MARYLAND MATTERS: The freshman class of the General Assembly is a little like Maryland itself: America in miniature.
The new members have a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. They range in age from 25 (Del.-elect Joe Vogel of Montgomery County) to 72 (Sen-elect Benjamin Brooks and Del.-elect Cheryl Pasteur, both of Baltimore County). And they are a racially and ethnically diverse lot. Three of the eight incoming senators are women, while 15 of 40 freshman delegates are women.
There is one forthcoming vacancy in the state Senate, the seat held for 28 years by former Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George’s), who was nominated by Gov.-elect Wes Moore (D) to head the Maryland Energy Administration. It’s entirely possible that his replacement will come from the House of Delegates, creating a vacancy there.
All but one of the new senators has already served in General Assembly: The roster of incoming members includes an ex-state senator, C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s), who won his old seat back after four years out of politics; four current delegates — Brooks, Michael McKay (R-Allegany), Johnny Mautz (R-Middle Shore), and Karen Lewis Young (D-Frederick); and two former delegates, Bill Folden (R-Frederick) and Mary-Dulany James (D-Harford). The only incoming senator without electoral experience is Dawn Gile (D-Anne Arundel), an attorney and community activist who won one of the most closely watched contests of the fall.
Several incoming House members have previously served in other political offices and one, Del.-elect Tiffany Alston (D-Prince George’s), already served in the House in 2011 and 2012. Seven delegates-elect were serving as elected members of county councils or county commissions until last month. Another, Del.-elect Adrian Boafo (D-Prince George’s), is a member of the Bowie City Council.
Some of the newcomers are already quite well known politically: Muse was elected to the House of Delegates in 1994, ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 1998 and for county executive in 2002, was elected to the Senate in 2006 and lost another bid for county executive in 2018.
Del.-elect Elizabeth Embry (D-Baltimore City), an assistant state attorney general, ran for mayor of Baltimore in 2016 and for lieutenant governor in 2018.
Some newcomers are part of political families, including Embry, whose father served on the Baltimore City Council; Del.-elect Pamela Landman Guzzone (D-Howard), whose ex-husband is Senate Budget and Taxation Chair Guy Guzzone (D-Howard); James, whose father was the late state Senate President William James (D); Lewis Young, who is replacing her husband, Sen. Ron Young (D-Frederick), in the upper chamber; and Del.-elect Caylin Young (D-Baltimore City), whose twin brother Calvin Young ran for mayor of Baltimore in 2016 and was preparing to run for a House seat from Baltimore County in 2022 but did not stay in the race.
Here are the future members of the General Assembly who will be sworn-in on Wednesday, including their committee assignments:
Incoming state senators
Dist. 1 (far Western Maryland): Michael McKay (R), current state delegate, former Allegany County commissioner, will serve on the Judicial Proceedings Committee
Dist. 3 (Frederick): Karen Lewis Young (D), current delegate, former Frederick City alderwoman, will serve on the Committee on Education, Energy and the Environment
Dist. 4 (Frederick): Bill Folden (R), former delegate, will serve on the Judicial Proceedings Committee
Dist. 10 (Baltimore County): Benjamin Brooks (D), current delegate, will serve on the Committee on Education, Energy and the Environment
Dist. 26 (Prince George’s): C. Anthony Muse (D), a minister and former state senator who won his old seat back, will serve on the Judicial Proceedings Committee
Dist. 33 (Anne Arundel): Dawn Gile (D), attorney, will serve on the Finance Committee
Dist. 34 (Harford): Mary-Dulany James (D), former delegate, will serve on the Judicial Proceedings Committee
Dist. 37 (Middle Shore): Johnny Mautz (R), current delegate, will serve on the Finance Committee
One vacancy, in Prince George’s County District 22. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) has indicated that the person who fills this position will serve on the Judicial Proceedings Committee
Incoming delegates
Dist. 1A (far Western Maryland): Jim Hinebaugh (R), former Garrett County commissioner, will serve on the Appropriations Committee
Dist. 1C (Washington and Allegany): Terry Baker (R), former Washington County commissioner, will serve on the Environment and Transportation Committee
Dist. 2A (Washington and Fredrick): William Valentine (R), retired police officer, will serve on the Judiciary Committee
