Bonnie Cullison
Encyclopedia
Bonnie Cullison is an American teacher, labor official and politician
from Montgomery County, Maryland
. A Democrat
, she was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates
in 2010, representing the state's 19th district. She took office on January 12, 2011.
and began working for the St. Mary's County school district in 1978. She moved to Montgomery County in 1981, serving as a special education
teacher in the public schools. She spent 19 years as a special education teacher, during which time she was elected to office in the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), an 11,000-member teachers' union. In 2003, she was elected the union's president, a post she held for six years. She retired from MCEA in 2009 and now works for the National Education Association
.
, Wheaton
, Leisure World, Northwood, Four Corners, Aspen Hill
, Kemp Mill
, Olney
, Derwood
, Laytonsville
and unincorporated areas of Rockville
and Gaithersburg
. Incumbents Roger Manno
and Henry B. Heller
had decided against seeking reelection, creating two open seats in the 19th.
Six Democrats filed for delegate and, in the Democratic primary election held on September 14, Cullison placed second, surpassed only by incumbent Ben Kramer
. She thus won the Democratic nomination, proceeding to the general election.
members of the Maryland General Assembly
, alongside Sen. Rich Madaleno (D–Kensington) and Dels. Anne Kaiser
(D–Burtonsville), Heather Mizeur
(D–Takoma Park), Peter Murphy
(D–Bryans Road), Maggie McIntosh
(D–Baltimore), Mary L. Washington
(D–Baltimore) and Luke Clippinger
(D–Baltimore).
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
from Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, she was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
in 2010, representing the state's 19th district. She took office on January 12, 2011.
Early life and career
Raised in St. Mary's County, Maryland, Cullison earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
and began working for the St. Mary's County school district in 1978. She moved to Montgomery County in 1981, serving as a special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
teacher in the public schools. She spent 19 years as a special education teacher, during which time she was elected to office in the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), an 11,000-member teachers' union. In 2003, she was elected the union's president, a post she held for six years. She retired from MCEA in 2009 and now works for the National Education Association
National Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
.
2010 primary election
Cullison mounted a bid for the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010, running in the three-member 19th district. The district includes the Montgomery County communities of Silver SpringSilver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, Wheaton
Wheaton, Maryland
Wheaton is an unincorporated, urbanized area in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, north of Washington, D.C., northwest of Silver Spring. Wheaton takes its name from Frank Wheaton , a career officer in the United States Army and volunteer from Rhode Island in the Union Army who rose to the rank of...
, Leisure World, Northwood, Four Corners, Aspen Hill
Aspen Hill, Maryland
Aspen Hill is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. It got its name from aspen trees that once were found near the first post office in the area...
, Kemp Mill
Kemp Mill, Maryland
Kemp Mill is a census-designated place and an unincorporated census area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 9,956 at the 2000 census....
, Olney
Olney, Maryland
Olney, a census-designated place and an unincorporated area of Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, is located in the north central part of the county, twenty miles north of Washington, D.C. It was largely agricultural until the 1960s, when growth of the Washington suburbs led to its conversion into...
, Derwood
Derwood, Maryland
Derwood is an unincorporated area of about 15,600 people in east-central Montgomery County, Maryland. It is a relatively dense area. It lies just east of Rockville, south east of Gaithersburg, south west of Olney, and north west of the greater Silver Spring, Maryland area. Residents of Derwood...
, Laytonsville
Laytonsville, Maryland
Laytonsville is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 277 at the 2000 census. Laytonsville was originally known as Cracklintown. This name originated from the popular cracklin bread, which was baked in the locale. This recipe, essentially a bacon corn bread, also...
and unincorporated areas of Rockville
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
and Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
. Incumbents Roger Manno
Roger Manno
Roger Manno is an American politician. He was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2006 to represent the 19th Legislative District, and in 2010 was elected to the Maryland State Senate.-Background:...
and Henry B. Heller
Henry B. Heller
Henry B. "Hank" Heller is an American politician from the state of Maryland. A Democrat, he is currently one of three members of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 19 in central Montgomery County.-Background:...
had decided against seeking reelection, creating two open seats in the 19th.
