Background

Robert A. Costa is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates

