Gloria Lawlah
Lawlah in 2023
Secretary of theMaryland Department of Aging
In office March 20, 2007 – January 15, 2015
Governor	Martin O'Malley
Preceded by	Jean Roesser
Succeeded by	Rona E. Kramer
Member of theMaryland Senate from the26th district
In office January 9, 1991 – January 10, 2007
Preceded by	Frank Komenda
Succeeded by	C. Anthony Muse
Constituency	Prince George's County
Member of theMaryland House of Delegates from the26th district
In office January 14, 1987 – January 9, 1991 Serving with Rosa Lee Blumenthal andChristine M. Jones
Preceded by	Frederick C. Rummage Marian L. Patterson
Succeeded by	David Mercado Valderrama
Constituency	Prince George's County
Personal details
Born	(1939-03-12)March 12, 1939 (age 86) Newberry, South Carolina
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Jack
Children	Three children, six grandchildren
Residence	Hillcrest Heights, Maryland
Alma mater	Hampton University (BA)

Gloria Gary Lawlah (born March 12, 1939) is anAmerican politician who served as the Secretary of theMaryland Department of Aging under GovernorMartin O'Malley from 2007 to 2015. She previously served in theMaryland Senate from 1991 to 2007 and in theMaryland House of Delegates from 1987 to 1991.^[1]

Lawlah was born inNewberry, South Carolina on March 12, 1939. She grew up with Newberry alongside her sister, Gene.^[2] She attendedHampton University inHampton, Virginia, where she earned abachelor's degree in social studies.^[1] While at Hampton, she met her future husband, Jack, who eventually settled inLeDroit Park, a neighborhood inWashington, D.C. In 1972, she moved toHillcrest Heights, Maryland.^[2]

Lawlah first got involved with politics after realizing that her home in Hillcrest Heights was represented by aRepublican in theUnited States House of Representatives. Afterwards, she began working with elected officials and the localNAACP to integrate schools inPrince George's County, Maryland. She then got involved with the Prince George's County Women's Democratic Club, where she was able to meet U.S. RepresentativeGladys Spellman,Maryland governorMarvin Mandel, and then-state SenatorSteny Hoyer.^[2]

Lawlah was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 14, 1987.^[1]

• Member, Constitutional and Administrative Law Committee, 1987–1991
• Member, Joint Committee on Federal Relations, 1987–1991

In 1990, Lawlah defeated incumbent state SenatorFrank Komenda in the Democratic primary election, backed by abortion-rights advocates who sought to create afilibuster-proof majority in theMaryland Senate.^[3][4] Despite her, and other, victories in the general elections that year, the sought-after supermajority was never achieved.^[5] She was sworn in on January 9, 1991.^[1]

Lawlah considered running in the1992 United States House of Representatives election inMaryland's 4th congressional district.^[6] In October 1991, she endorsed Prince George's CountyState's AttorneyAlexander Williams Jr. for the seat.^[7]

Lawlah did not seek re-election in 2006, seeking to retire at the end of the year.^[2]

• Senate Chair, Joint Committee on the Management of Public Funds, 2001–2007
• Member, Budget and Taxation Committee, 1995–2007 (capital budget subcommittee, 1999–2007; chair, health & human services subcommittee, 2003–2007, member, 2001–2007; chair, health, education & human resources subcommittee, 1997–1999; chair, public safety, transportation & environment subcommittee, 2000)
• Member, Economic and Environmental Affairs Committee, 1991–1994
• Member, Joint Committee on Investigation, 1991–2007
• Member, Joint Legislative Work Group on Community College Financing, 1994–1995
• Member, Special Joint Task Force on Transportation, 1995
• Member, Executive Nominations Committee, 1995–2000
• Member, Joint Committee on the Selection of the State Treasurer, 1996, 2003
• Member, Spending Affordability Committee, 1997–2000
• Member, Joint Audit Committee, 1998–2007
• Member, Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing, 1998–2007
• Member, Senate Committee on Redistricting, 2001–2002
• Member, Legislative Policy Committee, 2001–2003
• Member, Special Commission on Legislative Prayer, 2003
• Member, Joint Committee on the State's Emergency Medical Response System, 2003–2005
• Senate Co-chair, Joint Committee on Protocol, 2003–2007

• Chair,Prince George's County Delegation, 2004–2007 (vice-chair, 2001–2003)
• Member,Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, 1999–2007 (chair, international affairs committee, 2001–2007; member, state budget committee, 2000, judicial nominating committee, 2000–2007, redistricting committee, 2000–2007, historically black colleges & universities committee, 2001–2007)
• Member, Women Legislators of Maryland, 1991–2007 (member at large, executive board, 2001–2002; 2nd vice-president, 2002–2003; president, 2003–2004)
• Member,National Conference of State Legislatures (economic development, trade & cultural affairs committee)

On February 7, 2007, GovernorMartin O'Malley appointed Lawlah to serve as the Secretary of theMaryland Department of Aging.^[8] Her nomination was unanimously approved by the Maryland Senate on February 23, 2007.^[9]

Lawlah remained active in politics after 2015, organizing the 1,000 Maryland Womenpolitical action committee.^[10]

Lawlah endorsed former Secretary of StateHillary Clinton for president on November 17, 2015.^[11] In April 2016, Lawlah endorsed U.S. RepresentativeChris Van Hollen in the2016 United States Senate election in Maryland.^[12] In July 2019, she endorsed former Vice PresidentJoe Biden for president.^[13] In the2020 presidential election, Lawlah voted as an elector in Maryland's 4th congressional district.^[14][15] In March 2021, she endorsedMaryland comptrollerPeter Franchot for Governor of Maryland.^[16][17]

Lawlah is married to her husband, Jack, and has three children and six grandchildren. Together, they live in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland.^[2]

Lawlah identifies as "pro-choice". In 1990, she challenged and defeated anti-abortion state Senator Frank Komenda in the Democratic primary elections after he voted for legislation that would have eliminated about 90 percent of abortions in Maryland.^[3][18][19] In 1991, Lawlah voted in favor of legislation that would provide access to abortion in Maryland while requiring physicians to inform minors' parents when their children seek an abortion.^[20] The bill passed and was signed into law by GovernorWilliam Donald Schaefer on February 18, 1991.^[21]

Despite objections she made during hearings, Lawlah supported legislation backed by GovernorBob Ehrlich in 2004 to allow Prince George's Countyracetracks to haveslot machines.^[22] In July 2011, Lawlah resigned from the Video Lottery Facility Location Commission after attending a single meeting, saying that she was "thrilled" to be named but had not anticipated the "tough" schedule.^[23]

In October 1992, Lawlah criticized the Prince George's County Judicial Nominating Commission for rejecting attorney Elvira M. White, a Black woman, for judgeship based on charges of White being a "closet racist".^[24] In August 1994, she came to White's support after aCircuit Court judge ruled that she failed to adequately represent a woman charged with conspiring to murder her parents.^[25]

In 2000, Lawlah refused to endorse a referendum to abolish term limits for the county executive and county council of Prince George's County. In November of that year, voters rejected a referendum by a 2-to-1 margin.^[26]

• Appearances onC-SPAN

• 1939 births
• People from Newberry, South Carolina
• 21st-century American women politicians
• Living people
• Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates
• Women state legislators in Maryland
• Hampton University alumni
• 2020 United States presidential electors
• Politicians from Prince George's County, Maryland
• 20th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly
• 21st-century members of the Maryland General Assembly
• 20th-century American women politicians

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• People appearing on C-SPAN