Open Letter: Constituents Troubled by Accounts of Del. Anderson’s Misconduct
An Open Letter to House Speaker Busch and Senate President Miller:
We are 66 women and genderqueer people who live in Maryland’s 43rd legislative district, which has been represented by Del. Curtis S. Anderson (D) since 2002. Many of us have experienced workplace sexual harassment and its consequences, including public and private humiliation, diminished self-esteem, reduced productivity and loss of opportunity for professional advancement.
We are deeply concerned by reports that Del. Anderson has, for decades, sexually harassed and possibly even assaulted his colleagues and subordinates in Annapolis.
Last month, after early voting in the Maryland primary was already underway, The Baltimore Sun reported that the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics has been investigating Del. Anderson for months. The committee has been looking into numerous reports of sexual misconduct by Del. Anderson, including allegations that he assaulted a former staffer and harassed fellow legislators on the House floor. The detailed allegations include accounts from sitting legislators, and several of the incidents are corroborated by witnesses. We believe these women.
When the Sun broke this story June 15, Del. Anderson was one of eight Democratic candidates running for three House seats in the 43rd District. The unfortunate timing of the report ensured that hundreds of voters cast ballots – many of them for Del. Anderson – entirely unaware that he was under investigation for multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. And because the committee has yet to conclude its work or issue a public report, every single one of us voted without access to critical information about whether Del. Anderson engaged in conduct that, in our view, would disqualify him from office.
Nevertheless, the results of June’s primary strongly suggest that voters were troubled by accounts of Del. Anderson’s misconduct. During early voting, which began before the Sun revealed the General Assembly’s investigation into Del. Anderson’s behavior, Del. Anderson received the second highest number of votes for delegate, over 1,000 more than the fourth-place finisher. But during Election Day voting, nearly two weeks after the Sun’s report was published, Del. Anderson finished in fourth place.
Del. Curtis S. Anderson
Ultimately, the sizable lead he amassed during early voting proved insurmountable, and Del. Anderson finished in third place, all but guaranteeing his reelection in November if he chooses to accept his party’s nomination.
Notably, Del. Anderson’s margin of victory over the fourth-place finisher (431 votes) was smaller than the number of ballots cast by voters in the 43rd District on the first day of early voting alone (832 votes). Had voters been informed of the allegations against Del. Anderson just a few days earlier, the outcome of the election might have been different.
There are many powerful figures in Maryland’s General Assembly who could and should have spoken out about the allegations against and investigation into Del. Anderson long before primary voting started. Fortunately, there is still time for Democratic leadership in the General Assembly to rectify some of their mistakes.
Speaker Busch and Senate President Miller, we call on you to ensure that the ethics investigation is completed as expeditiously as possible and that its findings – either clearing Del. Anderson of wrongdoing or detailing his misconduct – are immediately released to the public. If the investigation reveals evidence of sexual misconduct, you must demand that Del. Anderson resign at once and decline his party’s nomination before Aug. 28, in time for the Democratic Central Committee to replace him on the ballot.
In the #MeToo era, it is tempting to imagine a future in which powerful men are swiftly brought to justice for their abuses. This November, we would settle for an opportunity to cast our ballots for the Democratic ticket without wondering whether we are voting for a serial abuser.
Abby Becker Abby Markoe Aimee Harmon-Darrow Alexandra Neuhaus-Follini Amanda Olmstead Amanda White Amber Beitelshees Betty G. Robinson Caitlin Anderson Carol Rice Catherine Kelly Chauna Brocht Claire Schreiber Elaine Crawford Elizabeth H. Hill Emilie Pichot Erica L. Brown Gabrielle Ellenberger Hannah M. Rowley Helen Langa Jackie Warfield Jane Sundius Jean Zachariasiewicz Jen Kirby Jenna Werner Jenny Egan Jessie Weber Jevne Diaz Jodie Zisow-McClain Julia Hammid Karen McGill Lawson Kathy Sacco Katie Leonard Kenne Dibner Kiara Eldred Kimberly Wiman Kris Missage Laura Yoder Lindsay Kahn Lisa Simeone Liz Zogby Lorie Benning Lucia Perfetti-Clark M. Wiessner Mary Kambic Mary Jo Kirschman Mary T. Matheny Maura Dwyer Meredith Chaiken Michelle Green Clark Nancy Eddy Nicole McCann Rebecca C. Starr Rianna M. Eckel Robi Rawl Salli Ward Sara Zisow-McClean Sarah Templin Shana Bocsak Sue Fothergill Sue Hilger Susan Oppenheimer Susan Talbott Tamar Mendelson Taylor Smith-Hams Tracy LaBonte
