,” said. Ward. “These are some of the most tremendous women that the nation has to offer and I am excited for the opportunity to lend my passion for advocating for the rights of all women.”