House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) is a hot commodity at fundraisers for her fellow lawmakers.
Beginning with an event that took place Thursday night in Fulton for Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard), Jones is scheduled to be the featured attraction for at least a handful of events that her colleagues are hosting between now and the start of the next General Assembly session on Jan. 8, according to fundraiser invitations shared with Maryland Matters – and that number is sure to grow.
Raising a lot of money – and frequent appearances at other members’ fundraising events – is one aspect of being a presiding officer that Jones hadn’t done much of during her previous 22 years in the legislature.
Jones, the first woman and the first African-American House speaker in the state’s history, is scheduled to appear Saturday at a fundraiser in Silver Spring for Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery). On Sept. 15, she’ll join Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D) and Baltimore County Executive John A. Olszewski Jr. (D) headlining a fundraiser for House Judiciary Chairman Luke V. Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) in Baltimore.
Jones is also scheduled to be the guest of honor when the Democratic women’s organization Emerge Maryland holds a fundraiser in Pikesville on Oct. 3.
Notably, one email solicitation for the Emerge event was written by House Appropriations Chairwoman Maggie L. McIntosh (D-Baltimore City), who competed for the speaker’s job following the death of former speaker Michael E. Busch (D) earlier this year; Jones emerged as the compromise candidate after the Democratic Caucus deadlocked.
The subject line reads, “A shattered glass ceiling and a celebration!”
Jones will have her own small-dollar event in Catonsville on Oct. 15, and another one, billed as a “women’s fundraiser,” on Dec. 3, at a venue to be announced.
Jones will also be the guest speaker at the bipartisan Women Legislators of Maryland pre-session reception in Annapolis on Jan. 7.