Vaughn Stewart (politician)

Vaughn Morton Stewart III (born November 15, 1988) is an American attorney and politician. He is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 19 in Montgomery County since 2019.[1]

Vaughn Stewart
Stewart in 2021
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 19th district
Assumed office
January 9, 2019
Preceded byMaricé Morales
ConstituencyMontgomery County, Maryland
Personal details
Born
Vaughn Morton Stewart III

(1988-11-15) November 15, 1988
Anniston, Alabama, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseAlexandra Tucker Stewart
Children1
Residence(s)Derwood, Maryland, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Pennsylvania (BA)
New York University (JD)
OccupationAttorney

Early life and education

Stewart was born on November 15, 1988, in Anniston, Alabama. He graduated from The Donoho School and later attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 2011, and New York University, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 2014.[1] During law school, Stewart interned for the United States Domestic Policy Council in the Obama administration. In 2015, he served as policy director for Jamie Raskin's first congressional campaign.[2]

Career

As an attorney, Stewart worked for WilmerHale, a multinational law firm based in Washington, D.C. Stewart also worked on pro bono matters, providing legal assistance to refugees.[2]

Prior to being elected delegate, Stewart served as Treasurer and precinct chairperson of the District 19 Democratic Club. Stewart has served on the boards of the Action Committee for Transit and the Montgomery County Renters Alliance.[2][3]

In August 2017, Stewart declared his candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 19.[4] He came in third place in the Democratic primary, receiving 16.9 percent of the vote.[5] He won the general election with 24 percent of the vote.[6]

Stewart is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[7]

In the legislature

Stewart was sworn into the Maryland General Assembly on January 9, 2019.[1][8]

In 2022, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones appointed Stewart to lead the newly created "Progressive Policy Forum" within the House Democratic Caucus.[9]

In 2023, Jones appointed Stewart as one of two Chief Majority Whips for the Maryland House of Delegates.[10]

Committee assignments
  • Member, Environment and Transportation Committee, 2019–present (environment subcommittee, 2019–present; motor vehicle & transportation subcommittee, 2019; land use & ethics subcommittee, 2020–present)

Other memberships
  • Member, Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus, 2019–present
  • Member, Maryland Legislative Transit Caucus, 2019–present

Personal life

Stewart is married to Alexandra Tucker Stewart, an attorney at WilmerHale.[11][12] Together, they live in Derwood, Maryland[4] and have one child.[1]

Stewart is a two-time cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer in 2007 and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2017.[13] Both cancers have since gone into remission.[14]

Political positions

Health care

In between chemotherapy treatments, Stewart studied health care policy. He supports proposals to regulate prescription drug manufacturers like public utilities and to create a statewide universal health care system.[15]

Housing

Stewart introduced legislation during the 2019 legislative session that would increase affordable housing units and condominiums.[16] The bill would ease zoning restrictions for high-density housing, introduce new real-estate transaction fees to fund public housing projects, and allow tenants to terminate leases in cases of unsafe housing or harassment by landlords. The bill was reintroduced during the 2020 and 2022 legislative sessions.[17][18]

In March 2019, Stewart voted in favor of legislation that would require landlords to give a reason for evicting a tenant. The bill was rejected by the House Environment and Transportation Committee in a 2-17 vote.[19]

Stewart introduced legislation during the 2021 legislative session that requires landlords that own properties that use well water to test for a series of contaminants every three years.[20]

Stewart introduced legislation during the 2022 legislative session that would delay an eviction when a tenant can prove they have applied for rental assistance.[21] The bill passed both chambers.[22][23] He also introduced the "Tenant Protection Act of 2022", which establishes rules and procedures for landlords who give tenants ratio utility bills. The bill passed both chambers and became law without the governor's signature.[24][25]

Immigration

Stewart introduced the "Dignity Not Detention Act" during the 2021 legislative session, which prohibits jurisdictions from contracting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented people in local jails.[26] The bill passed,[27] but was vetoed by Governor Larry Hogan. The Legislature voted to override Hogan's veto on December 7, 2021.[28][29]

Marijuana

In 2018, Vaughn said that he supports the legalization of marijuana.[30]

Minimum wage

Stewart co-sponsored legislation introduced during the 2019 legislative session that would raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour.[16]

Social issues

Stewart introduced legislation in the 2020 legislative session to create a multi-state compact to end corporate tax breaks aimed at getting businesses aimed to move across state lines.[31]

In February 2020, Stewart co-sponsored legislation that would investigate the possibility of distributing reparations to the descendants of enslaved Africans.[32]

Stewart introduced legislation during the 2022 legislative session that would prohibit the Governor of Maryland from using apps that automatically destroy text messages.[33][34] He also introduced legislation that would amend the Constitution of Maryland to set up an ombudsman elected position in Maryland, which would "receive, respond to, and investigate ethics complains" against state officials.[35] The bill did not receive a committee vote.[36]

In May 2022, Stewart attended a protest in Rockville, Maryland against the alleged mistreatment of hundreds of animals at Inotiv's Indiana drug toxicity lab.[37][38]

Statewide and national politics

During the 2020 presidential election, Stewart ran to be a national delegate at the Democratic National Convention pledged to Bernie Sanders.[39]

During the 2022 primaries in Maryland, Stewart endorsed Tom Perez for Governor,[40] Brooke Lierman for Comptroller,[41] and Katie O'Malley for Attorney General.[42]

Transportation

Stewart supports increasing funding for monorail projects, including a proposal that would build a 27-mile monorail line between Shady Grove and Frederick, Maryland.[43]

Stewart introduced legislation during the 2019 legislative session that would increase the minimum fine against drivers who fail to yield to a pedestrian to $150, with fines larger than the minimum amount going toward improving pedestrian safety.[44] The bill passed and became law.[45] He also introduced legislation that would require state-funded highway projects or projects built through public-private partnerships to go through environmental studies.[46]

Electoral history
Maryland House of Delegates District 19 Democratic Election, 2018[47]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bonnie Cullison 7,209 21
Democratic Charlotte Crutchfield 6,166 18
Democratic Vaughn M. Stewart 5,939 17
Democratic Maricé Morales 5,492 16
Democratic Marlin Jenkins 4,531 13
Democratic Brian Crider 3,037 9
Democratic Carl Ward 1,830 5
Democratic Jade Wiles, Jr. 855 2
Maryland House of Delegates District 19 General Election, 2018[48]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charlotte Crutchfield 34,507 26
Democratic Bonnie L. Cullison 33,690 25
Democratic Vaughn M. Stewart 32,636 24
Republican Helen Domenici 10,460 8
Republican David Pasti 12,234 9
Republican Martha Schaerr 10,651 8
Male Delegates to the Democratic National Convention Primary Election, District 6, 2020[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joseph Brecker (Biden) 62,220 17.5
Democratic Larry Kasecamp (Biden) 59,947 16.9
Democratic Devang Shah (Biden) 57,368 16.1
Democratic Thomas G. Slater (Biden) 57,318 16.1
Democratic Gabriel Acevero (Sanders) 15,939 4.5
Democratic Bobby Bartlett (Sanders) 12,926 3.6
Democratic Raef Haggag (Sanders) 12,594 3.5
Democratic Vaughn Stewart (Sanders) 12,450 3.5
Democratic Andrew Duck (Warren) 6,017 1.7
Democratic Christopher DeVore (Warren) 4,948 1.4
Democratic Daniel Jacoby (Warren) 4,038 1.1
Democratic Brian Gaither (Warren) 4,013 1.1
Democratic Manuel Martinez Salgado (Buttigieg) 4,013 1.1
Democratic Camber A. Vincent (Warren) 3,713 1.0
Democratic Jason A. Malott (Buttigieg) 2,983 0.8
Democratic Mumin A. Barre (Klobuchar) 2,900 0.8
Democratic Kirill Reznik (Buttigieg) 2,718 0.8
Democratic Mark Jafari (Klobuchar) 2,411 0.7
Democratic Philip Sunshine (Klobuchar) 2,350 0.7
Democratic Jerry S. Garson (Uncommitted) 2,331 0.7
Democratic Nickolas A. Jackson (Yang) 1,896 0.5
Democratic Mudit Verma (Yang) 1,830 0.5
Democratic Jim Michaels (Bloomberg) 1,665 0.5
Democratic Csanad Petru Ignat (Yang) 1,649 0.5
Democratic Joseph Merchlinsky (Yang) 1,616 0.5
Democratic Benjamin Smith (Yang) 1,560 0.4
Democratic Jason Ray Hutchison (Bloomberg) 1,502 0.4
Democratic Jayson L. Spiegel (Bloomberg) 1,394 0.4
Democratic William P. Spencer, II (Yang) 1,276 0.4
Democratic Barry Kissin (Gabbard) 1,057 0.3
Democratic Roy D. Jaquez (Gabbard) 885 0.2
Democratic James Vaccaro (Gabbard) 737 0.2
Democratic Ronald A. Beattie (Steyer) 885 0.2
Democratic Nicholas L. Smith (Steyer) 374 0.1

