Candidates for District 16 House vacancy have varying skill sets

Nine Democrats have filed for the chance to replace newly appointed state Sen. Sara Love (D-Montgomery) in the House of Delegates, and on Tuesday night they made their case at a public forum sponsored by a local political club.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) will have the final say in filling the House vacancy in District 16, but the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee is expected to make its recommendation for the governor’s nomination on July 11. The new delegate would serve out Love’s four-year House term, which ends in January 2027. Love was appointed to replace former Sen. Ariana B. Kelly (D), who left last month to become executive director of the Maryland Commission for Women.

Each of the nine candidates who appeared at Tuesday night’s virtual forum, sponsored by the District 16 Democratic Club, presented broad, progressive platforms, touting their ability to best meet the needs of the district, centered in Bethesda.

“I think we have an all-star bench for the Montgomery County delegation, which I’m very proud of,” said Saman Ahmad, the county’s Democratic chairman.

With candidates displaying broad consensus on the need to protect the environment, provide more affordable housing for the district, expand gun safety initiatives and fight to preserve democracy, it was their experience, commitment and relationships that were paramount in the candidates’ arguments to Democratic leaders.

“There may not be a lot of difference in our political positions, but there is in our experiences and our activism,” said Diana Conway, one of the candidates.

At the heart of the two-and-a-half-hour forum was the increasingly contentious process for nominating legislators, which has come under increasing attack from political reformers and some legislators themselves. In Montgomery County’s 35-member legislative delegation alone, Love’s House replacement will become the 15th legislator appointed to his current or original legislative seat.

More than a quarter of all members of the General Assembly have, at some point in their careers, been appointed to their seats. When Love’s successor is chosen, three of the four lawmakers representing District 16 will be appointed. Kelly herself was appointed to the Senate; she was promoted from the House to replace former Sen. Susan C. Lee (D) when Lee became Maryland’s secretary of state early last year. Lee was originally appointed to the Legislature in 2002.

A bill that would have required special elections for legislative vacancies, based on the timing of the opening, passed the state Senate this year, 43-2, but stalled in the House Ways and Means Committee because of a debate over whether the nomination process results in more candidates of color reaching the legislature than special elections would.

During the forum, candidates were asked whether they would support the special election legislation: six answered yes, two answered no (one candidate had to leave the forum early and was not given the opportunity to answer the question).

Filling legislative vacancies is a delicate process, with political dynamics often hard to decipher outside the committees that issue the recommendations. But the early frontrunners for Love’s seat appear to be Teresa Saavedra Woorman, a Democratic central committee member and assistant to Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D); Conway, a longtime civic activist and leader of the Montgomery County Democratic Women’s Club; and Melissa Bender, another Democratic Women’s Club leader who has worked for two state legislators in Annapolis.

Bender was the runner-up for a House seat last year, when Delegate Sarah T. Wolek (D) was chosen to fill Kelly’s House seat.

Woorman, who was Elrich’s 2022 re-election campaign manager, works in the county’s public information office. An immigrant from Mexico who moved to Montgomery County when she was 9, she worked in the legislature for seven years and was a leader of the Maryland Young Democrats.

“I have the most legislative experience and knowledge of how to get things done in the Maryland General Assembly,” Woorman said.

She also described her immigrant experience, recalling becoming a U.S. citizen while she was in college. “I was so proud to be an American citizen that I was jumping for joy at my naturalization ceremony,” she said.

Conway is an environmental activist best known in Maryland for her work to end the use of artificial turf on local school and sports fields. She and her husband have hosted fundraisers for dozens of candidates and causes at their Potomac home (Disclosure: The Conways have hosted two events for Maryland Matters, in 2016 and 2022.). Conway said the combination of her activism and the networks she has developed as a philanthropist will serve the district well.

“I have the connections, the skills and the bandwidth to represent District 16 in the House of Delegates,” she said.

Bender has increased her political activism and visibility in the district since she failed in the nomination process last year.

“Since the vacancy last year, I have worked hard to advocate for the children and families of Montgomery County,” Bender said, touting his “deep understanding” of Annapolis through his work for Del. Debra Davis (D-Charles) and former Del. Shane M. Pendergrass (D-Howard).

Also candidates for this position:

• Joe Hennessy, an attorney who unsuccessfully ran for the District 16 seat in the 2018 Democratic primary
• Jason Nuñez, chief of staff to Rep. Deni Taveras (D-Prince George’s)
• Steve Shapiro, Coast Guard veteran and federal retiree
• Amol Tripathi, Entrepreneur and Commercial Real Estate Industry Veteran
• Heather Weaver, public school teacher and former tech industry employee
• Scott Webber, a progressive activist who describes himself as “a professional problem solver”

Asked whether they supported the bill to require special elections for vacant legislative seats, only Weaver and Hennessy said no. Weaver said she was concerned about the cost of special elections and the prospect of legislative seats sitting vacant for too long while the election calendar is set. Hennessy said wealthier candidates would have clear advantages in “early elections.”

Nuñez was not present on camera to answer the question.

Most candidates have submitted cover letters and resumes, which can be found on the central committee website. Committee members will hear from candidates again before voting on their recommendation next Thursday at 6:30 p.m. That meeting will be held in person but will also be livestreamed.