| Bonnie Cullison | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 19th district |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 12, 2011 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | March 24, 1954 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Domestic partner | Marcia Massey |
| Residence | Silver Spring, Maryland |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Website | cullisonformaryland.com |
Bonnie Cullison (born March 24, 1954) 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.
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Raised in St. Mary's County, Maryland, Cullison earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park 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.[1]
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 Spring, 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.[2]
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Kramer | 7,603 | 26.3% | Won |
| Bonnie Cullison | 6,083 | 21.1% | Won |
| Sam Arora | 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 |
In the general election, the three Democratic nominees faced only token opposition in a district that's overwhelmingly Democratic. They won easily.[3]
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Kramer, Democrat | 23,526 | 25.8% | Won |
| Sam Arora, 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 |
Cullison is openly gay; her partner is Marcia Massey.[1][4] She is one of eight openly LGBT 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).