Terry Baker (politician)

For other people named Terry Baker, see Terry Baker (disambiguation).
Terry Baker
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 1C district
Assumed office
January 11, 2023
Preceded byMike McKay
Vice President of the Washington County Board of Commissioners
In office
December 4, 2018 – December 6, 2022
Preceded byJeffrey A. Cline
Succeeded byJeffrey A. Cline
In office
December 5, 2006 – December 7, 2010
Succeeded byJohn F. Barr
President of the Washington County Board of Commissioners
In office
December 7, 2010 – December 4, 2018
Preceded byJohn F. Barr
Succeeded byJeffrey A. Cline
Personal details
Born
Terry Lee Baker

(1955-11-24) November 24, 1955 (age 68)
Pinesburg, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Children2
Residence(s)Hancock, Maryland, U.S.
EducationHagerstown Junior College (AA)
Auburn University (BS)

Terry Lee Baker (born November 24, 1955) is an American politician. He is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for District 1C in Allegany and Washington counties. He was previously the vice president of the Washington County Board of Commissioners from 2006 to 2010 and from 2018 to 2022, and the board's president from 2010 to 2018.[1]

Career[edit]

Baker was born on November 24, 1955.[2][3] He grew up in Pinesburg, Maryland,[2] and graduated from Williamsport High School. He attended Hagerstown Junior College, where he earned an A.A. degree in 1975, and Auburn University, where he earned a B.S. degree in education in 1978.[1]

After graduating, he worked as a carpentry coordinator at Washington County Technical High School.[1] Baker also coached cross country running and track and field at a local high school until he was elected county commissioner in 2006. He retired from Washington County Public Schools in July 2015.[2] Baker continues to operate his own home improvements contracting business.[4]

Baker entered politics in 2002, when he became a member of the Clear Spring town council. In 2004, he became the town's assistant mayor. Since 2006, he has worked in various county government offices, including in the Board of Health, Economic Development Commission, and Social Services Board.[1]

On December 6, 2010, Baker was sworn in as the vice president of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, later serving as the board's president from 2010 to 2018 and becoming the vice president after the end of his presidency.[1][5]

On July 14, 2021, Baker filed to run for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 1C, seeking to succeed Delegate Mike McKay, who had previously announced that he would run for the Maryland Senate in 2022.[6][7] He won the Republican primary on July 19, 2022, and later defeated Democratic challenger Carrie R. Hinton and Green Party challenger Charlotte McBraerty in the general election on November 8.[8]

2016 House of Representatives campaign[edit]

Main article: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland § District 6

On July 12, 2015, Baker announced that he would run for the United States House of Representatives in Maryland's 6th congressional district, challenging incumbent John Delaney.[2][9] Baker finished second to Amie Hoeber, a former United States Secretary of the Army deputy under President Ronald Reagan, in the Republican primary election, receiving 23.1 percent of the vote.[10]

In the legislature[edit]

Baker in the House Environment and Transportation Committee, 2024

Baker was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 11, 2023.[11] He is a member of the House Environment and Transportation Committee.[12]

Personal life[edit]

Baker is married and has two children and three grandchildren.[1] He owns two homes, including one in Clear Spring, Maryland, and another in Frost, West Virginia.[13]

Baker is an accomplished distance runner,[14][15] placing seventh at the 1982 Boston Marathon.[16]

On July 25, 2018, Baker's wife, Katrina, filed for a temporary protective order against him, accusing him of "slapping, shoving, stalking and verbally abusing her over two separate incidents at the couple's homes" in July.[13] She was granted a temporary protective order, but she withdrew her petition on July 26 after she and her husband negotiated a separation agreement.[17][18]

Political positions[edit]

Education[edit]

Baker opposed the Common Core State Standards, saying that they "should be a decision made by parents and teachers, if they want it in their schools or not."[2]

Energy[edit]

In March 2018, Baker expressed concerns over a pipeline project proposed by Columbia Gas Transmission that would stretch from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland to another planned pipeline in West Virginia.[19]

Foreign policy[edit]

In September 2015, Baker said he opposed the Iran nuclear deal.[20]

Social issues[edit]

Baker self-identifies as pro-life. During the 2023 legislative session, he opposed a bill creating a 2024 referendum to codify Roe v. Wade into the Constitution of Maryland.[21]

Taxes[edit]

In June 2019, Baker voted against increasing Washington County's income tax rate from 2.8 percent to 3.2 percent so the county could receive a larger disparity grant, expressing concerns that the grants were not guaranteed in the long run.[22] In April 2021, Baker voted in favor of lowering the tax rate back to 2.8 percent.[23]

Electoral history[edit]

Washington County Board of Commissioners Republican primary election, 2006[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John F. Barr 6,325 15.9
Republican William J. Wivell 5,256 13.2
Republican Terry L. Baker 4,595 11.6
Republican James F. Kercheval 4,397 11.1
Republican John C. Munson 3,837 9.7
Republican Doris J. Nipps 3,452 8.7
Republican W. Edward Forrest 3,112 7.8
Republican J. Wallace McClure 2,506 6.3
Republican Jeffrey L. Hewett 2,266 5.7
Republican Edward L. Knepper 1,846 4.7
Republican Carrie S. Gouff 1,228 3.1
Republican Nathan A. Green 906 2.3
Washington County Board of Commissioners election, 2006[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John F. Barr 23,041 12.8
Republican Terry Baker 20,714 11.5
Republican William J. Wivell 20,105 11.2
Republican James F. Kercheval 19,419 10.8
Republican Kristin B. Aleshire 18,557 10.3
Democratic Donna L. Brightman 16,717 9.3
Democratic Paul L. Swartz 16,239 9.0
Republican John Munson 16,195 9.0
Democratic N. Linn Hendershot 14,610 8.1
Democratic J. Herbert Hardin 14,474 8.0
Write-in 179 0.1
Washington County Board of Commissioners election, 2010[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Terry Baker 25,360 16.7
Republican John F. Barr 25,025 16.4
Republican Jeff Cline 24,352 16.0
Republican Bill McKinley 23,365 15.4
Republican Ruth Anne Callaham 22,538 14.8
Democratic Kristin B. Aleshire 20,938 13.8
Green Joe Lane 10,262 6.7
Write-in 332 0.2
Washington County Board of Commissioners election, 2014[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Terry Baker 26,515 16.5
Republican Jeff Cline 24,319 15.1
Republican John F. Barr 24,119 15.0
Republican LeRoy E. Myers Jr. 22,655 14.1
Republican William J. Wivell 22,280 13.8
Democratic Ronald L Bowers 13,363 8.3
Democratic Brian Beall 10,589 6.6
Democratic Paul F. Miller 9,039 5.6
Democratic Millard H. Miller, Jr. 7,769 4.8
Write-in 264 0.2
Maryland's 6th congressional district election, 2016[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Amie Hoeber 17,967 29.3
Republican Terry L. Baker 13,837 22.6
Republican Frank Howard 10,677 17.4
Republican Robin Ficker 7,014 11.4
Republican David E. Vogt III 5,774 9.4
Republican Christopher James Mason 2,590 4.2
Republican Scott Cheng 2,303 3.8
Republican Harold Painter 1,117 1.8
Washington County Board of Commissioners election, 2018[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeff Cline 28,106 13.1
Republican Terry L. Baker 25,031 11.7
Republican Randall Wagner 24,945 11.7
Republican Wayne K. Keefer 24,105 11.3
Republican Cort Meinelschmidt 23,459 11.0
Democratic Donna L. Brightman 18,299 8.5
Democratic Elizabeth Paul 18,234 8.5
Democratic Ed Forrest 16,044 7.5
Democratic Brian Beall 14,685 6.9
Independent John Franklin Barr 10,819 5.1
Independent Bill McKinley 10,064 4.7
Write-in 320 0.1
Maryland House of Delegates District 1C Republican primary election, 2022[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Terry L. Baker 4,078 100.0
Maryland House of Delegates District 1C election, 2022[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Terry L. Baker 11,336 75.95
Democratic Carrie R. Hinton 3,287 22.02
Green Charlotte McBrearty 297 1.99
Write-in 6 0.04

