Baltimore County Senator Retiring Due To Health Issues: Report

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — A Windsor Mill resident who was the first Caribbean-born person to serve in the Maryland General Assembly has retired, opening a seat for a Democrat in the state senate. Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam reportedly announced Sunday that she would be stepping down, citing health issues.

Nathan-Pulliam is a nurse and naturalized American citizen who was born in Jamaica and has been a voice for improving health care equity in Maryland and nationwide.

In 2019, she sponsored the Patient's Bill of Rights, requiring hospitals to communicate rights to all patients, including access to a translator, interpreter or other assistance. That bill took effect Oct. 1. She also sponsored a bill requiring developers in Baltimore County to pay fees to cover the cost of impacts their projects would have, such as additional infrastructure.

She sponsored legislation that resulted in the 2017 dedication of a street in Dundalk to Henrietta Lacks, the Turner Station resident whose cells were used without her knowledge to help develop the polio vaccine and research things like cloning, in vitro fertilization and cancer.

Nathan-Pulliam, 80, announced Sunday that she would be retiring. She served in the Maryland senate since 2015. Before that, she was a member of the House of Delegates from 1995 to 2015.

"I do this with heavy heart," Nathan-Pulliam wrote in a letter declaring her retirement, addressed to Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson. According to the letter, which was published by The Baltimore Sun, she stated: "As many know, I have had three spinal surgeries in recent years, the last one on September 30th. However, in my desire to serve my constituents, I remained in office, including accepting a leadership position as Vice Chair on the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee."

Now that she is stepping down, that post will be vacant. Nathan-Pulliam was the representative for District 44, which includes both Baltimore County and Baltimore City.

Since the 44th district crosses jurisdictions, voting members of the Democratic committee for District 44B — Baltimore County — will vote on a candidate and so will members of 44A, which is Baltimore City. If both districts select the same candidate, the name will be submitted to the governor for appointment; and if their selections differ, both names will be submitted to the governor, who will determine which to choose to fill the vacancy.

To be eligible, one must be a U.S. citizen at least 25 years old who is a registered Democrat and has lived in Maryland for at least one year and in District 44 for at least six months.

To apply in Baltimore County, send these materials by Dec. 14 to info@BaltimoreCountyDems.com with the subject line "BCDSCC Vacancy Application" or mail to BCDSCC, District 44 Committee, P.O. Box 19092, Towson, MD 21286:

• Baltimore County Democratic State Central Committee application
• Resume
• Letter of interest indicating professional, civic and political experience and why the interest in serving on the BCDSCC.
• Letters of endorsement and recommendation from the public are encouraged. All letters from the public must include contact information for verification purposes.