Alice Cain Resigns

In a move that took the state by surprise, Delegate Alice Cain announced her resignation from the House at the conclusion of the legislative session on March 18, 2020. The regular session was cut short this year due to COVID-19 concerns, and legislators are planning on convening a special session later this summer.

In a letter to House Speaker Adrienne Jones, Cain cited “family circumstances” as the reason for her resignation. The Democrat from Annapolis was serving the second year of her first term.

So what’s the process for succession? In Maryland, if a House vacancy occurs in the middle of a term, the county central committee of the departing member’s political party will vote on a recommended successor. This recommendation is then passed along to the Governor, who is given the official duty of naming the successor by either approving or rejecting the central committee’s nomination.

In this case, as Delegate Cain was a Democrat, the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee (AACDCC) is charged with making a nomination, and they are currently accepting applications until Saturday, April 11, 2020. The committee will then conduct interviews on Thursday, April 16, 2020 at the Village Commons Community Center at 1326 Main Chapel Way, Gambrills, MD 21054. The meeting will start at 7:00pm and is open to the public, subject to any restrictions in place at that time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Any interested candidates should submit their resume and a letter of interest to [email protected] no later than 11:59pm on April 11.

Image: Capital Gazette