Jennifer R. Terrasa Explained

Jennifer R. Terrasa
State Delegate:Maryland
District:13th
Term Start:January 9, 2019
Alongside:Vanessa Atterbeary and Pam Guzzone
Predecessor:Frank S. Turner
Office2:Member, Howard County Council, 3rd district
Term Start2:December 4, 2006
Term End2:December 3, 2018
Predecessor2:Guy Guzzone
Successor2:Christiana Rigby
Birth Date:6 June 1969
Birth Place:New York, New York, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Spouse:Divorced
Children:3
Residence:Kings Contrivance, Columbia, Maryland
Education:Oakland Mills High School, Columbia, Maryland; University of Maryland at College Park, B.A. (sociology), summa cum laude, 1992; University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude, 1997

Jennifer R. Terrasa (born June 6, 1969) is a Democratic member of the Maryland House of Delegates. She was previously a member of the Howard County Council from 2006 to 2018.[1] [2]

Early life and career

Terrasa was born on June 6, 1969, in New York City. Her family moved to Columbia, Maryland when she was a toddler,[3] where she graduated from Oakland Mills High School. She attended the University of Maryland at College Park in College Park, Maryland, where she earned a B.A. degree in sociology in 1992, and the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she earned a J.D. degree in law review in 1997. She was admitted to the Maryland Bar in the same year.

After graduating, she served as a law clerk to Maryland Court of Appeals judge Howard S. Chasanow until 1998 and Howard County Circuit Court judge Lenore R. Gelfman until 1999. From 2000 to 2006, Terrasa served as a family law hotline attorney for the Women's Law Center of Maryland.

Howard County Council

In 1994, Terrasa moved to the Kings Contrivance neighborhood of Columbia. She was appointed to the neighborhood's Village Board in December 2001, succeeding Victoria Dieringer, who resigned for personal reasons. She resigned from the Village Board in December 2005 to run for the Howard County Council,[4] seeking to succeed councilmember Guy Guzzone, who announced plans to run for the Maryland House of Delegates.[5] She won the general election with 62.0 percent of the vote.

Terrasa was a national delegate for Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[6] Before the 2008 Maryland Democratic presidential primary, Terrasa canvassed alongside county council member Calvin Ball III in Oakland Mills for Obama.[7]

Terrasa faced a tough re-election campaign in 2010, facing off against Republican moderate Dennis R. Schrader in the general election.[8] She defeated Schrader in the general election, receiving 67.1 percent of the vote.[9]

In January 2018, Terrasa declared her candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates, seeking to succeed delegate Frank Turner. who announced plans to retire at the end of his term. Turner endorsed Terrasa's campaign in January 2018.[10] She won the Democratic primary with 27.7 percent of the vote, coming in third out of a field of four Democrats.[11] [12] She won the general election with 27.1 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Chris Yates.

In the legislature

Terrasa was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 9, 2019.

In February 2022, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones assigned Terrasa and Vaughn Stewart to lead the newly created Progressive Policy Forum within the House Democratic Caucus.[13]

Committee assignments

Other memberships

Political positions

Elections

Terrasa, alongside Howard County Council chairman Jon Weinstein, introduced legislation in February 2016 that would create a public financing system for candidates who swear off large donations.[14] The legislation was reintroduced in 2017.[15]

Environment

In March 2021, Terrasa, alongside Delegates Lorig Charkoudian, Dana Stein, and Vaughn Stewart, joined the Leaders for Climate Accountability, a national work of public officials who support holding corporate polluters accountable for their contributions to the climate crisis.[16] She introduced legislation in the 2021 legislative session that would allow the Attorney General of Maryland to sue companies that have contributed to the climate crisis through fraud or deception.[17] The bill was reintroduced in the 2022 legislative session.[18]

Healthcare

Terrasa supports universal health care and Medicare for All. She co-sponsored the Healthy Maryland Act of 2019, which would institute Medicare-for-all, single-payer healthcare legislation in Maryland.[19]

Housing

In October 2015, Terrasa introduced legislation that would require 15 percent of all new housing units developed in downtown Columbia to be affordable to families earning between 40 and 80 percent of the county's median income.[20]

In October 2018, Terrasa introduced a bill that would require new single-family houses and apartments to have infrastructure to support charging stations for electric vehicles.[21]

Immigration

Following the election of President-elect Donald Trump, Terrasa introduced legislation that would designate Howard County a sanctuary jurisdiction.[22] [23]

Marijuana

Terrasa supports the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana.[24]

Redistricting

Terrasa supports using an independent redistricting commission to draw Maryland's legislative and congressional district maps.

