Meet the Maryland delegates to the Democratic National Convention

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), left, reads the oath of office Nov. 18, 2023, for Ken Ulman, center, and Charlene Dukes, after they were elected as chair and first vice chair, respectively, of the Maryland Democratic Party. Photo by William J. Ford.

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 “Leathia” West, clinical social worker, Maryland state director of Biden for President 2020

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, chief of staff to Del. Kevin Harris (D-Prince George’s)

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. This article was updated on Tuesday, July 23, to update Leathia West’s job description.

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