Six Democrats filed for delegate and, in the Democratic primary election held on September 14, Cullison placed second, surpassed only by incumbent Ben Kramer
Ben Kramer
Ben "Red" Kramer was an American standout basketball player for Long Island University during the 1930s, a time in which LIU was a national power. Kramer played for Hall of Fame coach Clair Bee from 1933–34 to 1936–37, and in his four seasons the team finished with records of 26–1, 24–2,...
. She thus won the Democratic nomination, proceeding to the general election.
2010 primary election results
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Kramer Ben Kramer Ben "Red" Kramer was an American standout basketball player for Long Island University during the 1930s, a time in which LIU was a national power. Kramer played for Hall of Fame coach Clair Bee from 1933–34 to 1936–37, and in his four seasons the team finished with records of 26–1, 24–2,... |
7,603 | 26.3% | Won |
| Bonnie Cullison | 6,083 | 21.1% | Won |
| Sam Arora Sam Arora Sam Arora is an American community advocate, businessman and politician from Montgomery County, Maryland. A Democrat, Arora was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010, representing the state's 19th district... |
5,767 | 20.0% | Won |
| Jay Hutchins | 4,559 | 15.8% | Lost |
| Hoan Dang | 3,277 | 11.3% | Lost |
| Vivian Scretchen | 1,600 | 5.5% | Lost |
2010 general election results
In the general election, the three Democratic nominees faced only token opposition in a district that's overwhelmingly Democratic. They won easily.| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Kramer Ben Kramer Ben "Red" Kramer was an American standout basketball player for Long Island University during the 1930s, a time in which LIU was a national power. Kramer played for Hall of Fame coach Clair Bee from 1933–34 to 1936–37, and in his four seasons the team finished with records of 26–1, 24–2,... , Democrat |
23,526 | 25.8% | Won |
| Sam Arora Sam Arora Sam Arora is an American community advocate, businessman and politician from Montgomery County, Maryland. A Democrat, Arora was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010, representing the state's 19th district... , Democrat |
22,242 | 24.4% | Won |
| Bonnie Cullison, Democrat | 21,795 | 23.9% | Won |
| Linn Rivera, Republican | 11,929 | 13.1% | Lost |
| Tom Masser, Republican | 11,362 | 12.5% | Lost |
Personal
Cullison is openly gay; her partner is Marcia Massey. She is one of eight openly LGBTLGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
members of the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
, alongside Sen. Rich Madaleno (D–Kensington) and Dels. Anne Kaiser
Anne Kaiser
Anne R. Kaiser is an American politician from the state of Maryland and is a lifelong resident of Montgomery County, Maryland. She is currently serving her third term as one of three members of the House of Delegates from Maryland's 14th District, which includes parts of Silver Spring, Calverton,...
(D–Burtonsville), Heather Mizeur
Heather Mizeur
Heather R. Mizeur is an American politician from Maryland. A Democrat, she is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing the state's 20th district in Montgomery County.-Background:...
(D–Takoma Park), Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy (politician)
Peter Murphy is an American politician who represents district 28 in the Maryland House of Delegates.-Background:Murphy was born in Washington, D.C., on July 15, 1949. He has both a B.A. and an M.A. from the American University, and an Ed.S...
(D–Bryans Road), Maggie McIntosh
Maggie McIntosh
Margaret L. McIntosh, commonly known as Maggie McIntosh, is an American politician from the state of Maryland. The Chairman of the Environmental Matters Committee of the Maryland House of Delegates, she has been a member of the House of Delegates since November 1992...
(D–Baltimore), Mary L. Washington
Mary L. Washington
Mary L. Washington is an American politician from Baltimore, Maryland. A Democrat, she was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010, representing the state's 43rd district. She took office on January 12, 2011.-Early life and career:...
(D–Baltimore) and Luke Clippinger
Luke Clippinger
Luke Clippinger is an American politician and lawyer from Maryland. A Democrat, he was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010, representing the state's 46th district in Baltimore...
(D–Baltimore).