James N. Robey Explained

James N. Robey
State Senate:Maryland
District:13th
Term Start:January 10, 2007
Term End:January 14, 2015
Preceded:Sandra Schrader
Office2:Majority Leader of the Maryland Senate
Term Start2:September 1, 2013
Term End2:January 14, 2015
Preceded2:Robert Garagiola
Succeeded2:Catherine Pugh
Office3:7th County Executive of
Howard County, Maryland
Term Start3:December 1998
Term End3:December 4, 2006
Predecessor3:Charles Ecker
Successor3:Ken Ulman
Birth Place:Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Residence:Elkridge, Maryland[1]
Party:Democratic
Alma Mater:University of Maryland, University College (BA),
Hood College (MA)
Successor1:Guy Guzzone
Birth Date:18 January 1941

James N. Robey Jr. (born January 18, 1941), an American Democratic politician, was a Maryland State Senator from January 10, 2007, to January 14, 2015. He was the Senate Majority Leader from 2013 until he retired in January 2015.[2]

Background

Born January 18, 1941, in Baltimore, Maryland, Robey was raised in Daniels, Maryland,[2] a small mill town in Howard County that was once located on the banks of the Patapsco River.[3] [4]

Robey graduated from Howard High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, in 1959. His high school principal, Omar J. Jones, was Howard County's first county executive. Robey earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) in 1979. He also has master's degree in administrative management from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, and has completed several training programs at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

His son, Wayne Robey, became the clerk of the Howard County Circuit Court when Margaret Rappaport retired in 2012.[5] [6]

Career

Robey joined the Howard County Police Department in 1966 and was promoted to major by 1981. He was appointed by Charles I. Ecker to Chief of Police in 1991, replacing Frederick Chaney.[7] He retired from the police force in 1998 to run for office[8] and was elected as Howard County Executive in 1998 and 2002.

In 2006, Robey campaigned as a Democrat to represent the 13th district in the Maryland State Senate and won with 56% of the vote against Republican incumbent Sandra Schrader. In September 2013, he was chosen to replace State Senator Robert Garagiola as Senate Majority Leader. Robey retired from the Maryland State Senate on January 14, 2015.

Recognition

Robey was recognized by his alma mater, University of Maryland University College (UMUC), as the 2002 "Distinguished Alumnus". In 2007, the James N. Robey Public Safety Training Facility, a training facility used by the Howard County police and fire departments, was dedicated in his honor.

According to Vote Smart, an independent, nonprofit research organization, in 2011, Robey received a performance evaluation rating of 92% from Progressive Maryland, a nonprofit, liberal advocacy group that rates legislators based on their positions on social, liberal, and family-related issues.[9] In 2008, he received a score of 97%.[10]

Election history

YearOfficeElectionSubjectPartyVotes%OpponentPartyVotes%OpponentPartyVotes%
1998Howard County ExecutiveGeneralJames N. RobeyDemocratic43,322 55%Dennis SchraderRepublican35,08144% 
2006Maryland Senate District 13GeneralJames N. RobeyDemocratic24,354 56.1% Sandra SchraderRepublican19,02143.8%  

Notes and References

  1. News: Howard County General Assembly Members. March 17, 2017. The Washington Post. November 2006.
  2. Web site: James N. Robey, Maryland State Senator. Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. March 17, 2017. November 10, 2015.
  3. Pickard. Nancy Quinn. Mending a Fractured Landscape: Balancing Culture and Nature in the Vanishing Mill Town of Daniels, Maryland. Thesis for Master of Historic Preservation. Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM). May 2012. March 17, 2017. University of Maryland Libraries.
  4. Book: Howard County. The Howard County Historical Society. 6.
  5. News: The Business Monthly. Competitive Primary Races for Some Offices: But Low Turnout Expected. Lazarick, Len. June 3, 2014. March 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170318172557/http://www.bizmonthly.com/competitive-primary-races-for-some-offices-but-low-turnout-expected/. March 18, 2017. dead.
  6. News: The Baltimore Sun. Howard County Circuit Court Clerk Retires for Health Reasons. Lavoie, Luke. November 8, 2002. March 17, 2017.
  7. News: West . Norris P. . Ecker Appoints Howard County Police Chief: Robey Moves Up to Head Police Force . March 17, 2017 . The Evening Sun . Tribune Digital . February 26, 1991 . Baltimore, MD .
  8. News: The Baltimore Sun. May 20, 2006. Howard Co. Chief of Police to Retire: Livesay is Running for County Council. Carson, Larry. March 17, 2017.
  9. Web site: Rating Group: Progressive Maryland − 2011 Positions on Progressive Policy. Vote Smart. March 17, 2017.
  10. Web site: Rating Group: Progressive Maryland − 2008 Positions on Progressive Policy. Vote Smart. March 17, 2017.