By AFRO Staff
Congressman Anthony Brown (MD-04), who is currently serving as a Democrat in Maryland’s House of Representatives, will be campaigning for the Attorney General spot in this year’s midterm elections, set for on Nov. 8.
Brown is one of two candidates campaigning on the Democratic ticket for the upcoming July primary elections. He will be running against Katie Curran O’Malley who has served as a Baltimore City Court District judge.
If Brown wins, he will be up against either Republican candidates Michael Anthony Peroutka or Jim Shalleck for the state’s top spot as a legal officer.
“I think I’m the only candidate in this race that brings executive leadership experience,” Brown said in a Zoom interview with the AFRO.
Prior to his political career, he served as a colonel in the U.S. Army where he led 80 lawyers and paralegals who represented soldiers and their families. As a result, he believes that his experience will help inform changes in legislation that will improve the criminal justice system, provide environmental justice and protect underrepresented communities.
“It’s more than just showing up in court,” said Brown. “But it’s [about] can you affect the changes that will empower every community?”
To date, Brown has sponsored various legislative efforts including the Elite Act of 2020. The legislation directed the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with a federally-funded research and development center for a study on the barriers to minority participation in the elite units of the Armed Forces, according to Govtrack.com, an online tracker that follows politicians’ activity in Congress.
Govtrack.com also reports that Brown has introduced a number of bills including the Digital Civil and Human Rights Act of 2022 that will prohibit the use of automated systems in a discriminatory manner.
While diversity is at the forefront of Brown’s campaign issues, he is also invested in public health.
As attorney general, he intends to protect the Affordable Care Act and lower the price of prescription drugs —a cause he has forwarded to Congress— to ensure that Marylanders have access to economical healthcare.
Brown also introduced the Health Enterprise Zones Act, a bill that would incentivize health care providers to give communities the care they deserve and address the racial disparities that plague individuals across the state.
“I’m fighting to close the gaps in our healthcare system that have left minorities and underserved communities behind, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said in his outline for health advocacy on his campaign website.
Brown’s campaign has attracted the attention of some of the state’s most prominent politicians. He has been endorsed by House Majority Representative Steny Hoyer, Representative Kweisi Mfume and State Treasurer Derrick Davis, among many others.
“Anthony has demonstrated tireless efforts as a champion for the well-being of families, civil rights, and equal justice for all,” said Hoyer in a December 2021 statement. “He’s never backed down from the hard fights, continuously pushing for what’s right and what our state needs to move forward and to remain the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
The AFRO is honored to endorse Congressman Anthony Brown for the Office of the Attorney General.
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