Ruth M. Kirk was an American politician who represented the 44th legislative district in 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...

. She was elected 7 times and served a total of 28 years representing west and west central Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

.

Background

Born Ruth Simmons in Baltimore, Delegate Kirk was the fifth of eight children. She attended Baltimore City public schools through the ninth grade and later received a GED

GED

General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...

. Prior to being elected to The Maryland General Assembly, Kirk held jobs as a house cleaner and in early childhood education. In 1970, Kirk took a job at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Baltimore, Maryland)

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Baltimore, Maryland)

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School is a public secondary school located in Baltimore, Maryland.-History:Dunbar opened in 1918 as the Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School, No. 101. It was named in memory of Paul Laurence Dunbar, an African-American poet, who had died ten years earlier...

, working as a teacher's aide.

In the Legislature

Kirk was first elected in 1982 and sworn in as a member of House of Delegates on January 12, 1983. She was appointed to the Constitutional and Administrative Law Committee and served on it until its elimination in 1990. She was then appointed to the Economic Matters Committee where she served until 2011. There, she served on its deathcare industry work group; workers' compensation subcommittee, 1995-2003; real estate & housing subcommittee, 1999-2003; business regulation subcommittee, 2003-11; property & casualty insurance subcommittee, 2003-06). During her career in the legislature, Kirk also sedrved as a member of the Tort and Insurance Reform Oversight Committee, 1993; the House Facilities Committee, 1993-2011; the Joint Committee on Federal Relations, 1999-2004; the Protocol Committee, 2007-11, the Liaison Work Group of the Baltimore City Delegation

Baltimore City Delegation

The Baltimore City Delegation refers to the 18 delegates who are elected from districts in Baltimore to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates in the United States. There are currently 6 legislative districts in Baltimore City with each having 3 delegates. The chairman of the delegation is...

, the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly...

 (formerly Maryland Black Caucus), 1983-2011 (member, nominating committee, 2000-11, redistricting committee, 2000-11; past chair, budget committee; past treasurer), the Women Legislators of Maryland, 1983-2011 (president, 1994); the Maryland Veterans Caucus, 2006-11, and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. Outside of the legislature she was a member of the National Order of Women Legislators; and the Southern Legislative Conference (economic development, transportation & cultural affairs committee, 2005-11; fiscal affairs & government operations committee, 2005-11).

Legislative notes

• voted for the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 (HB359)
• voted for the Healthy Air Act in 2006 (SB154)
• voted for slots in 2005 (HB1361)
• voted for income tax reduction in 1998 (SB750)
• voted in favor of increasing the sales tax by 20% - Tax Reform Act of 2007(HB2)http://www.mdchamber.org/docs/ss_hb2.pdf
• voted in favor of prohibiting ground rents in 2007(SB106)http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0250.htm
• voted in favor of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB6)http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0690.htm

Democratic primary election results, 2010

• 2010 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 44th District

Voters to choose three: (only the top 6 finishers are shown)

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Keith E. Haynes Keith E. Haynes Keith E. Haynes is an American politician and lawyer. Haynes was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. He represents the 44th Legislative District in the Maryland House of Delegates and is the current Vice-Chair of the Baltimore City Delegation. As a...	4859	25.9%	Won
Keiffer J. Mitchell, Jr. Keiffer J. Mitchell, Jr. Keiffer Jackson Mitchell, Jr. is an American politician from Baltimore, Maryland who serves in the Maryland House of Delegates. He was a member of the Baltimore City Council and a candidate in the 2007 mayoral election.-Background:...	4481	13.9%	Won
Melvin L. Stukes Melvin L. Stukes Melvin L. Stukes is an American politician who represents the 44th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates. Stukes is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland...	3321	17.7%	Won
Ruth Kirk	2860	15.2%	Lost
Chris Blake	973	5.1%	Lost
Gary T. English	907	4.8%	Lost

General election results, 2006

• 2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 44th District

Voters to choose three:

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Melvin L. Stukes Melvin L. Stukes Melvin L. Stukes is an American politician who represents the 44th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates. Stukes is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland...  Dem.	13,173	34.0%	Won
Ruth M. Kirk, Dem.	12,894	33.3%	Won
Keith E. Haynes Keith E. Haynes Keith E. Haynes is an American politician and lawyer. Haynes was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. He represents the 44th Legislative District in the Maryland House of Delegates and is the current Vice-Chair of the Baltimore City Delegation. As a... , Dem.	12,565	32.4%	Won
Other Write-Ins	129	0.3%