Darryl Barnes Explained

Darryl Barnes
State Delegate:Maryland
District:25th
Term Start:January 14, 2015
Term End:April 15, 2023
Successor:Kent Roberson
Alongside:Karen Toles, Angela Angel, Dereck E. Davis, and Nick Charles
Birth Name:Darryl Lamont Barnes
Birth Date:21 April 1965
Birth Place:Washington, D.C., U.S.
Party:Democratic
Residence:Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S.
Children:2

Darryl Lamont Barnes (born April 21, 1965) is an American politician who was previously a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 2015 to 2023.[1] Barnes has represented Maryland's 25th District since 2015.[2] He also served as Deputy Majority Whip from 2017 to 2023, and was the Chair of Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland from 2018 to 2022.

Early life and career

Barnes was born in Washington, D.C., on April 21, 1965. He attended High Point High School in Beltsville, Maryland and graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a degree in computer information systems. He is a small business owner, serving as the President of Barnes International, Ltd. since 2003.[1]

In the legislature

Barnes was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 14, 2015.[1]

In December 2016, state senator Ulysses Currie announced that he would not seek re-election in the 2018 elections, citing his poor health. Barnes was initially interested in running for the seat,[3] but told the Baltimore Afro-American that he would be seeking re-election in the House of Delegates that year instead.[4]

On April 15, 2023, Barnes resigned from the Maryland House of Delegates to become a partner at the Annapolis lobbying firm Evans, Barnes & Associates.[5]

Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

On March 29, 2018, the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland voted to elect Barnes as its Chair, making him the first man to lead the caucus in more than a decade.[6] As caucus chairman, Barnes rolled out a long-term policy platform termed the 2030 Maryland Black Agenda, which focused on affordable housing, criminal justice reform, education, health care, and economic justice.[7] [8] In 2019, Barnes stated that "every bill that goes through this year should have the stamp of the Legislative Black Caucus on it."[9]

Ahead of the vote to choose the next Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, Barnes organized support behind electing a member of the Legislative Black Caucus to serve as the next Speaker.[10] On April 29, 2019, Delegate Regina T. Boyce resigned from the caucus, accusing Barnes of saying, "We are going to let a white lesbian be the speaker of the House?" an apparent reference to Delegate Maggie L. McIntosh, the first openly gay legislator in Maryland history. Barnes said he did not mean to disparage McIntosh, but later asserted he would never use incendiary language about a colleague.[11] Later that day, members of the caucus announced that they had agreed to vote for Delegate Dereck E. Davis as the next Speaker. State legislators would end up electing Delegate Adrienne A. Jones as the next Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates on May 1, 2019.[12]

In October 2021, Barnes hosted a gubernatorial forum at the Legislative Black Caucus Reception,[13] where he challenged all attending candidates (Rushern Baker (D), Jon Baron (D), Dan Cox (R), Robin Ficker (R), Peter Franchot (D), Doug Gansler (D), Ashwani Jain (D), John King, Jr. (D), David Lashar (L), Wes Moore (D), Tom Perez (D), and Mike Rosenbaum (D)) to post a Black agenda to their campaign websites by November 1. Candidates who complied with Barnes' challenge include Franchot, Moore, King, and Perez.[14] Barnes later endorsed Franchot's campaign for governor, but switched his endorsement to Moore after he won the Democratic nomination.[15]

On September 27, 2022, Barnes announced that he would step down as chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland on December 5, 2022.[16] He was succeeded by state delegate Jheanelle Wilkins.[17]

Committee assignments

Other memberships

Electoral history

Maryland House of Delegates 25th District Democratic Primary Election, 2014[18]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticDereck E. Davis9,08826
DemocraticAngela Angel7,10420
DemocraticDarryl Barnes5,70216
DemocraticJuanita D. Miller3,80411
DemocraticNick Charles3,0329
DemocraticMatthew F. Fogg1,7135
DemocraticTony Jones1,4984
DemocraticGeraldine Gerry Eggleston1,2994
DemocraticLarry R. Greenfield1,0943
DemocraticStanley Onye1,0143
Maryland House of Delegates 25th District General Election, 2014[19]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticAngela Angel26,79236
DemocraticDereck E. Davis23,59332
DemocraticDarryl Barnes23,37232
Other/Write-inOther/Write-in1610
Maryland House of Delegates 25th District Democratic Primary Election, 2018[20]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticDarryl Barnes13,05027
DemocraticDereck E. Davis12,15225
DemocraticNick Charles8,33017
DemocraticWala Blegay6,21713
DemocraticKent Roberson3,1266
DemocraticSherman R. Hardy2,2005
DemocraticStanley Onye2,0704
DemocraticMaurice Culbreath2,0414
Maryland House of Delegates 25th District General Election, 2018[21]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticDarryl Barnes36,84535
DemocraticDereck E. Davis35,22933
DemocraticNick Charles33,41132
Other/Write-inOther/Write-in4740

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Darryl Barnes, Maryland State Delegate. msa.maryland.gov.
  2. Web site: Maryland House of Delegates District 25. ballotpedia.com.
  3. News: Wiggins . Ovetta . Maryland state Sen. Ulysses Currie rescinds resignation . January 17, 2022 . . November 29, 2016.
  4. News: Currie's Wife Acts as 'Shadow' Senator . January 17, 2022 . . February 14, 2018.
  5. News: Ford . William J. . Del. Darryl Barnes will leave legislature, become partner in Annapolis firm . April 5, 2023 . . April 5, 2023.
  6. News: Adkins . Lenore . New Maryland Black Legislative Caucus Chair Lays Out Vision . January 17, 2022 . . April 13, 2018.
  7. News: Kurtz . Josh . Black Caucus Plans Long-Term Policy Agenda . January 17, 2022 . . May 16, 2018.
  8. News: Ford . William J. . Education, Criminal Justice Among Priorities for Black Lawmakers . January 18, 2022 . . January 2, 2019.
  9. News: DePuyt . Bruce . Legislative Leaders See Progressive Initiatives Advancing . January 18, 2022 . . January 9, 2019.
  10. News: Gaines . Danielle E. . DePuyt . Bruce . Race for Speaker Intensifies Amid Speculation GOP Lawmakers Could Hold the Key . January 18, 2022 . . April 17, 2019.
  11. News: DePuyt . Bruce . TOP 10 LIST #5 Del. Boyce Resigns from Black Caucus as Controversy Mounts Over Speaker Vote . January 18, 2022 . . December 26, 2019.
  12. News: Gaines . Danielle E. . Annapolis Reflects on a Historic Vote . January 18, 2022 . . May 1, 2019.
  13. News: Gaskill . Hannah . At Legislative Black Caucus Reception, Governor Candidates Asked to Lay Out Their Policies to Bolster the Black Agenda . January 18, 2022 . . October 15, 2021.
  14. News: Ford . William J. . Del. Barnes: 'Disappointed' by Black Agendas of Some Gubernatorial Candidates . January 18, 2022 . . November 3, 2021.
  15. News: Ford . William . Franchot Concedes in Maryland Gubernatorial Race . September 16, 2022 . . July 22, 2022.
  16. News: Ford . William . Kurtz . Josh . Maryland Black Caucus will have new leadership with resignations of Dels. Barnes, Brooks . September 27, 2022 . . September 27, 2022.
  17. News: Kinnally . Kevin . MD Black Caucus Announces New Chair . December 7, 2022 . Maryland Association of Counties . December 7, 2022.
  18. Web site: Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates . . January 18, 2022.
  19. Web site: Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates . . January 18, 2022.
  20. Web site: Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates . . January 18, 2022.
  21. Web site: Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates . . January 18, 2022.