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Charles E. Sydnor III

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Charles E. Sydnor III
Member of the Maryland Senate
from the 44th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 8, 2020
Appointed byLarry Hogan
Preceded byShirley Nathan-Pulliam
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 44B district
In office
January 14, 2015 – January 8, 2020
Serving with Pat Young
Preceded byShirley Nathan-Pulliam
Succeeded bySheila Ruth
Personal details
Born (1974-03-18) March 18, 1974 (age 50)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children3
EducationBaltimore Polytechnic Institute
Alma materJohns Hopkins University (BA)
University of Maryland Baltimore County (MA)
University of Maryland (JD)
OccupationAttorney

Charles E. Sydnor III (born March 18, 1974) is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland Senate representing District 44 since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously represented District 44B in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2015 to 2020.

Early life and education

Sydnor was born in Baltimore on March 18, 1974,[1] and was raised in its West Hills community.[2] He graduated from the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and attended Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1996; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he earned a Master of Arts degree in policy science in 2000; and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 2002. Sydnor is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa fraternity.[1]

Career

Early career

Sydnor was a college intern to Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge William D. Quarles Jr., and was admitted to the Maryland Bar and District of Columbia Bar after graduating. He has worked as an attorney for Enterprise Community Partners since 2001, and worked as a consumer council for the Attorney General of Maryland from 2010 to 2012.[1][3]

From 2007 to 2013, Sydnor served on the Citizen's Advisory Committees of the Chesapeake Executive Council and the Baltimore Corridor Transit Study for the Red Line.[1]

Maryland General Assembly

On July 12, 2013, Sydnor said that he would run for the Maryland House of Delegates in 2014, seeking to succeed state Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, who ran for the Maryland Senate and with whom he ran on a slate.[2][4] He won the Democratic primary with 23.4 percent of the vote on June 24, 2014,[5] and later won the general election alongside Pat Young in November 2014.[6]

Busch stands next to Sydnor at the Speaker's desk in the Maryland House of Delegates
House Speaker Michael E. Busch swears Sydnor into the Maryland House of Delegates, 2015

Sydnor was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 13, 2015.[7] During his tenure, he served as a member of the Judiciary Committee and chaired its civil law & procedure and criminal justice subcommittees.[1]

In December 2019, following the resignation of state Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, Sydnor applied to serve the remainder of her term in the Maryland Senate. The Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee voted to nominate Sydnor to the seat, while the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee voted to nominate state Delegate Keith E. Haynes to the seat.[8] Governor Larry Hogan appointed Sydnor to the seat on December 30, 2019,[9] and he was sworn in on January 8, 2020.[10] He has served as a member of the Judicial Proceedings Committee during his entire tenure.[1] Sydnor was elected to a full four-year term in 2022.[11]

Personal life

Sydnor is married[1] and has three daughters.[12] He lives in Catonsville, Maryland.[2]

Political positions

Crime and policing

During the 2015 legislative session, Sydnor introduced legislation to create a separate mental health unit within the Baltimore Police Department.[13]

In 2016, Sydnor introduced a bill that would require police to obtain a warrant to use a stingray phone tracker, which can locate a cellphone's user within six feet.[14] The bill died in committee.[15]

During the 2019 legislative session, after a suspect was arrested in the Golden State Killer murders by police who used consumer genealogical databases to identify him, Sydnor introduced a bill to prohibit police access to such databases to identify criminal suspects through DNA samples submitted by relatives.[16] The bill was reintroduced in 2021, during which it passed and became law.[17] Sydnor also introduced legislation to conceal the identities of juveniles charged as adults.[18]

In 2021, Sydnor said he supported legislation to return control of the Baltimore Police Department back to the city of Baltimore[19] and the Police Reform and Accountability Act, an omnibus police reform bill to repeal the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights and regulate the types of force that police could use during arrests,[20] and introduced a bill that would require on-duty officers to wear body cameras by 2025, which passed and became law.[21] He also voted against a bill to create criminal penalties for police officers who intentionally use excessive force, saying that he felt unsatisfied with the bill's definition of excessive force,[22][23] and criticized other police reform bills passed by the legislature for "not going far enough".[24]

Education

In May 2019, Sydnor condemned social media comments made by state Delegate Robin Grammer Jr. toward members of the Baltimore County Board of Education that contained racially-charged language.[25]

