Who Voted For Them? Nobody Did

How exactly are Marylanders supposed to feel “represented” by their legislators when they often don’t even get to elect them?

Last Friday, the Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee met in a special meeting at the Earleigh Heights Fire Hall for a public hearing and vote to select a replacement for former Delegate Rachel Munoz in District 31 of the Maryland House of Delegates. The candidates, Corine Frank, Latoya Nkongolo, and Jason DuBois, made presentations. The Committeemembers questioned them. Then, members deliberated and publicly voted.

During the Question and Answer phase, Central Committmember Anne Rutherford used this opportunity to ask applicant Corine Frank a question about….why the “Anne Arundel County for Trump” Facebook Page was "seized" by the Maryland Republican Party during Frank’s time as Maryland GOP Executive Director.

If this seems like it’s not a good way to pick a member of the House of Delegates, you’d be right.

With the General Assembly Session starting Wednesday and Maryland facing a self-made budget and economic crisis, Marylanders are currently represented in the General Assembly by 19 of the 188 members who were selected in this manner. That number will increase when Democrats name replacements in Senate District 8 and House District 30A.

The common denominator of all 21? They were elected by absolutely nobody.¹

And that’s a problem.