Dist. 2B (Washington): Brooke Grossman (D), a top official with Goodwill Industries, will serve on the Ways and Means Committee
Dist. 3 (Frederick): Kris Fair (D), former aide to Karen Young, will serve on Ways and Means; Karen Simpson (D), a domestic violence and child welfare advocate who works for the Maryland State Retirement Agency, will serve on the Judiciary Committee
Dist. 4 (Frederick): April Fleming Miller (R), former Frederick County school board member, will serve on Ways and Means
Dist. 5 (Carroll): Eric Bouchat (R), former Carroll County commissioner, will serve on Judiciary; Chris Tomlinson (R), state procurement officer and conservative activist, will serve on Judiciary
Dist. 7A (Baltimore County): Ryan Nawrocki (R), small business owner, political operative and former Ehrlich administration official, will serve on Environment and Transportation
Dist. 8 (Baltimore County): Nick Allen (D), Army veteran who works for the state Health Department, will serve on Environment and Transportation
Dist. 9A (Howard and Montgomery): Chao Wu (D), scientist, will serve on Ways and Means; Natalie Ziegler (D), small business owner, will serve on Environment and Transportation
Dist. 10 (Baltimore County): N. Scott Phillips (D), chair of the Baltimore County Planning Board, will serve on Judiciary; Jennifer White (D), public health analyst with the Horizon Foundation, will serve on the Health and Government Operations Committee
Dist. 11A (Baltimore County): Cheryl Pasteur (D), retired teacher and principal and former member of the Baltimore County school board, will serve on Judiciary
Dist. 12B (Anne Arundel): Gary Simmons (D), retired police officer, will serve on Judiciary
Dist. 13 (Howard): Pamela Lanman Guzzone (D), retired federal employee, will serve on Health and Government Operations
Dist. 14 (Montgomery): Bernice Mireku-North (D), an attorney appointed last week to replace outgoing Del. Eric Luedtke (D), who will become legislative affairs director for Gov.-elect Wes Moore (D). She has not yet been assigned to a committee
Dist. 17 (Montgomery): Joe Vogel (D), a former political operative and advocate, will serve on Ways and Means
Dist. 18 (Montgomery): Aaron Kaufman (D), disability rights advocate, will serve on Judiciary
Dist. 23 (Prince George’s): Adrian Boafo (D), Bowie city council member, will serve on Economic Matters; Kym Taylor (D), former aide to Pinsky, will serve on Judiciary
Dist. 24 (Prince George’s): Tiffany Alston (D), attorney and former delegate, will serve on Health and Government Operations
Dist. 26 (Prince George’s): Jamila Woods (D), minister and social worker, will serve on Health and Government Operations
Dist. 27A (Prince George’s): Kevin Harris (D), military veteran, community activist, will serve on Appropriations
Dist. 27B (Prince George’s & Calvert): Jeffrie Long (D), a minister and former aide to the late Senate President Mike Miller (D), will serve on Environment and Transportation
Dist. 29C (St. Mary’s): Todd Morgan (R), former St. Mary’s County commissioner, will serve on Environment and Transportation
Dist. 33A (Anne Arundel): Andrew Pruski (D), former Anne Arundel county council member, will serve on Economic Matters
Dist. 33B (Anne Arundel): Stuart Schmidt (R), real estate investor and broker, will serve on Judiciary
Dist. 34A (Harford): Andre Johnson (D), former Harford County council member, will serve on Economic Matters
Dist. 37B (Middle Shore): Tom Hutchinson (R), businessman, will serve on Health and Government Operations
Dist. 42B (Baltimore County & Carroll): Joshua Stonko (R), conservative activist, will serve on Appropriations
District 43A (Baltimore City): Elizabeth Embry (D), assistant attorney general, former candidate for mayor and lieutenant governor, will serve on Judiciary
Dist. 44B (Baltimore County): Aletheia McCaskill (D), union activist, will serve on Appropriations
Dist. 45 (Baltimore City): Jackie Addison (D), community activist, will serve on Environment and Transportation; Caylin Young (D), an attorney who is the deputy director of the Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights, will serve on Judiciary
Dist. 46 (Baltimore City): Mark Edelson (D), attorney and civic activist, will serve on Appropriations
Dist. 47B (Prince George’s): Deni Taveras (D), outgoing Prince George’s County council member, will serve on Health and Government Operations
Photo: House Speaker Adrienne Jones (second from left) with her teammates in Baltimore County’s District 10, all of whom are taking new positions in the General Assembly. Left to right: Sen.-elect Benjamin Brooks, who spent eight years in the House, and Dels.-elect N. Scott Phillips Phillips and Jennifer White. District 10 Unity Team Facebook photo.
