Chanel A. Branch was officially appointed to the Maryland House of Delegates Monday. She’ll fill the seat left open by former Del. Cheryl D. Glenn (D-Baltimore City), who pleaded guilty to bribery and federal wire fraud charges earlier this month.
Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) announced her appointment in a news release.
“I am confident that Chanel Branch will represent the citizens of Baltimore City admirably in her new role as state delegate,” Hogan said in the statement.
Branch is currently seeking a seat on the Baltimore City Council and it isn’t clear whether she plans to remain in the April 28 Democratic primary now that she has won appointment to the legislature. She was recommended to fill the House vacancy by the Democratic Central Committee after a vote held earlier this month.
Her father, Talmadge Branch (D-Baltimore City), has been the Majority Whip in the Maryland House of Delegates since 2007 and a House member since 1995. He is also in the race for the congressional seat left vacant by former Rep. Elijah Cummings (D), who died in October.
Both Branches will represent the 45th District, along with Del. Stephanie M. Smith (D).
Meanwhile, the Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday night to ratify two nominations for legislative vacancies.
Central committee members from the 11th District have recommended that state Del. Shelly L. Hettleman be appointed to the Senate to replace former Sen. Robert A. Zirkin. If Hettleman gets that appointment then her House seat would have to be filled.
In District 44B, Democratic central committee members recommended progressive activist Sheila Ruth for a House vacancy. She’d replace Charles E. Sydnor III (D), who was recently promoted from the House to the Senate. Hogan would have to make the official appointments, based on the central committee recommendations.
Hannah Gaskill
Reporter
Hannah Gaskill was a reporter for Maryland Matters. She left the publication in May 2022. Gaskill received her master’s of journalism degree in December 2019 from the University of Maryland. She previously worked on the print layout design team at The Diamondback, reported on criminal justice in Maryland for Capital News Service and served as a production assistant for The Confluence — the daily news magazine on 90.5 WESA, Pittsburgh’s NPR member station. Gaskill has had bylines in The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune, among other publications. Before pursuing journalism, she received her bachelor’s of fine art degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2016. She grew up in Ocean City.
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