Jill P. Carter
Encyclopedia
Jill P. Carter is an American
politician who represents Maryland's 41st legislative district of Baltimore City in the Maryland House of Delegates
. She was elected to the Maryland legislature after defeating four incumbents in the Democratic primary that September. She was the third African-American female attorney elected to the Maryland Legislature and has served from 2003 to the present.
, who was a civil rights activist and leader in the desegregation movement in Maryland
in the 1950s and 1960s. Her mother, Zerita Joy Carter, is a retired public school educator. Carter attended Western High School
in Baltimore. Carter received her B.A. in English from Loyola College in Maryland
in 1988, and her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law
in 1992.
in 2006. In 2009,she was the honored as an "Exceptional Woman in Business and Government", at the first annual "Pretty in Pinstripes" Women's History Month celebration.
Carter was elected to the Maryland legislature after defeating four incumbents in the Democratic primary that September. She was the third African-American female attorney elected to the Maryland Legislature. The first was Lena K. Lee who served from 1967–1982; the second, Lisa Gladden, served from 1998–2002; and, finally, Jill Carter (2003–present).
During her first term from 2003–2006, she was the only African-American female attorney serving in the Maryland House of Delegates. She is currently a member of the House Judiciary Committee and chair of the Estates and Trusts Subcommittee, the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
, and the Women Legislators of Maryland. Carter voted against legalizing slot machine
s in Maryland in 2005. Prior to her re-election in 2006, she became a vocal critic of then mayor (now Governor Martin O'Malley
's "failed policing policies". She posited that the so-labeled, zero tolerance, arrest strategy failed to cause significant reduction in a soaring crime rate in Baltimore City, but, rather, pressured police officers to make tens of thousands of arrests that did not produce criminal charges. She has oft been referred to as a lone voice in the wilderness for her challenges to established politicians on matters of adequate housing for the poor, lead poisoning of children, to adequately fund public education, both in the legislature, and in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City., and, in 2007, calling for a special session of the legislature to deal with the BGE
utility rate increase.
In 2008, Carter was the only member of Baltimore City's state delegation to receive a grade of "Outstanding" from the local NAACP.
of 2007 She had criticized the city's Mayor and administration for giving unfair advantages to developers and corporations at the expense of the poor and middle class, and had vowed to replace the police department's leadership if elected Mayor. In a poll of likely democratic voters released by the Baltimore Sun on July 16, 2007, Carter trailed Mayor Dixon (47%), Councilman Mitchell (15%) and Andrey Bundley (4%) with 2% of those polled. Despite her campaign activities, such as camping out all night on some of the city's most violent street corners, serving hot dogs, having one-on-one conversations with residents, and distributing voter registration forms, Carter's campaign failed to raise enough money to become viable, the political establishment did not support her, and Carter eventually finished fourth in the race with only 2.8% of the vote.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician who represents Maryland's 41st legislative district of Baltimore City 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 to the Maryland legislature after defeating four incumbents in the Democratic primary that September. She was the third African-American female attorney elected to the Maryland Legislature and has served from 2003 to the present.
Background
Jill P. Carter is the daughter of the late Walter P. CarterWalter P. Carter
Walter Percival Carter was a civil rights activist and a central figure in Baltimore’s civil rights movement, organizing demonstrations against discrimination throughout Maryland...
, who was a civil rights activist and leader in the desegregation movement in 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...
in the 1950s and 1960s. Her mother, Zerita Joy Carter, is a retired public school educator. Carter attended Western High School
Western High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Western Senior High School is the oldest public all-girl high school in the United States. Part of the Baltimore City Public School System, Western was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2009.- History :...
in Baltimore. Carter received her B.A. in English from Loyola College in Maryland
Loyola College in Maryland
Loyola University Maryland is a Roman Catholic, Jesuit private university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early and eight other members of the Society of Jesus in 1852, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges...
in 1988, and her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law
University of Baltimore School of Law
University of Baltimore School of Law, or UB Law, is one of the three colleges that make up the University of Baltimore, which is part of the University System of Maryland. UB Law is one of only two law schools in the state of Maryland, the other law school being the University of Maryland School...
in 1992.
Career
Prior to law school, Carter was a journalist for Afro American Newspapers. She was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1993. She has worked as a staff attorney for The Legal Aid Bureau, the Office of the Public Defender, and the Office of the City Solicitor. She is a member of Monumental City Bar Association, the Maryland Trial Lawyers' Association and a founding member of the Black Lawyers Group and founder and president of the Walter P. Carter Foundation. She was the Executive Director of the Maryland Minority Business Association in 2002, chair of the Baltimore Branch NAACP Legal Redress Committee, and was listed in Maryland's Top 100 Women in the Daily RecordDaily Record (Maryland)
The Daily Record, published in Baltimore, Maryland, is a statewide business and legal newspaper. The paper publishes 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, except for certain holidays.-Corporate history:...
in 2006. In 2009,she was the honored as an "Exceptional Woman in Business and Government", at the first annual "Pretty in Pinstripes" Women's History Month celebration.
