Politics & Government
Prince George's Democrats Select Party Chairwoman To Fill House Vacancy
The Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee Tuesday turned to one of their own to fill a House of Delegates vacancy.
September 14, 2021
The Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee turned to one of their own to fill a House of Delegates vacancy on Tuesday.
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During an online public hearing, the panel chose Central Committee Chair Cheryl Summers Landis to represent District 23B for the next 16 months.
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Landis received 21 of 24 votes. There were two abstentions.
The nomination goes to Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R), who has 15 days to make the appointment official.
Landis beat out two other candidates. Kym Taylor, co-founder of a home health care agency and a former aide to Sen. Paul Pinsky (D), received one vote. Retired U.S. Marshals Service official and frequent candidate David J. Grogan received none.
The District 23B seat came open last month when then-Del. Ronald L. Watson was appointed to the state Senate, following the resignation of Douglas J.J. Peters. Peters resigned after Hogan chose him to serve on the University System of Maryland Board of Regents.
Given Landis’s tenure as head of the Democratic Party in Prince George’s and her long period of political activism, her victory was not a surprise.
“My service to District 23 residents has been steadfast,” she said prior to the vote. “I have every confidence that my appointment will ensure a smooth transition of effective leadership and representation.”
Watson and County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks spoke on Landis’s behalf. Pinsky spoke in support of Taylor.
In addition to her duties with the county party, Landis is a Democratic National Committeewoman for Maryland and serves on the state party’s executive, credentials and rules committees. She worked for the Prince George’s County school system for nearly three decades.
After the vote, she said she “is giving strong consideration” to seeking a four-year term in 2022.
Taylor said she too intends to run. The race could draw a potentially large field of candidates.
Grogan said he expects to run for something next year, but he has not decided which office.
bruce@marylandmatters.org
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