The Working Families Party and Progressive Maryland endorsed Robbie Leonard in the 2022 race for Baltimore County State’s Attorney on Tuesday.
“Together, we can work toward a fair and accountable justice system in Baltimore County,” Leonard said of the endorsement. “The status quo is broken, and it’s time to give the people a choice.”
A trial lawyer and secretary of the Maryland Democratic Party, Leonard is taking on longtime incumbent Scott D. Shellenberger (D).
Shellenberger, who has been Baltimore County’s top prosecutor since 2007, has not faced a primary challenger in the last three election cycles.
Last month, Progressive Maryland invited both candidates to a virtual town hall debate. Shellenberger declined the invitation, but his name and the image of an empty office chair were seen in the list of participants toward the beginning of the call.
“It’s time to turn the page on the Scott [Shellenberger] era,” Larry Stafford, the executive director of Progressive Maryland, said in a statement. “[Shellenberger’s] tenure has been plagued by numerous injustices, including a continual increase in the incarceration of Black and Brown people, and a failure to keep Baltimore County residents safe.”
Progressive Maryland and the Working Families Party announced last year that they had entered into a partnership to boost electoral power for working Marylanders. According to a news release, both organizations believe Leonard will listen and be accountable to constituent demands.
“Voters are ready for real criminal justice reform that treats victims and defendants with dignity in the pursuit of justice,” said Vidal Hines, National Political Strategist with Criminal Justice Initiatives for the Working Families Party. “When Robbie Leonard is elected, Baltimore County will have a champion who will deliver exactly that.”
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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