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Democrat
Anthony Brown
Where you live: Prince George’s County
Date of birth: Nov. 21, 1961
Current occupation and employer:
Member of Congress, United States House of Representatives, January 2017 – present;
Lieutenant governor, state of Maryland, January 2007 – January 2015;
Soldier, United States Army and Army Reserve, May 1984 – July 2014.
Political experience:
Member of Congress, United States House of Representatives, January 2017 – present;
Democratic gubernatorial nominee, June 2014 – November 2014;
Lieutenant governor, state of Maryland, January 2007 – January 2015;
Delegate, Maryland General Assembly, January 1999 – January 2007.
Website: https://anthonybrown.com
Email: info@anthonybrown.com
Facebook: Anthony G. Brown
Twitter: @BrownforMD
Instagram: @BrownforMD
Why are you running for this office?
I’m running for attorney general to dismantle the barriers that exist for too many Marylanders in education and the environment, in healthcare and housing, in the workplace, policing and the criminal justice system. I’m running to make government work again, and to fight for the changes that will protect every person and empower every community. As Maryland’s chief legal officer, I’ll be the people’s lawyer, fighting for fairness, equity, and justice for everyone.
What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it?
As I travel the state and visit with communities throughout Montgomery County, I hear the common concerns about the escalation in crime, including antisemitic and race-based hate crimes, and the increasing attacks on our individual and civil rights, such as voting rights, women’s reproductive freedoms, and fair and decent treatment under the law. As attorney general, I will work with the General Assembly to strengthen hate crimes enforcement, establish independent investigation and enforcement authority for the office’s civil rights division, and advocate to enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade into Maryland’s constitution.
What is one major issue that has been handled poorly and what would you have done differently?
Attorney General Brian Frosh has been an extraordinary leader on environmental issues, both as AG and during his tenure in the General Assembly. This year, he advocated before the legislature for greater resources for MDE to conduct more environmental compliance inspections and bring more enforcement actions. I support this approach but would go one step further. The AG should have independent civil enforcement authority in all areas of environmental law. We have seen a dramatic decrease in environmental inspections and enforcement actions under the current governor. Maryland has a greater responsibility to ensure clean air and safe water for our residents.
What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?
My legal and public sector experiences have prepared me for attorney general, with experiences in state and federal courts, representing clients against big tobacco, small businesses against giant corporations, and defending the constitutionality of federal gun safety laws. I’ve represented criminal defendants, children in need of assistance, and class action plaintiffs. I commanded an Army unit of 80 lawyers and paralegals, equivalent to a medium-sized law firm, representing soldiers in criminal, legal assistance and consumer protection matters. I served as vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee in Annapolis and led military justice reform efforts on the House Armed Services Committee.
Katie Curran O’Malley
Current hometown: Baltimore City
DOB: Aug. 18, 1962
Current occupation and employer:
– Currently retired
– Baltimore City District Court judge (2001-2021)
– Assistant state’s attorney, Baltimore County (1991-2001)
Political experience: N/A
Campaign contact information
Website: https://www.katieformd.com
Email: info@katieformd.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katiecurranomalleyformd/
Twitter: @KatieforMD
Instagram: @katieformd
Why are you running for this office?
I’m running to be Maryland’s first woman attorney general because I have the experience and values Marylanders need in their top law enforcement officer. I have 30 years of experience working in Maryland’s legal system as a prosecutor and a judge.
As attorney general, I will protect Maryland families from rising crime and fight for criminal justice reform. And I will never waver from protecting a woman’s right to choose and the fundamental right to vote.
What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it?
One pressing issue is that too many Marylanders do not feel safe in their own homes and in their communities. We need to protect people against the rising crime that is plaguing our neighborhoods and that disproportionately impacts people of color. At the same time, we need to fight for real criminal justice reform so that everyone gets equal justice. We can and must do both.
That is why the first plan I released in my campaign detailed how I will fight for criminal justice reform as attorney general. You can read it at www.katieformd.com.
What is one major issue that has been handled poorly and what would you have done differently?
Brian Frosh has been a remarkable attorney general. There is no single issue that I would highlight. But I will have to prioritize different issues as attorney general due to the nature of the moment we live in. Maryland is experiencing a frightening spike in violent crime, the Supreme Court is preparing to dramatically pull back reproductive rights, and the health of our water, air, and land is threatened by climate change. These are the challenges of the moment and I look forward to working with a Democratic governor – something AG Frosh never had – to use my 30 years of experience to address these challenges.
What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office? (Please answer in 100 words or less)
I have 30 years of experience working in our legal system as a prosecutor and a judge. My courtroom experience is important because the attorney general and their team of 400 lawyers are in courtrooms around the state every day fighting for the people on issues like criminal justice, public safety, consumer protection, and the environment.
As attorney general, I will protect all Maryland families from rising crime and fight for criminal justice reform. And I will never waver from protecting the rights of all Marylanders including a woman’s right to choose and the fundamental right to vote.
Republican
Michael Anthony Peroutka (Information not submitted)
Jim Shalleck
Where you live: Montgomery Village
Date of birth: April 23, 1946
Current occupation and employer:
Currently, private law practice in Montgomery County. My last two jobs were as an attorney with the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, and an assistant attorney General of New York.
Political experience:
Prior candidate for Montgomery County state’s attorney – 1994, 1998, 2006; judge of Circuit Court – 2002; Montgomery County executive – 2014.
Website: https://jimshalleck.com
Email: jimshalleck@hotmail.com
Facebook: jim shalleck facebook
Twitter: @shalleckforag
Instagram: @shalleckforag
Why are you running for this office?
I am running to help reduce crime in Maryland. We must prosecute violent and repeat offenders, with no plea bargaining or deals. If the county state’s attorneys are not doing their job, then the Attorney General’s office will do it. We must protect our families and keep them safe. At the same time, we have to support and defend the police with funding and personnel to help in this fight.
What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it?
Rising crime rates including increases in homicide cases threaten the very fabric of our society. If we are not safe on our streets and in our homes, then our very lifestyle is ruined. Fear will affect our daily life, affect our economy, and dictate our activities. I will prioritize the criminal prosecution of violent and repeat offenders throughout the State. There is nothing more important for an Attorney General to do. I will assist state’s attorneys or replace them, if necessary, in this effort.
What is one major issue that has been handled poorly and what would you have done differently?
I would not have pursued Donald Trump or any president for running a hotel in D.C. while they were president. It didn’t affect Marylanders. It was a hotel in D.C., not Maryland, and further, this was a waste of resources, both personnel and funding. The judge dismissed the case. These resources should have been used to fight crime not a president who the attorney general did not like. There is no room in the attorney general’s office for politics.
What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?
I came to Maryland in 1989 to work as a prosecutor in the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division. Before that, I was an assistant attorney general in New York. Prior to that, I was an assistant district attorney in the Bronx, New York. Ten of 12 years in that office, I served in the Homicide Bureau. I became chief of the Homicide Bureau. I prosecuted David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam” killer for three Bronx murders. I know the sound a mother makes when I had to tell her that her child was murdered. This has to stop.
