Mary-Dulany James


Mary-Dulany James is an American politician who represented district 34A in the Maryland House of Delegates for sixteen years, representing Harford and Cecil Counties along the U.S. Route 40 corridor. Mary-Dulany James represented district 34A, formally district 34, for 16 having first been elected in 1998.
James is the daughter of former President of the Maryland Senate William S. James, serving as Senate President from 1963 to 1974. In October 2013 James officially filed to run for State Senate in District 34 to replace retiring State Senator Nancy Jacobs.
On June 24, 2014 James defeated long time Harford County politician and former State Senator Arthur Henry Helton Jr. in the primary, and went on to face Republican Bob Cassilly in November in the general election, where she was defeated.

Early life, education, career

James was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up and still lives on her family's farm in Harford County. She attended Havre De Grace High School and the University of Maryland, College Park where she earned a B.S. in psychology in 1981.
Returning to Baltimore, she attended the University of Maryland School of Law, earning a J.D., in 1986. While studying for the bar exam she clerked for Judge Edward S. Northrop in the U.S. District Court, District of Maryland. She passed her bar exam and was admitted to Maryland Bar in 1986. She worked for law firms in Baltimore, then returned to Harford County and set up her own practice.

Political career

Maryland House of Delegates

James was elected to the House of Delegates on November 3, 1998, representing District 34. James was re-elected to the newly redistricted District 34A in November 5, 2002, and was subsequently re-elected in 2006 and 2010.

Committee assignments

District 34 has been redistricted twice since James was first elected. When first elected James was one of three delegates that represented the development corridor in Harford County. The communities represented in district 34 are: Bel Air, Havre de Grace, Aberdeen, Edgewood, Joppatowne, Abingdon, Belcamp/Riverside, and Aberdeen Proving Ground.
After the 2000 Census Maryland redistricted 34 into a split district with two Delegates representing 34A and one Delegate representing district 34B. Then district spanned parts of Harford and Cecil Counties. The communities represented in district 34A are: Havre de Grace, Aberdeen, Edgewood, Joppatowne, Belcamp/Riverside, and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County. Parts of Perryville and Port Deposit in Cecil County.
James ran for State Senate in the redistricted District 34. After the 2010 Census Maryland redistricted 34 to similar boundaries prior to the 2000 Census. The communities represented in district 34 are: Bel Air, Havre de Grace, Aberdeen, Edgewood, Joppatowne, Abingdon, Belcamp/Riverside, and Aberdeen Proving Ground.

2014 Maryland State Senate candidacy

James filed to run for Maryland State Senate in October 2013. In the 2014 Democratic Primary James faced long time Harford County politician and business owner Arthur Henry Helton Jr., a former State Senator and County Council Member. Helton had run for State Senate during the last election and lost. Both Helton and James have considerable name recognition in Harford County. James ultimately defeated Helton by a 2 to 1 margin.
James faced Bob Cassilly, former County Council Member in the general election in November, but was unsuccessful.

Election results