References
  1. "Vaughn M. Stewart, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  2. Metcalf, Andrew (September 19, 2017). "Jenkins, Stewart To Run for District 19 Delegate". Bethesda Magazine.
  3. Kraut, Aaron (June 21, 2016). "Resident Says Management at Silver Spring Apartment Building Tried to Block Tenants From Organizing". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  4. Peck, Louis (August 3, 2017). "Updated: Kramer Will Pursue Open District 19 Senate Seat, Rather than County Executive". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  5. Peck, Louis (June 27, 2018). "Updated: Waldstreicher Bests Beyer To Win Madaleno's Senate Seat in Heated District 18 Race". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  6. Peck, Louis (November 7, 2018). "Montgomery County's Annapolis Delegation To Remain Solely in Democratic Hands". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  7. Vyse, Graham (November 28, 2018). "Newly Elected Democratic Socialists Bring New Ideas on Affordable Housing". Governing. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  8. Wiggins, Ovetta. "Meet the freshman class of the Maryland General Assembly". The Washington Post.
  9. Kurtz, Josh (February 9, 2022). "House Dems Create 'Progressive Policy Forum' Within Their Caucus". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  10. Gaines, Danielle E. (January 6, 2023). "Jones announces new Democratic caucus, committee leaders for 2023 General Assembly session". Maryland Matters. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  11. "Alexandra Tucker, Vaughn Stewart III". The New York Times. May 29, 2016.
  12. "Alexandra Stewart". WilmerHale.
  13. Frieden, Joyce (October 15, 2018). "State of Health: Md. Candidate Knows Medical Concerns Firsthand". Medpage Today.
  14. "WON! Vaughn Stewart for Delegate - Dist. 19". Citizens Regeneration Lobby. October 18, 2018.
  15. Faguy, Ana (August 21, 2017). "Familiar Story, New Candidate". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  16. Schere, Dan (January 4, 2019). "Freshman Delegates Study, Craft Agendas for 2019 Legislature". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  17. Masters, Kate (January 7, 2020). "State bills to watch from Montgomery County". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  18. Radelat, Ana (November 19, 2021). "Waldstreicher challenged on left by activist Democrat in state Senate race". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  19. Schere, Dan (March 29, 2019). "'Just Cause' Tenant Rights Bill Dead in State Legislature". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  20. DePuyt, Bruce; Kurtz, Josh; Leckrone, Bennett (March 22, 2021). "As House Pushes Through Dozens of Bills, Lawmakers Temporarily Fall Down a Deep Well". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  21. Leckrone, Bennett (January 4, 2022). "Fair Housing Advocates Urge Baltimore Officials to Stop Evictions Amid Omicron Surge". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  22. Leckrone, Bennett (April 1, 2022). "General Assembly Advances Tenant Protection Measures". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  23. "Legislation - SB0384". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  24. DePuyt, Bruce; Gaines, Danielle E.; Kurtz, Josh; Shwe, Elizabeth (March 21, 2022). "On 'Crossover Day,' Lawmakers Address Myriad Pandemic Challenges — And More". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  25. "Legislation - HB0086". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  26. Decker, Audrey (February 10, 2021). "Legislation would force ICE detention centers to leave Maryland". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  27. Gaskill, Hannah (April 13, 2021). "Legislature Passes Immigrants' Rights Bill; Hogan Veto Expected". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  28. Gaskill, Hannah (December 5, 2021). "Legislature Prepares to Override Hogan's Vetoes During Special Session". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  29. Gaines, Danielle E.; Gaskill, Hannah; Shwe, Elizabeth (December 7, 2021). "Maryland Will Remove Governor from Parole Process, Limit Immigration Detention after Veto Override Votes". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  30. Peck, Louis (May 30, 2018). "District 19 Candidates Field Some Questions Not Usually Heard at Delegate Forums". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  31. Gaines, Danielle E. (January 28, 2020). "Delegates Call for Multi-State Plan to End Corporate Giveaways". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  32. Gaskill, Hannah (February 7, 2020). "Lawmaker Wants to Open a Dialogue About Reparations in Md". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  33. DePuyt, Bruce (January 7, 2022). "Lawmakers Craft Measures to Rein in Hogan's Use of Text-Destroying App". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  34. Wood, Pamela (February 15, 2022). "Maryland lawmakers target disappearing text messages used by governor". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  35. Leckrone, Bennett (January 26, 2022). "Proposed Constitutional Amendment Would Set Up Statewide Elected Watchdog". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  36. Maryland Matters Staff (April 13, 2022). "Winners and Losers From the 2022 General Assembly Session". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  37. Schere, Dan (May 13, 2022). "Protesters outside Rockville biopharmaceutical facility demand parent company release beagles used in testing". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  38. DePuyt, Bruce (May 14, 2022). "Lawmakers Demand End to 'Barbaric' Treatment of Animals by Maryland-Bound Firm". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  39. Peck, Louis (January 14, 2020). "Four state lawmakers from Montgomery seek Democratic convention slots". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  40. Maryland Matters Staff (January 31, 2022). "Endorsements in the Race for Maryland Governor". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  41. Maryland Matters Staff (January 31, 2022). "Endorsements in the Race for Maryland Comptroller". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  42. Maryland Matters Staff (January 31, 2022). "Endorsements in the Race for Maryland Attorney General". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  43. Schere, Dan (May 23, 2019). "Politics Roundup: Korman Reelected Chair of Montgomery County Delegation". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  44. Schere, Dan (January 3, 2019). "Pedestrian Safety is Goal of Trust Fund Bill Proposal". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  45. Schere, Dan (April 12, 2019). "Montgomery's First-Year Lawmakers 'Came in With A Purpose'". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  46. Kurtz, Josh (January 6, 2019). "Bill Would Require Study of Highway Projects' Greenhouse Gas Emissions". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  47. "Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Montgomery County". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. July 31, 2018.
  48. "Maryland General Election, 2018 - Delegates (House of Delegates)". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. March 14, 2022.
  49. "Official 2020 Presidential Primary Election results for Male Delegates to the Democratic National Convention". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. July 2, 2020.
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