Melony Griffith
Melony Griffith (Democratic Party) was a member of the Maryland State Senate, representing District 25. She assumed office on January 9, 2019. She left office on October 31, 2023.
Griffith (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Maryland State Senate to represent District 25. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Griffith is a former Democratic member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 25 from 1999 to 2015. She has served as president pro tempore.
Griffith resigned from the Maryland State Senate at the end of October 2023 to become CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association.[1]
Biography
Melony Griffith was born in Abilene, Texas, and lives in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. She earned a bachelor's degree in human services from Montana State University and a master's degree in social work from Howard University. Griffith's career experience includes working as the vice president for external and governmental affairs with Greater Baden Medical Services.[2]
Issues
Pensions fund gap
In November 2009, Maryland lawmakers learned how deep the pension gap was. Maryland's pension funds were missing $17.5 billion more than the state had put aside (a total of $28.6 billion).[3]
The state was expected to have to add $189 million to its teacher and employee pension funds by the following year. Officials with the State Retirement Agency explained results from fiscal year 2009 to the legislature. The $17.5 billion needed to close the gap was in addition to the approximately $28.6 billion that the pension office had already set aside.
The liabilities were due over a 25-year span, but oversight committee members differed about how quickly the state should catch up. Griffith, then the House Chair of the Special Joint Committee on Pensions, said it was not wise nor feasible to put aside much more than what was required the following year.
“It’s far too early to make changes to the way that the system is funded,” Griffith said.
The drop came largely from an $8 billion investment loss in 2008. The state’s pension investments took a big hit during a year of market unease.[3]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Griffith was assigned to the following committees:
2021-2022
Griffith was assigned to the following committees:
- Spending Affordability Committee
- Budget & Taxation Committee
- Budget & Taxation Committee
- Executive Nominations Committee
- Children, Youth, and Families Committee
- Legislative Ethics Committee
2019-2020
Griffith was assigned to the following committees:
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Griffith served on these committees:
- Appropriations
- Oversight Committee on Pensions, Chair
- Special Committee on Pensions, Chair
- Subcommittee on Capital Budget, Vice Chair
- Subcommittee on Education and Economic Development
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Griffith served on these committees:
- Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Capital Budget (Vice Chair)
- Subcommittee on Education and Economic Development
- Oversight Committee on Pensions (Chair)
- Special Joint Committee on Pensions
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2022
See also: Maryland State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Maryland State Senate District 25
Incumbent Melony Griffith won election in the general election for Maryland State Senate District 25 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Melony Griffith (D) | 99.4 | 35,953 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 200 | ||
| Total votes: 36,153 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Maryland State Senate District 25
Incumbent Melony Griffith defeated Jonathan Rosero in the Democratic primary for Maryland State Senate District 25 on July 19, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Melony Griffith | 86.8 | 18,774 | |
| Jonathan Rosero | 13.2 | 2,844 | ||
| Total votes: 21,618 | ||||
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2018
- See also: Maryland State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Maryland State Senate District 25
Melony Griffith won election in the general election for Maryland State Senate District 25 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Melony Griffith (D) | 99.4 | 44,390 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 253 | ||
| Total votes: 44,643 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Maryland State Senate District 25
Melony Griffith defeated Angela Angel and Jonathan Rosero in the Democratic primary for Maryland State Senate District 25 on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Melony Griffith | 55.0 | 10,939 | |
| Angela Angel | 36.8 | 7,320 | ||
| Jonathan Rosero | 8.2 | 1,641 | ||
| Total votes: 19,900 | ||||
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2014
- See also: Maryland State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Maryland State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 24, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 25, 2014. Incumbent Ulysses Currie defeated Terry Goolsby and Melony Griffith in the Democratic primary, while Kory Boone was unopposed in the Republican primary. Currie defeated Boone in the general election.[4][5][6]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Ulysses Currie Incumbent |
92% | 29,097 | |
| Republican | Kory Boone | 6% | 1,902 | |
| Democratic | Matthew Fogg (write-in) | 1.7% | 524 | |
| Democratic | Jennifer Lowery-Bell (write-in) | 0.3% | 87 | |
| Total Votes | 31,610 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Ulysses Currie Incumbent |
58.7% | 8,173 |
| Melony Griffith | 37.7% | 5,253 |
| Terry Goolsby | 3.6% | 503 |
| Total Votes | 13,929 | |
2010
Griffith successfully won re-election in the general election on November 2, 2010. She took the third of three seats in the district. No Republicans filed for the seat.[7]
| Maryland House of Delegates, District 25 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Aisha Braveboy (D)
|
27,804 | |||
| Dereck Davis (D)
|
25,723 | |||
| Melony Griffith (D)
|
25,095 | |||
2006
On November 7, 2006, Melony Griffith ran for District 25 of the Maryland House of Delegates, winning the second of three seats, losing to Aisha Braveboy but beating Dereck Davis, Patrick Schaeffer, Jr. and David Kiasi.[8]
Melony Griffith raised $33,192 for her campaign.[9]
| Maryland House of Delegates, District 25 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Aisha Braveboy (D) | 22,632 | 32.6% | ||
| Melony Griffith (D) | 21,584 | 31.1% | ||
| Dereck Davis (D) | 21,540 | 31.1% | ||
| Patrick Schaeffer, Jr. (R) | 2,541 | 3.7% | ||
| David Kiasi (G) | 999 | 1.4% | ||
| Write-Ins | 62 | 0.1% | ||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Melony Griffith did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Maryland scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023
In 2023, the Maryland State Legislature was in session from January 11 to April 10.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to animal issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored their voting record, committee efficiency, and individual initiative.
2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Maryland State Legislature was in session from January 12 to April 11.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Maryland State Legislature was in session from January 13 to April 12.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Maryland State Legislature was in session from January 8 to March 18.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Maryland General Assembly was in session from January 9 through April 8.
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Griffith was a member of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, County Affairs Committee of the Prince George's County Delegation and Women Legislators of Maryland.[10]
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Maryland Matters, "Sen. Griffith resigning to take over Md. Hospital Association," accessed December 19, 2023
- ↑ Melony Griffith | Democrat for State Senate | Maryland District 25, "About Melony Griffith," accessed April 27, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Maryland Reporter, "State pension gap grows to $17.5 billion," November 4, 2009
- ↑ Maryland Secretary of State, "Official primary election candidate list," accessed March 3, 2014
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for State Senate," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "2014 Official General Election Results," accessed April 30, 2015
- ↑ Maryland Secretary of State, "Official general election results," accessed March 4, 2014
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates," accessed March 24, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Griffith, Melony," accessed March 25, 2014
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Melony Griffith's Biography," accessed March 25, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ulysses Currie (D) |
Maryland State Senate District 25 2019-2023 |
Succeeded by Nick Charles (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Maryland House of Delegates District 25 1999-2015 |
Succeeded by - |
