Maryland’s 106 delegates to the Democratic National Convention could vote to make Vice President Kamala Harris the party’s presidential nominee as soon as Thursday.
While the national convention isn’t set to begin until Aug. 19 in Chicago, party officials believe the presidential roll call may need to be held virtually and earlier, rather than on the convention floor. That’s because deadlines in a handful of states require the political parties to have their nominee certified before or during the Democrats’ convention week.
The DNC Rules Committee is set to meet Wednesday afternoon to definitely set the schedule for the presidential roll call. Some media outlets have suggested it could happen as soon as Thursday.
“We’re trying to make sure there’s a process and that everyone is listened to,” said Ken Ulman, the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, who serves on the rules committee.
That panel is scheduled to meet publicly on Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The meeting will be live-streamed on the DNC’s YouTube page.
Whenever the presidential vote takes place, Maryland’s Democratic convention delegation is in the spotlight like never before, thanks to President Biden’s decision to drop his reelection bid and Harris’ quick emergence as the consensus candidate to replace him.
The delegation met virtually on Monday morning and voted unanimously to support Harris for president. All of the delegates had previously been committed to Biden and still need to be formally released by the president before they can cast their votes for his successor.
Maryland’s convention delegation automatically starts with Gov. Wes Moore (D), the Democratic members of the state’s congressional delegation, Ulman, state party Vice Chair Charlene Dukes, and the state party’s four representatives to the Democratic National Committee: Robert Kresslein, Cheryl S. Landis, Robbie Leonard, and Bel Leong-Hong.
Several delegates were elected by congressional district in the May 14 primary as delegates pledged to Biden. Others were added to the convention delegation a month later by the Maryland Democratic Central Committee.
Here are the delegates elected and selected to the convention (the state party was not able to provide full biographies on Monday):
1st Congressional District:
Laurie Brittingham, member of the state Democratic Central Committee
Matthew Cody
Michele W. Dappert, former candidate for Talbot County Council
Connor A. Romblad, Berlin town official
State Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes
Jared Schablein, chair, Lower Shore Progressive Caucus
2nd Congressional District:
Ruben Amaya, 3rd vice chair, Maryland Democratic Party
Lela Blue-Campbell, Democratic activist and president of A Step Forward Inc., a service organization for homeless people with addiction problems
Corynne B. Courpas, chair of the Carroll County Democratic Central Committee
Alex Friedman, law student and Democratic activist
State Sen. Shelly L. Hettleman
Sharonda L. Huffman, Democratic activist and housing disability manager with a Baltimore-area nonprofit
Greg Pecoraro, Westminster common council member
3rd Congressional District:
Dylan A. Behler, Anne Arundel County Democratic chair
Jennifer H. Chang
State Sen. Guy J. Guzzone
State Del. Dana C. Jones
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, climate activist and philanthropist
Henry G. Snurr, chief of staff to House Majority Whip Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George’s)
Matthew Verghese, director of the Maryland state government federal office
Lucinda Ware, former deputy chief of staff to Gov. Wes Moore (D) and senior adviser to the Moore campaign
4th Congressional District:
Rushern L. Baker IV, visual artist and community and political activist
Mollie K. Byron, director of intergovernmental affairs for Gov. Moore
Kevin Ford Jr., Prince George’s County businessperson
Ryan Middleton, director of government accountability, Prince George’s County executive’s office
Dani E. Moore-King, real estate professional
State Del. Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk
State Sen. Alonzo T. Washington
Arleathia West, clinical social worker
5th Congressional District:
State Del. Adrian A. Boafo
Tiffany A. Carlock
Courtney Finklea Green, deputy director, Maryland 529 program
Zina Humphries, Democratic activist
Edward I. Lewis, husband of former Maryland Democratic Chair Yvette Lewis
State Del. Andrew C. Pruski
David M. Salazar, director of support services, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and former chair of the Calvert County Democratic Party
Ashley N. Sharp, deputy chief of staff, Maryland Department of Labor
Cindy L. Yoe, chair, Calvert County Democratic Central Committee
6th Congressional District:
Donna S. Edwards, president, Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO
Jessica E. Fitzwater, Frederick County executive
Brian K. Grim, former mayor of Cumberland
Djawa Hall, political coordinator, local 1199 SEIU
State Sen. Karen Lewis Young
Thomas G. Slater, retired attorney and longtime member of the Frederick County Democratic Central Committee
7th Congressional District:
Tisha S. Edwards, Gov. Moore’s appointments secretary
Diana Emerson, executive director, Waverly Main Street, Baltimore
State Sen. Antonio L. Hayes
Bill Henry, Baltimore City comptroller
Brandon M. Scott, Baltimore mayor
State Del. Stephanie M. Smith
Tammy Stinnett, firm administrator, Harris Jones & Malone lobbying firm
John T. Willis, former Maryland secretary of state
8th Congressional District:
Saman Q. Ahmad, chair, Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee
Mark Feinroth, attorney, former lobbyist, former state official
Will Jawando, Montgomery County councilmember
Eric G. Luedtke, Gov. Moore’s legislative liaison
State Del. Lily Qi
Devang M. Shah, treasurer, Maryland Democratic Party
State Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher
State Del. Jheanelle K. Wilkins
Teresa Saavedra Woorman, Montgomery County public information officer, nominated to fill the District 16 vacancy in the House of Delegates
Julie Rodin Zebrak, Attorney, political consultant, Democratic fundraiser
Delegates selected by the state Democratic central committee:
Lt. Gov. Aruna K. Miller
State Attorney General Anthony G. Brown
State Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman
State Treasurer Dereck E. Davis
Maryland Secretary of State Susan C. Lee
State Senate President Bill Ferguson
Speaker of the House Adrienne A. Jones
House Majority Whip Jazz M. Lewis
Johnny Olszewski Jr., Baltimore County executive and Democratic nominee in the 2nd Congressional District
Angela D. Alsobrooks, Prince George’s County executive and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate
Marc B. Elrich, Montgomery County executive
Sydney Bradner-Jacobs, Pride Caucus chair of the Young Democrats of Maryland
Logan Danker, student activist
State Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth, Democratic nominee in the 3rd Congressional District
Joshua Hirsh, Howard County Democratic Central Committee
Tia Hopkins, Baltimore-based political strategist
Lloyd Lemle, teacher, former Howard County Education Association president
State Del. Jeffrie E. Long Jr.
Madelin Martinez, assistant advocacy director, Catholic Charities of Baltimore
Januari McKay, Prince George’s County Department of Social Services case manager
Alejandra Melnyk, former field organizer, David Trone for U.S. Senate
Michelle Ngwafon, deputy regional director, Biden for President
Ifechukwudelu Okafor
Megan Outten, former Salisbury city councilmember
Josh Paper, chief of staff to Del. Dana Jones (D-Anne Arundel)
Kony Portillo, Edmonston councilmember
Lillia Rose, student activist
Tyler Senecharles, candidate account manager, Adeo Advocacy
Michael Steed
Mini Timmaraju, president, Reproductive Freedom for All
State Del. Nicole A. Williams
Samantha Zwerling, managing director of political and legislative affairs, Maryland State Education Association
– Jennifer Shutt of States Newsroom contributed to this report.
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