Carter was elected to the Maryland legislature after defeating four incumbents in the Democratic primary that September. She was the third African-American female attorney elected to the Maryland Legislature. The first was Lena K. Lee who served from 1967–1982; the second, Lisa Gladden, served from 1998–2002; and, finally, Jill Carter (2003–present).
During her first term from 2003–2006, she was the only African-American female attorney serving in the Maryland House of Delegates. She is currently a member of the House Judiciary Committee and chair of the Estates and Trusts Subcommittee, 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...
, and the Women Legislators of Maryland. Carter voted against legalizing slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
s in Maryland in 2005. Prior to her re-election in 2006, she became a vocal critic of then mayor (now Governor 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...
's "failed policing policies". She posited that the so-labeled, zero tolerance, arrest strategy failed to cause significant reduction in a soaring crime rate in Baltimore City, but, rather, pressured police officers to make tens of thousands of arrests that did not produce criminal charges. She has oft been referred to as a lone voice in the wilderness for her challenges to established politicians on matters of adequate housing for the poor, lead poisoning of children, to adequately fund public education, both in the legislature, and in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City., and, in 2007, calling for a special session of the legislature to deal with the BGE
Constellation Energy
Constellation Energy, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is an energy producer, trader, and distributor. The company operates over 35 power plants in 11 states under its operating company Constellation Commodities Group and/or Constellation Generation Group...
utility rate increase.
In 2008, Carter was the only member of Baltimore City's state delegation to receive a grade of "Outstanding" from the local NAACP.
2007
- Voted for the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007
- Voted in favor of prohibiting ground rents in 2007
- Voted in favor of the Tax Reform Act of 2007
- Voted against raising sales and services taxes by 20%, i.e. the Transportation and Sales Investment Act of 2007
Election results
- 2006 Democratic Primary for Maryland House of Delegates – District 41
-
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Jill P. Carter, Dem. 13,196 31.2% Won Samuel I. Rosenberg Samuel I. RosenbergSamuel I. "Sandy" Rosenberg is an American politician who represents the 41st legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates...
, Dem.9,215 21.8% Won Nathaniel T. Oaks Nathaniel T. OaksNathaniel T. Oaks is an American politician who represents district 41 in the Maryland House of Delegates. -Background:...
, Dem.9,189 21.7% Won Wendall Phillips 6,480 15.3% Lost Kevin Hargrave 2,095 5.0% Lost Karen M. Ferguson 2,116 5.0% Lost
- Voters to choose three:
Baltimore mayoral race
Carter declared her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the Baltimore mayoral electionBaltimore mayoral election, 2007
The 2007 Baltimore mayoral election was held on November 6, 2007. Because Baltimore's electorate is overwhelmingly Democratic, Sheila Dixon's victory in the Democratic primary on September 11 all but assured her of victory in the general election, and she defeated Republican candidate Elbert...
of 2007 She had criticized the city's Mayor and administration for giving unfair advantages to developers and corporations at the expense of the poor and middle class, and had vowed to replace the police department's leadership if elected Mayor. In a poll of likely democratic voters released by the Baltimore Sun on July 16, 2007, Carter trailed Mayor Dixon (47%), Councilman Mitchell (15%) and Andrey Bundley (4%) with 2% of those polled. Despite her campaign activities, such as camping out all night on some of the city's most violent street corners, serving hot dogs, having one-on-one conversations with residents, and distributing voter registration forms, Carter's campaign failed to raise enough money to become viable, the political establishment did not support her, and Carter eventually finished fourth in the race with only 2.8% of the vote.
Primary election results
- 2007 Democratic Primary for Mayor of Baltimore.
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Sheila Dixon Sheila Dixon Sheila Ann Dixon served as the forty-eighth Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. When former Mayor Martin O'Malley was sworn in as Governor on January 17, 2007, Dixon, a Democrat, became mayor and served out the remaining year of O'Malley's term. In November 2007, she was elected mayor... |
54,381 | 63.1% |
| 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:... |
20,376 | 23.7% |
| Andrey Bundley | 6,543 | 7.6% |
| Jill P. Carter | 2,372 | 2.8% |
| A. Robert Kaufman | 885 | 1.0% |
| Mike Schaefer | 762 | 0.9% |
| Frank Conaway | 533 | 0.6% |
| Phillip Brown | 273 | 0.3% |