Sydnor receives a pen from Governor Larry Hogan after he signs into law a bill to end the state's longstanding lawsuit against its historically Black colleges and universities.
Sydnor at the HBCU lawsuit settlement bill signing, 2021

During the 2020 legislative session, Sydnor introduced legislation that would force the state to settle its 13-year-old lawsuit against its historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) by annually distributing $57.7 million to the state's HCBUs over a decade.[26] The bill passed, but was vetoed by Governor Hogan.[27] The bill was reintroduced in 2021, during which it passed and was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan.[28]

In 2021, Sydnor introduced legislation to add an appointed member of the Baltimore County Board of Education.[29]

Environment

During the 2023 legislative session, Sydnor supported legislation to look into creating a new governance structure to oversee water and wastewater systems in the Baltimore and Baltimore County.[30] The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Wes Moore.[31]

Healthcare

During the 2019 legislative session, Sydnor voted against the End-of-Life Option Act, which would have provided palliative care to terminally ill adults.[32]

Social issues

In August 2015, Sydnor called for the resignation of Maryland Housing Secretary Kenneth Holt after Holt claimed without evidence that parents were deliberately exposing their children to lead paint to get free housing.[33]

In October 2021, Sydnor attended a protest against the Baltimore County Council's proposed redistricting plan, saying that the newly drawn districts would not adequately represent the county's population[34][35] and packed Black voters into a single district.[36] He later led a lawsuit against the county's redistricting plan, which resulted in a new map with a second minority opportunity district.[37][38] During the 2022 legislative session, Sydnor introduced legislation that would allow the Maryland attorney general to intervene when local governments violate federal voting laws.[39]

Transportation

Sydnor supports the Red Line.[7]

Electoral history

Maryland House of Delegates District 44B Democratic primary election, 2014[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charles E. Sydnor III 3,849 23.4
Democratic Pat Young 3,763 22.9
Democratic Aaron J. Barnett 3,729 22.7
Democratic Rainier Harvey 2,936 17.9
Democratic Bishop Barry Chapman 1,605 9.8
Democratic Frederick D. Ware-Newsome 535 3.3
Maryland House of Delegates District 44B election, 2014[41]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charles E. Sydnor III 16,314 41.8
Democratic Pat Young 16,013 41.0
Republican Michael J. Russell 6,622 17.0
Write-in 109 0.2
Maryland House of Delegates District 44B election, 2018[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Pat Young (incumbent) 24,226 55.4
Democratic Charles E. Sydnor, III (incumbent) 19,082 43.6
Write-in 418 1.0
Maryland Senate District 44 Democratic primary election, 2022[43]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charles E. Sydnor, III (incumbent) 12,938 82.6
Democratic Ilyas Chohan 2,718 17.4
Maryland Senate District 44 election, 2022[44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charles E. Sydnor, III (incumbent) 30,699 97.5
Write-in 792 2.5

