Bonnie Cullison
| Bonnie Cullison | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 19th district | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 12, 2011 | |
| 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.
Early life and career
Raised in a military family, Cullison lived in four states and two European countries until she was 18. She returned to Maryland for college since her parents had maintained residency in their home state. 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]
Political career
2010 primary election
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]
2010 primary election results
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
2010 general election results
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
Personal
Cullison is openly gay; on June 23, 2013 she married her domestic partner of 30 years, 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).