Thank You for Your Service!

from the Dagger

From Mary-Dulany James:

In the wake of election day, I want to thank everyone who came out to the polls and supported me yesterday, as well as everyone who has helped me along the way. It has been a long journey that started 16 years ago when I first became a member of the House of Delegates, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the citizens of Harford and Cecil Counties as long as I did.

I am proud of my tenure in Annapolis and my record as an independent voice that cared about families and small businesses. Regardless of party, when I disagreed with legislation, such as the raising of taxes or the failure to fully address mental health in the context of gun safety, I voted against it. As I have said all along, what matters most is a good education for our children and a strong economy to create good-paying jobs and solid careers. These are the issues that I fought for when I first joined the House of Delegates, and they are issues that are still important today. I am proud to have helped make Maryland’s schools the best in the nation, to have expanded the access and affordability of higher education by bringing Towson University to Harford Community College, and to have created an authority to make Maryland a hub for 21st century jobs and technology. I believe these accomplishments will have a positive impact on our community for years to come.

I also want to congratulate Bob Cassilly and wish him well as our next Senator. This election should serve as a wake up call to certain Democratic leaders from outside Harford County that they must stop trying take Maryland to the extreme left and furthering the divide between the parties. Maryland has a long history of being a middle temperament State where people from all over come together to make Maryland a better place. The post-election political landscape shows a palpable frustration with the prior administration’s lack of focus on the needs of the middle class and its shift from the centrist views and goals that for hundreds of years have made our State one of the greatest in the union.

As my father often said, political ideology and partisan politics are a hindrance to effective government, and the focus should be on a return to commonsense main street values and goals. This thought was something I brought with me to the House of Delegates, and I am honored to have served as your representative for the last 16 years. Say although I won’t be in Annapolis this term as your legislator, I have a deep connection to this area and plan to continue working within our local communities to help make Harford County a better place. Finally, I want to thank Councilman Dion Guthrie and Sheriff Jesse Bane for their years of service, honorably and effectively rendered, and congratulate Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti, who is ready and capable to continue building on many of my initiatives and carry on our shared belief that helping families and small businesses is our top priority.

Mary-Dulany James