Paul Corderman

Paul D. Corderman (born September 1, 1977) is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Republican Party. He is a member of the Maryland Senate from District 2, which covers parts of Washington County, assuming office on September 1, 2020. He was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from District 2B from December 2017 to August 2020.

Early life

Corderman was born on September 1, 1977, in Hagerstown, Maryland to John P. Corderman, a member of the Maryland Senate and circuit court judge. He graduated from North Hagerstown High School in 1995, and later attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice in 2000.

Political career

Corderman first got involved in politics following the death of his father in July 2012.

In 2016, Corderman ran for the Hagerstown City Council on a platform of increasing grants and tax incentives and cutting regulations. He was sworn in on November 29, 2016. Corderman resigned from the city council to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates on December 19, 2017. He was succeeded by Charles Austin Heffernan Jr.

Maryland General Assembly

In November 2017, following Governor Larry Hogan's appointment of state delegate Brett Wilson to the Washington County Circuit Court, Corderman applied to serve the remainder of Wilson's term in the Maryland House of Delegates. In December 2017, the Washington County Republican Central Committee voted to nominate Corderman to fill the seat, and Hogan appointed Corderman to the Maryland House of Delegates later that month. He was sworn in on December 20, 2017. Corderman was elected to a full four-year term in 2018.

In August 2020, following the resignation of state senator Andrew A. Serafini, Corderman said he would apply to serve the remainder of Serafini's term in the Maryland Senate. The Washington County Republican Central Committee nominated Corderman to fill the vacancy on August 26, and Hogan appointed him to the Maryland Senate the following day. He was sworn in on September 1, 2020. Since 2023, Corderman has served as the ranking chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.

Corderman ran for a full full-year term in the Maryland Senate in 2022. During the primaries, he filed a lawsuit against Democratic challenger Shawn Demetrious Perry, alleging that Perry was ineligible to run because he did not live within the district. In June 2022, Circuit Court Judge Dana Moylan Wright denied Corderman's challenge to Perry's candidacy. Corderman defeated Perry in the general election on November 8, 2022, receiving 63.8 percent of the vote to Perry's 36.1 percent.

Personal life

Corderman is married to his wife, Kerri. Together, they have a daughter.

Political positions

Crime and policing

During the 2020 legislative session, Corderman introduced the "Suzanne Jones Act", named for a woman stabbed to death in Hagerstown in October 2017, that would require state correctional facilities to release prisoners back into the communities where they lived before incarceration. The bill failed to pass out of committee. In April 2020, he signed onto a letter questioning the early release of prisoners amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In September 2020, Corderman signed onto a letter calling for the cancellation of hearings on police reform, expressing concerns that the hearings would demoralize police officers.

Education

Corderman supports the Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) program, which provides scholarships to students attending private schools, and criticized funding cuts to the program in the state's 2019 budget.

Health care

During the 2020 legislative session, Corderman introduced legislation to increase Medicaid reimbursements for emergency medical services.

In August 2022, Corderman criticized a proposal by Mayor Emily Keller to locate a 24-hour crisis center in downtown Hagerstown, saying that it was contributing to the "disintegration and degradation of our downtown community". He also said he opposed bills decriminalizing certain drug-related violations in Maryland.

Housing

In January 2017, Corderman said he opposed plans to redevelop Noland Village in Hagerstown, saying it would worsen the city's various socioeconomic issues, including the opioid epidemic. He later voted against a PILOT agreement with Bethel Gardens, a low-income housing complex in downtown Hagerstown.

Taxes

During the 2022 legislative session, Corderman introduced legislation that would provide income tax breaks to health care workers following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2023, Corderman introduced a bill that would prohibit Washington County from charging an entertainment tax.

Transportation

Corderman supports the expansion of Interstate 81 and has called for increased state funding toward the project.

During the 2020 legislative session, Corderman introduced a bill requiring a study on expanding MARC Train commuter rail lines to Hancock and Cumberland, which passed and became law. He was also the only Republican state delegate to vote in favor of a bill increasing state transit maintenance spending by $500 million.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corderman, Paul D.
1977 births
Living people
21st-century American legislators
Maryland city council members
Politicians from Hagerstown, Maryland
Republican Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates
Republican Party Maryland state senators
University of Maryland, College Park alumni
21st-century Maryland politicians