Shawn Z. Tarrant

Shawn Z. Tarrant
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 40th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 10, 2007
Preceded by	Catherine Pugh
Personal details
Born	(1965-07-30) July 30, 1965 Freeport, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Brenda (Mcdaniels)
Children	Kayla and Shawn, Jr.
Residence	Baltimore, Maryland
Occupation	Director of State Policy
Religion	Baptist

Shawn Z. Tarrant (born July 30, 1965) is an American politician who represents the 40th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates. Tarrant is a member of the House Health and Government Operations Committee, Insurance Subcommittee and Secretary to the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.

Background

Delegate Tarrant graduated from Norfolk State University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance/Marketing.Tarrant has been employed for the past 17 years by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. He currently serves as the Director of State Policy. In this role, he ensures patients with Medicaid as their insurance have access to the entire portfolio of life saving medications sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb. In previous positions, he has helped municipalities and cities conduct HIV/AIDS testing and awareness programs. Tarrant is married to Brenda McDaniels Tarrant, a chemistry teacher at the Baltimore City College. They are the parents of two children: Kayla, 17 and Shawn Jr., 16.

Early Career

Prior to running for office, he was the president of Ashburton Area Association from 1994–1999, a community improvement group in his neighborhood. He created several long-standing programs and is most proud of success achieved in rezoning Ashburton to an R-1 zone status (i.e., allowing single family only dwellings). He is a frequent speaker on improving housing and zoning codes. Tarrant is also very committed to public school education serving 6 terms as a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) board member and vice president of the PTO at his children’s public elementary school. He is the founder of “Tiger Pa’s,” a fathers’ group at his son’s school that encourages male parental involvement by having fathers coordinate and host special activities at the school.

Maryland House of Delegates

Delegate Tarrant’s first session in the Maryland House of Delegates was 2007. He was the lead sponsor of three bills that became law and co-sponsor to numerous pieces of legislation that became law.

Three open seats

During the four-year term prior to Tarrant's candidacy for the House of Delegates, two of the delegates, Howard "Pete" Rawlings and Tony Fulton, died while in office. Marshall Goodwin and Catherine Pugh were appointed to finish their terms. Rawlings and Fulton were Democrats, as are Goodwin and Pugh. Prior to the 2006 Democratic primary, the only incumbent delegate in the district, Salima Marriott, decided to run for the Senate seat being vacated by the district's senator. Catherine Pugh also decided to run for the same seat leaving the newly appointed Goodwin as the only incumbent in the race. The vacancies drew a large crowd of contenders; including Tarrant, Barbara Robinson and Frank M. Conaway, Jr., who all finished ahead of Goodwin. The General Election in November, therefore, featured all newcomers for the three open seats.

General election results, 2006

• 2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 40th District^[1]

Voters to choose three:

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Frank M. Conaway, Jr. Dem.	16,432	32.4%	Won
Barbara A. Robinson, Dem.	16,032	31.6%	Won
Shawn Z. Tarrant, Dem.	13,921	27.5%	Won
Jan E. Danforth, Green	4,135	8.2%	Lost
Other Write-Ins	177	0.3%

Legislative notes

• voted for the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 (HB359)
• voted in favor of prohibiting ground rents in 2007(SB106)
• voted in favor of increasing the sales tax - Tax Reform Act of 2007(HB2)
• voted in favor of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB6)

References