Isiah Leggett
Encyclopedia
Isiah "Ike" Leggett is an American politician from the U.S. state
of Maryland
and a member of the Democratic Party
. Born in Deweyville, Texas
, Leggett attended Southern University
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
and, after serving in the Vietnam War
with the U.S. Army
, earned a law degree from Howard University
in Washington, D.C.
. In 1986, he became the first African-American elected to the county council in Montgomery County, Maryland
and served on the council through 2002. He remains the only African-American ever elected to that body at-large. For two years, Leggett served as the chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party
before leaving that position to run for office once again. Leggett was elected County Executive
of Montgomery County in 2006, the first African-American to hold that office. Since taking office, he has become involved in a number of controversial issues, including proposals to increase the Maryland gas tax, place a moratorium on new development in Montgomery County, and create a new hiring location for day laborers in Gaithersburg, Maryland
.
and grew up with twelve siblings in Alexandria, Louisiana
. In Alexandria, he played football
for Peabody Magnet High School
. He attended Southern University
in Baton Rouge
, working through school as a groundskeeper in a work-study program and graduating in 1967. In his time as an undergraduate, he participated in civil rights
demonstrations and was elected president of his class during his senior year. He also became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
, the first intercollegiate fraternity established for African-Americans. A member of the Southern University
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
(ROTC), Leggett served as a Captain in the United States Army
during the Vietnam War
and saw action near the cities of Da Nang
and Saigon. The Army awarded him a Bronze Star before he left to pursue a law degree and a career in politics. In 1974, he received Master of Arts
and Juris Doctor
degrees from Howard University
in Washington, D.C.
, graduating first in his law school class, followed soon after by a Master of Laws degree from George Washington University
. He returned to Howard as a professor in their law school in 1976, and continued teaching at the law school through his election as County Executive in 2006, with the exception of a brief stint as a White House Fellow in the 1970s
. Leggett is currently married to his second wife, Catherine.
in that year's gubernatorial race. However, Townsend chose Admiral Charles R. Larson
instead. Townsend and Larson lost in November when Maryland elected Robert Ehrlich
to be its first Republican Governor in 40 years and Lieutenant Governor Michael S. Steele
as its first African-American statewide elected official. When his term on the council was completed in December of that year, Leggett was elected to a term as chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party
. Leggett's chairmanship was seen by some Democratic activists as important to maintaining the African-American base of the Maryland Democratic Party following their electoral losses.
. Among them was three-term County Executive Doug Duncan
, who was in the early stages of a run for Governor. In December 2004, Leggett left his position as Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party to begin a campaign to replace Duncan as Montgomery County Executive. in the primary election was a former colleague from the council, Steve Silverman
. Leggett and Silverman squared off in a long series of debates beginning almost a year before the election. But despite being outspent by Silverman, Leggett won the Democratic nomination for executive with 61% of the vote in the primary election on September 12, 2006. Although he then faced Republican nominee Chuck Floyd and independent anti-tax advocate Robin Ficker
in the general election, Leggett easily won the November polling as well.
in the county, was supported by the county council but largely ignored by incoming Governor
Martin O'Malley
.
Leggett also worked to find a hiring site for day labor
ers from the city of Gaithersburg
and the surrounding upcounty area. During the term of Leggett's predecessor Doug Duncan
, Gaithersburg had struggled to find space within the city limits that the county could lease for use as a location where the day laborers could wait for employers. The owners of virtually all of the more than 30 sites considered by the city government had refused to grant a lease for this purpose, and in the one case where the property owner was willing to consider the use, the county's efforts to lease the property fell through after the property owner backed out. The debate became caught up in a larger national debate about the role of illegal immigrants
in American society. Abandoning efforts to locate the site within Gaithersburg's city limits, Leggett's proposal to locate a day laborer location on county-owned land eliminated the need to find a private property owner willing to lease for this purpose. However, the decision was still contentious within the neighborhood where the site was to be located.
Additionally, Leggett came out in favor of a proposed partial moratorium on new real-estate development in the county. This moratorium was proposed by Councilmember Marilyn Praisner, and was intended to allow the County time to reevaluate and revise its growth policy. Critics of the moratorium expressed concerns that it might cause economic harm to the county, sending the message to the business community that the county was unpredictable. Despite Leggett's support, however, the moratorium law was altered so that it did not completely stop applications for new development but rather placed increased regulation on them while the county planning board
and county council revised the county's planning process.
