Democratic Party (Maryland)

The Maryland Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Maryland, headquartered in Annapolis. The current state party chair is Yvette Lewis. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling all but one of Maryland's eight U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seats, and has supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature. The only statewide offices that the party does not control are the governorship and the lieutenant governorship, which are currently held by Republicans Larry Hogan and Boyd Rutherford respectively.

History

The Maryland Democratic Party is among the oldest continuously existing political organizations in the world. On May 21, 1827, a meeting of Andrew Jackson supporters organized a political structure in the state designed to help Jackson win the Presidency after he was denied victory in the 1824 United States presidential election despite winning the popular vote. The first meeting of the Democratic (Jackson) Central Committee was held at the Atheneum in Baltimore City, located on the southwest corner of St. Paul and Lexington Streets.

Twelve delegates from each county and six delegates from Baltimore City were invited to attend. The label "Central Committee" was adopted along with a "Committee of Correspondence" which functioned like the present Executive Committee. Thomas M. Forman, Cecil County, was chosen to preside with William M. Beall, Frederick County, appointed Secretary and John S. Brooke, Prince George's County, appointed as Assistant Secretary. In addition to its founding, the Maryland Democratic Party hosted the first six Democratic National Conventions from 1832 to 1852 held in Baltimore. On May 31, 1838, Maryland Democrats gathered in a state party convention to nominate William Grason for Governor. He became the first popularly elected Governor in Maryland with the help of central committees throughout the state.

After the ratification of the Suffrage Amendment in 1920, the Democratic State Central Committee added an equal number of women to its membership, a practice still embodied in National Party Rules and in the elections for Cecil County Democratic State Central Committee.

The first six Democratic National Conventions were held in Baltimore, for a total of nine to date.

Historically the Democratic Party has been the dominant party in Maryland politics. Since the 1838 Maryland gubernatorial election, the first gubernatorial election in Maryland in which the governor was elected by direct popular vote, 28 Maryland Governors have been Democrats. The party has held continuous control of the Maryland General Assembly since 1920, the longest currently running streak of control by a single party of a state legislature in the United States.

Elected officials

Members of Congress

Democrats comprise nine of Maryland's ten-member Congressional delegation:

U.S. Senate

Since 1987, Democrats have controlled both of Maryland's seats in the U.S. Senate:

File:Ben Cardin official Senate portrait.jpg, Senior U.S. Senator
File:Chris Van Hollen official portrait 115th Congress.jpg, Junior U.S. Senator

U.S. House of Representatives

Democrats hold seven of the eight seats Maryland is apportioned in the U.S. House following the 2000 census:

Statewide officeholders

Beginning in January 2015, Democrats control two of the four statewide offices:
*Attorney General: Brian Frosh
*Comptroller: Peter Franchot

County government

Until 2010, the Democratic Party of Maryland held majority power at the County level. As of 2018 the Democrats only hold control in ten out of 23 Maryland's county governments including Baltimore City.

Legislative leadership

* President of the Senate: Bill Ferguson
* President Pro Tempore of the Senate: Melony G. Griffith
* Senate Majority Leader: Nancy J. King
* Speaker of the House of Delegates: Adrienne A. Jones
* Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Delegates: Sheree Sample-Hughes
* House Majority Leader: Eric Luedtke
* House Majority Whip: Talmadge Branch

Electoral performance

Presidential

Party organization

Party chairs (1988–present)

*Yvette Lewis (2019–)
*Cory V. McCray (acting) (2019)
*Maya Rockeymoore Cummings (2018–2019)
*Kathleen Matthews, (2017-2018)
*Bruce Poole (2015–2017)
*Yvette Lewis (2011–2015)
*Peter O'Malley (2011)
* Susan Turnbull (2009–2011)
*Michael Cryor (2007–2009)
*Terry Lierman (2004–2007)
*Ike Leggett (2002–2004)
*Wayne Rogers (2000–2002)
*Peter B. Krauser (1997–2000)
*Gov. Harry Hughes (1994–1997)
*Vera Hall (1993–1994)
*Nate Landow (1988–1993)

Party officers

*Party Chair: Yvette Lewis
*First Vice Chair: Everett Browning
*Second Vice Chair: Judy Wixted
*Third Vice Chair: Ruben Amaya
*Treasurer: Devang Shah
*Secretary: Corynne Courpas
*Deputy Treasurer: Diana Emerson
*Deputy Secretary: Gabe Gough
*Parliamentarian: Greg Pecorara
*DNC Member: Bel Leong-Hong
*DNC Member: Robbie Leonard
*DNC Member: Bob Kresslein
*DNC Member: Cheryl S. Landis

Party staff

*Executive Director: Eva Lewis
*Communications Director: Brandon Stoneburg
*Fundraising Director: Jamie Conway
*Digital Director: Morgan Murphy
*Senior Advisor: Meredith Bowman
*Data & Technology Director: Tyler Carr
*Organizing Director: Justin Butler

Affiliated groups

*United Democratic Women's Clubs of Maryland
*Young Democrats of Maryland
*Democratic Women's PAC of Maryland
*United Democrats of Frederick County
*Green Dems
* Democratic Party (United States)

See also

*Political party strength in Maryland

References

External links

Maryland Democratic Party

{{Authority control

Democratic Party (United States) by state
Political parties established in 1827
Democratic Party
1827 establishments in Maryland