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 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

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%    

Tarrant was defeated in the 2014 Maryland Democratic primary after serving 8 years in the Maryland House.

Legislative notes

References

  1. ↑ "House of Delegates Results". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved on Mar. 3, 2007
  2. ↑ "House Bill 860". Maryland Legislative Services. Retrieved March 16, 2014.