Dealing with a worsening economic recession and its effects on county government have dominated the second half of Leggett's first term. A number of his specific spending decisions were criticized in light of this recession. In March 2008, opponents questioned the county's use of tax payer money to build a $65,225 bathroom for Leggett's personal office. The project came at a time when the recession had begun to undermine tax revenues, resulting in a hiring freeze for 1,092 county government vacancies. In 2009, two former military helicopters were offered as a donation to the county for use in a police helicopter program. Leggett favored pursuing the program but faced opposition from councilmembers who criticized the cost of such a program.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and a member of the Democratic Party
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...
. Born in Deweyville, Texas
Deweyville, Texas
Deweyville is a census-designated place in Newton County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,190 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Deweyville is located at ....
, Leggett attended Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
and, after serving in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
with the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, earned a law degree from Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. In 1986, he became the first African-American elected to the county council in 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...
and served on the council through 2002. He remains the only African-American ever elected to that body at-large. For two years, Leggett served as the chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party
Maryland Democratic Party
The Maryland Democratic Party is the state affiliate of the United States Democratic Party in the U.S. State of Maryland, headquartered in Annapolis. The current state party chair is Yvette Lewis.-History:...
before leaving that position to run for office once again. Leggett was elected County Executive
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
of Montgomery County in 2006, the first African-American to hold that office. Since taking office, he has become involved in a number of controversial issues, including proposals to increase the Maryland gas tax, place a moratorium on new development in Montgomery County, and create a new hiring location for day laborers in Gaithersburg, Maryland
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...
.
Early life and education
Leggett was born on July 25, 1944 in Deweyville, TexasDeweyville, Texas
Deweyville is a census-designated place in Newton County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,190 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Deweyville is located at ....
and grew up with twelve siblings in Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
. In Alexandria, he played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
for Peabody Magnet High School
Peabody Magnet High School
Peabody Magnet High School is a secondary educational institution located in the South Alexandria subdivision of Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish and the largest city in central Louisiana...
. He attended Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, working through school as a groundskeeper in a work-study program and graduating in 1967. In his time as an undergraduate, he participated in civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
demonstrations and was elected president of his class during his senior year. He also became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
, the first intercollegiate fraternity established for African-Americans. A member of the Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
(ROTC), Leggett served as a Captain in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and saw action near the cities of Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
and Saigon. The Army awarded him a Bronze Star before he left to pursue a law degree and a career in politics. In 1974, he received Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degrees from Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, graduating first in his law school class, followed soon after by a Master of Laws degree from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
. He returned to Howard as a professor in their law school in 1976, and continued teaching at the law school through his election as County Executive in 2006, with the exception of a brief stint as a White House Fellow in the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
. Leggett is currently married to his second wife, Catherine.
Early political career
Leggett's first participation in county government was as an appointed member of the county Human Relations Committee, on which he served from 1979 to 1986. In 1986, he was elected as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council, becoming the first African-American ever to serve on the council. To this day, he is the only African-American ever elected to county office at large. He was re-elected to the seat three more times, and served three one-year terms as council president. During his time on the council, he chaired the council's transportation and environment committee and played a role in passage of a county living wage law and a public smoking ban. In 1992, a former county council aide of Leggett's accused him of sexual harassment in a widely publicized case, but the accusation was dismissed by a jury. In 2002, Leggett declined to run for re-election to the county council. He was widely viewed as a potential running mate for Democratic nominee Kathleen Kennedy TownsendKathleen Kennedy Townsend
Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend , is an American attorney who was the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003. She ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Maryland in 2002. In 2010 she became the chair of the non-profit American Bridge, an organization that will raise funds for Democratic...
in that year's gubernatorial race. However, Townsend chose Admiral Charles R. Larson
Charles R. Larson
Charles R. Larson is a retired four-star Admiral of the United States Navy.-Military career:A 1958 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Larson twice served as Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He also served as Commander in Chief, United States Pacific...
instead. Townsend and Larson lost in November when Maryland elected Robert Ehrlich
Robert Ehrlich
Robert Leroy "Bob" Ehrlich, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 60th Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. A Republican, he became governor after defeating Democratic opponent Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a member of the Kennedy family, 51% to 48% in the 2002 elections...
to be its first Republican Governor in 40 years and Lieutenant Governor Michael S. Steele
Michael S. Steele
Michael Stephen Steele is an American politician who served as the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee from January 2009 until January 2011. From 2003 to 2007, he was the seventh Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, the first African American elected to statewide...
as its first African-American statewide elected official. When his term on the council was completed in December of that year, Leggett was elected to a term as chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party
Maryland Democratic Party
The Maryland Democratic Party is the state affiliate of the United States Democratic Party in the U.S. State of Maryland, headquartered in Annapolis. The current state party chair is Yvette Lewis.-History:...