Taxes

In July 2018, Terrasa introduced legislation that would repeal Howard County's tax on mobile home rental sites.[25] The County Council voted to kill the bill in September 2018.[26]

Electoral history

Kings Contrivance Village Board Election, 2004[27]
CandidateVotes%
Jennifer Terrasa13631.8%
Heidi Gaasch12328.7%
Buna Cumbie10825.2%
Heather Ryan6114.3%
Howard County Council Councilmanic District 3 General Election, 2006[28]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJennifer Terrasa9,84662.0%
RepublicanDonna Thewes6,03738.0%
Other Write-InsOther Write-Ins100.1%
Howard County Council Councilmanic District 3 General Election, 2010[30]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJennifer Terrasa11,07167.1%
DemocraticDennis R. Schrader5,41332.8%
Other Write-InsOther Write-Ins130.1%
Howard County Council Councilmanic District 3 General Election, 2014[32]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJennifer Terrasa14,10797.8%
Other Write-InsOther Write-Ins3242.2%
Maryland House of Delegates District 13 Democratic Primary Election, 2018[33]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticVanessa Atterbeary10,85632.7%
DemocraticShane Pendergrass10,02030.2%
DemocraticJen Terrasa9,16927.7%
DemocraticLarry Pretlow, II3,1109.4%
Maryland House of Delegates District 13 General Election, 2018[34]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticVanessa Atterbeary39,47030.7%
DemocraticShane Pendergrass36,51928.4%
DemocraticJen Terrasa34,92127.1%
RepublicanChris Yates17,25813.4%
Other Write-InsOther Write-Ins5130.4%

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jennifer R. Terrasa, Maryland State Delegate . Maryland Manual On-Line . . March 10, 2019 . January 24, 2019.
  2. Web site: GAM-Delegate Terrasa Bio . mgaleg.maryland.gov . . March 10, 2019 . February 25, 2019.
  3. News: Klosner-Wehner . Dana . Teen experiences the culture of France . March 14, 2022 . . January 29, 2002.
  4. News: Rosenbaum is nominated for panel . March 14, 2022 . . February 1, 2006.
  5. News: Cadiz . Laura . Before vote, Ulman seeks a change in smoking bill . March 14, 2022 . . December 4, 2005.
  6. News: Bios of Add-on delegates, party leaders and super delegates . March 14, 2022 . . August 23, 2008.
  7. News: Carson . Larry . Obama supporters basking in Potomac sweep . March 14, 2022 . . February 17, 2008.
  8. News: Carson . Larry . Council race: Terrasa has edge, but Schrader is determined . March 14, 2022 . . August 29, 2010.
  9. News: Carson . Larry . Howard voters stick to status quo, re-elect incumbents . March 14, 2022 . . November 4, 2010.
  10. News: Magill . Kate . A veteran Howard legislator is retiring, endorsing a candidate . March 14, 2022 . . January 18, 2018.
  11. News: Brennan . Leah . Howard councilwoman makes the cut for open seat in House of Delegates . March 14, 2022 . . June 28, 2018.
  12. News: Kinnally . Kevin . Terrasa Advances to District 13 House General Election . March 14, 2022 . Maryland Association of Counties . June 27, 2018.
  13. News: Kurtz . Josh . House Dems Create 'Progressive Policy Forum' Within Their Caucus . March 14, 2022 . . February 9, 2022.
  14. News: Waseem . Fatimah . Howard County Council members propose 'citizen funded campaign system' . March 14, 2022 . . February 2, 2016.
  15. News: Waseem . Fatimah . Support for publicly funded campaign system surges at Howard hearing . March 14, 2022 . . April 20, 2017.
  16. News: Shwe . Elizabeth . Md. Delegates Join National Group Dedicated to Holding Polluters Accountable for Climate Change . March 14, 2022 . . March 3, 2021.
  17. News: Shwe . Elizabeth . Bill Would Allow the Attorney General to Sue Companies for Climate Fraud . March 14, 2022 . . March 10, 2021.
  18. News: Kurtz . Josh . Here Are Three Smaller Climate Bills That Could Have a Big Impact . March 14, 2022 . . February 9, 2022.
  19. Web site: Legislation - HB1087 . mgaleg.maryland.gov . . March 14, 2022.
  20. News: Yeager . Amanda . Terrasa introduces affordable housing bill for downtown Columbia . March 14, 2022 . . October 2, 2015.
  21. News: Logan . Erin B. . Howard legislation would require new homes to support electric vehicle charging stations . March 14, 2022 . . October 22, 2018.
  22. News: Waseem . Fatimah . Howard County Council seeks 'sanctuary' status ahead of Trump presidency . March 14, 2022 . . December 29, 2016.
  23. News: Turque . Bill . Howard County debates bill to declare 'sanctuary' status . March 14, 2022 . . January 6, 2017.
  24. News: Jen Terrasa . March 14, 2022 . The Baltimore Sun.
  25. News: Magill . Kate . Council considers repeal of mobile home site rental tax . March 14, 2022 . . July 16, 2018.
  26. News: Nocera . Jess . Howard council rejects plan to kill tax on mobile homes . March 14, 2022 . . September 5, 2018.
  27. News: Cadiz . Laura . Election shakes board's balance . March 14, 2022 . . April 25, 2004.
  28. Web site: Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election results for Howard County . elections.maryland.gov . . March 14, 2022.
  29. Web site: Official 2010 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Howard County . elections.maryland.gov . . March 14, 2022.
  30. Web site: Official 2010 Gubernatorial General Election results for Howard County . elections.maryland.gov . . March 14, 2022.
  31. Web site: Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Howard County . elections.maryland.gov . . March 14, 2022.
  32. Web site: Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for Howard County . elections.maryland.gov . . March 14, 2022.
  33. Web site: Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates . elections.maryland.gov . . March 14, 2022.
  34. Web site: Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates . elections.maryland.gov . . March 14, 2022.