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Charles E. Sydnor III, Maryland State Senator". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. September 28, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Baughman, Julie (July 12, 2013). "Catonsville resident enters race in District 44B". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  3. ^ Johnson, Jenna (January 13, 2015). "Meet the 2015 Maryland General Assembly's sizable freshman class". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  4. ^ Loricchio, Lauren (June 24, 2014). "Polls close for District 44B state delegate race, candidates wait for results". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  5. ^ Loricchio, Lauren (June 25, 2014). "Sydnor wins District 44B, with second delegate's seat too close to call". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  6. ^ "Charles Sydnor and Pat Young to represent District 44B". The Baltimore Sun. November 5, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Wiggins, Ovetta (January 13, 2015). "Maryland General Assembly to open with one of largest freshmen classes in decades". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Wood, Pamela (December 15, 2019). "Baltimore-area Democrats offer two options for replacing recently resigned state Sen. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  9. ^ Broadwater, Luke (December 30, 2019). "Gov. Hogan appoints Del. Sydnor to become state senator representing parts of Baltimore city, county". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  10. ^ Cox, Erin; Wiggins, Ovetta (January 8, 2020). "Maryland General Assembly launches new era with Jones, Ferguson in top posts". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  11. ^ Gaskill, Hannah (July 29, 2022). "Wins, losses and close calls among Baltimore City and County General Assembly races". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  12. ^ Loricchio, Lauren (January 27, 2015). "New District 44B delegates settle into role in Annapolis". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  13. ^ Loricchio, Lauren (March 9, 2015). "Catonsville legislators propose special police unit for situations involving mentally ill". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  14. ^ Dresser, Michael (March 10, 2016). "Police, civil libertarians clash over curbs on 'stingray' cellphone tracking". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  15. ^ Rector, Kevin (October 25, 2016). "Maryland lawmakers hear arguments over police surveillance technologies". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  16. ^ Jones, Natalie (February 20, 2019). "Maryland House bill seeks to prohibit using familial DNA databases to solve crime". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  17. ^ Prudente, Tim (June 7, 2021). "Maryland among first in U.S. to limit how police use genealogy websites". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  18. ^ Anderson, Jessica (March 7, 2019). "Maryland bill that would conceal identities of juveniles charged as adults gains traction". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  19. ^ Collins, David (February 11, 2021). "Legislation again up for consideration to transfer BPD to city control". WBAL-TV. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  20. ^ Collins, David (April 10, 2021). "Lawmakers override Hogan's vetoes of major police reform bills". WBAL-TV. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  21. ^ Gaskill, Hannah (April 10, 2021). "The General Assembly Overrode Hogan's Vetoes of Police Reform Bills. We Break Down the Votes". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  22. ^ Stole, Bryn (February 26, 2021). "Maryland Senate committee signs off on criminal penalties for police officers who use excessive force". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  23. ^ Gaskill, Hannah (February 26, 2021). "Senate Panel Votes Out Use of Force Bill, Completes Police Reform Package". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  24. ^ Stole, Bryn (March 3, 2021). "The Maryland Senate has passed 9 major policing bills. Here's what to know about each one and what comes next". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  25. ^ Campbell, Colin; Rector, Kevin (May 27, 2019). "'Hang them high': Baltimore County delegate draws fire for Facebook comment aimed at school officials". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  26. ^ Douglas-Gabriel, Danielle; Wiggins, Ovetta (November 14, 2019). "HBCU advocates wage campaign to end Maryland lawsuit". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  27. ^ Bednar, Adam (May 7, 2020). "Hogan rejects $577M settlement of HBCU lawsuit". The Daily Record. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  28. ^ Shwe, Elizabeth (March 24, 2021). "Hogan Signs $577 Million Settlement Bill for Maryland's Historically Black Universities". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  29. ^ DeVille, Taylor (March 16, 2021). "Bill would add executive-appointed member to Baltimore County school board, change voting rules". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  30. ^ "After water and wastewater failures in Baltimore, Maryland officials want a task force to investigate new governance structure". The Baltimore Sun. January 31, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  31. ^ Condon, Christine (April 11, 2023). "Baltimore area water task force bill to become law without changes suggested by advocacy groups". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  32. ^ Wiggins, Ovetta (January 28, 2020). "After lawmakers deadlocked last year, advocates renew push for aid-in-dying bill". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  33. ^ "Housing department chief under fire for remarks". WBAL-TV. August 17, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  34. ^ DeVille, Taylor (October 12, 2021). "Civil rights groups, state legislators call on Baltimore County Council to reject redistricting map". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  35. ^ Leckrone, Bennett (October 13, 2021). "State Lawmakers, Civil Rights Advocates Call For Baltimore County Council to Redraw Proposed Districts". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  36. ^ Leckrone, Bennett (December 21, 2021). "Civil Rights Advocates Sue After Baltimore County Council Approves Redistricting Plan With Only One Majority-Black District". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  37. ^ DeVille, Taylor (December 21, 2021). "Civil rights groups, citizens file lawsuit challenging Baltimore County redistricting map". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  38. ^ Knezevich, Alison (July 14, 2022). "After redistricting battle, more Black candidates than ever are running for Baltimore County Council". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  39. ^ DeVille, Taylor (February 8, 2022). "Spurred by Baltimore County redistricting, state senator pushes bill to bolster voter protections". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  40. ^ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. July 16, 2014.
  41. ^ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. February 12, 2014.
  42. ^ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. November 12, 2018.
  43. ^ "Official 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election Results for State Senator". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. August 24, 2022.
  44. ^ "Official 2022 Gubernatorial General Election Results for State Senator". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. December 7, 2022.
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