. Leggett's chairmanship was seen by some Democratic activists as important to maintaining the African-American base of the Maryland Democratic Party following their electoral losses.
2006 campaign for county executive
Following the election of 2004, Maryland politicians started announcing their intentions for the 2006 electionsMaryland state elections, 2006
The Maryland state elections of 2006 decided who will serve in hundreds of political offices throughout the state of Maryland in the United States...
. Among them was three-term County Executive Doug Duncan
Doug Duncan
Douglas M. Duncan is a Democratic politician from Maryland who served as County Executive of Montgomery County from 1994 to 2006. At three terms, Duncan held the office longer than any other County Executive in Montgomery County's history...
, who was in the early stages of a run for Governor. In December 2004, Leggett left his position as Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party to begin a campaign to replace Duncan as Montgomery County Executive. in the primary election was a former colleague from the council, Steve Silverman
Steven Silverman
Steven "Steve" A. Silverman was appointed by Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett as Director of the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development in April 2009. Just prior to his appointment, Silverman served as the Director of Aging, Health Care, and Special Projects, for Maryland's...
. Leggett and Silverman squared off in a long series of debates beginning almost a year before the election. But despite being outspent by Silverman, Leggett won the Democratic nomination for executive with 61% of the vote in the primary election on September 12, 2006. Although he then faced Republican nominee Chuck Floyd and independent anti-tax advocate Robin Ficker
Robin Ficker
Robin Ficker is an American attorney, real estate broker, political activist, and sports heckler who lives in Boyds, Maryland.-Education and professional career:...
in the general election, Leggett easily won the November polling as well.
First term as county executive
In the early days of his administration, Leggett became involved in a number of controversial issues. To help alleviate transportation funding difficulties and a state budget deficit, he proposed a statewide gas tax increase. This proposal, which happened in the midst of a state budget crunch and in response to high levels of traffic congestionTraffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
in the county, was supported by the county council but largely ignored by incoming Governor
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
.
Leggett also worked to find a hiring site for day labor
Day labor
Day labor is work done where the worker is hired and paid one day at a time, with no promise that more work will be available in the future. It is a form of contingent work.-Types:Day laborers find work through three common routes....
ers from the city of 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...
and the surrounding upcounty area. During the term of Leggett's predecessor Doug Duncan
Doug Duncan
Douglas M. Duncan is a Democratic politician from Maryland who served as County Executive of Montgomery County from 1994 to 2006. At three terms, Duncan held the office longer than any other County Executive in Montgomery County's history...
, Gaithersburg had struggled to find space within the city limits that the county could lease for use as a location where the day laborers could wait for employers. The owners of virtually all of the more than 30 sites considered by the city government had refused to grant a lease for this purpose, and in the one case where the property owner was willing to consider the use, the county's efforts to lease the property fell through after the property owner backed out. The debate became caught up in a larger national debate about the role of illegal immigrants
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
in American society. Abandoning efforts to locate the site within Gaithersburg's city limits, Leggett's proposal to locate a day laborer location on county-owned land eliminated the need to find a private property owner willing to lease for this purpose. However, the decision was still contentious within the neighborhood where the site was to be located.
Additionally, Leggett came out in favor of a proposed partial moratorium on new real-estate development in the county. This moratorium was proposed by Councilmember Marilyn Praisner, and was intended to allow the County time to reevaluate and revise its growth policy. Critics of the moratorium expressed concerns that it might cause economic harm to the county, sending the message to the business community that the county was unpredictable. Despite Leggett's support, however, the moratorium law was altered so that it did not completely stop applications for new development but rather placed increased regulation on them while the county planning board
Urban planner
An urban planner or city planner is a professional who works in the field of urban planning/land use planning for the purpose of optimizing the effectiveness of a community's land use and infrastructure. They formulate plans for the development and management of urban and suburban areas, typically...
and county council revised the county's planning process.
Dealing with a worsening economic recession and its effects on county government have dominated the second half of Leggett's first term. A number of his specific spending decisions were criticized in light of this recession. In March 2008, opponents questioned the county's use of tax payer money to build a $65,225 bathroom for Leggett's personal office. The project came at a time when the recession had begun to undermine tax revenues, resulting in a hiring freeze for 1,092 county government vacancies. In 2009, two former military helicopters were offered as a donation to the county for use in a police helicopter program. Leggett favored pursuing the program but faced opposition from councilmembers who criticized the cost of such a program.