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Terry L. Baker, Board of County Commissioners, Washington County, Maryland". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. December 29, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Greene, Julie (July 12, 2015). "Washington Co. Commissioners president to run for Congress". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  3. ^ "Washington County MD Republican Central Committee - Happy Birthday to Washington County Commissioner Terry Baker! Thank you for all you do! | Facebook". www.facebook.com. November 24, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Greene, Julie (January 2, 2018). "Baker seeking fourth-term as Washington County commissioner". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  5. ^ Greene, Julie (December 4, 2018). "Washington County commissioners dig in, look ahead to new era". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  6. ^ Baker, Tamela (July 15, 2021). "Washington County Commissioners Baker, Keefer running for Maryland House of Delegates in District 1C". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  7. ^ Kurtz, Josh (July 21, 2021). "GOP Race to Replace Sen. Edwards Quickly Taking Shape". Maryland Matters. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  8. ^ Lewis, Mike (October 18, 2022). "Three in the running for District 1C seat in the Maryland House of Delegates". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  9. ^ "Washington County official announces congressional run". WBFF. Associated Press. July 13, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  10. ^ Lewis, Mike (April 27, 2016). "Delaney, Hoeber take 6th District races". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  11. ^ "Terry L. Baker, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. January 19, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  12. ^ Gaines, Danielle E. (January 5, 2023). "Jones announces new Democratic caucus, committee leaders for 2023 General Assembly session". Maryland Matters. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Lovelace, CJ (July 25, 2018). "Wife accuses Washington Co. Commissioner Terry Baker of domestic violence; temporary protection order issued". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  14. ^ Cress, Doug (February 15, 1982). "Baker Wins Local Marathon". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  15. ^ Barnes, Bart (April 5, 1982). "Baker Defeats Rodgers in Cherry Blossom". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  16. ^ Lewis, Mike (August 31, 2021). "Washington County commissioner says he's battling 'serious COVID pneumonia'". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  17. ^ Aines, Don (July 26, 2018). "UPDATE: Protective order against commissioner dismissed at wife's request". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  18. ^ "Washington County Commissioner's separation agreement falls apart". The Herald-Mail. October 10, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  19. ^ Lewis, Mike (March 8, 2018). "Baker reiterates natural gas pipeline concerns". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  20. ^ "Washington County delegate, commissioner join rally against Iran nuke deal". The Herald-Mail. September 9, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  21. ^ Morton, Greg; Thompson, Kara (February 9, 2023). "Moore, Miller, legislative Democrats announce legislation protecting abortion rights". Capital News Service. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  22. ^ Fitzpatrick, Alexis (June 30, 2020). "State delays disparity grant vote, approves $400M in state cuts". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  23. ^ Lewis, Mike (April 14, 2021). "Commissioners roll back income tax rate, split over vote and its effects". The Herald-Mail. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  24. ^ "Washington County Election Summary Report - Gubernatorial Primary Election" (PDF). Washington County Board of Elections. September 12, 2006. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  25. ^ "Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election results for Washington County". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  26. ^ "Official 2010 Gubernatorial General Election results for Washington County". Maryland State Board of Elections.
  27. ^ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for Washington County". Maryland State Board of Elections. December 2, 2014.
  28. ^ "Official 2016 Presidential Primary Election results for Representative in Congress". Maryland State Board of Elections. May 31, 2016.
  29. ^ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for Washington County". Maryland State Board of Elections. December 11, 2018.
  30. ^ "Official 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election Results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. August 24, 2022.
  31. ^ "Official 2022 Gubernatorial General Election Results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. December 7, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2023.

External links[edit]

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