Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., on Wednesday appointed political novice Sue Kullen to the House of Delegates representing District 27B in Calvert County. Kullen will serve out the remaining term of George W. Owings, III, who resigned his seat to accept appointment as Secretary of Veterans Affairs effective June 1, 2004. Kullen will serve the remainder of a term of four years beginning January 8, 2003.
“I am confident that Sue Kullen will represent the people of Calvert County
with honesty, integrity and fairness. I look forward to working with her in the coming
months as a member of Maryland’s General Assembly,” said Governor Ehrlich.
Kullen, largely unknown to anyone active in Calvert politics, was the deadlock choice
of the Democratic Central Committee who couldn't decide between former commissioners
Hagner Mister and Barbara Stinnett. Another potential candidate, author Tom Clancy's
son-in-law, withdrew from the race after he failed to enlist any support on the Central
Committee.
GOP Commissioner President David Hale, who will have served two terms on the Calvert
Board by 2006, will likely walk away with the House of Delegates seat which has long been
the territory of the Democratic Party and which had been held by Owings since 1987.
The GOP has surged ahead in party registration, surpassing slightly the Democrats for
the first time in history. The GOP already has a lock on the commissioner's board,
electing a majority in both 1998 and in 2002. While Calvert has been willing to turn over
local government to the Republicans, only Democrats have been serving in the legislature
with the exception of the late Senator Ed Hall and Sen. Aris T. Allen, who was appointed
to fill out Hall's term when he died.
One House district is represented by Delegates Vallario and Proctor, who also have a
district which contains southern Prince George's County. Sen. Mike Miller, also a
Democrat, represents the northern half of Calvert along with the same PG County area as
the two delegates.
Sen. Roy Dyson, a conservative Democrat, represents the southern half of Calvert
along with St. Mary's County.
Kullen, 44, spent 12 years with the Arc of Maryland Southern Maryland, holding various manager and director positions and seven years as a private international consultant and trainer. Kullen served 10 years as a Governor's appointee on the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Planning Council. Kullen is active in her home county of over 20 years, including volunteer work and 10 years on the Governor’s Run Community Association Board of Directors. Sue Kullen holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a Masters in Administration from the University of Maryland, University College. Kullen resides in Port Republic with her husband of 20 years.
In the event of a vacancy between elections in the office of Delegate, the Central Committee chooses a successor for the party and district with which the incumbent has been affiliated. The Committee has 30 days from the effective date of the vacancy to make a nomination, and the Governor is directed by law to make the appointment within 15 days of the receipt of the nomination.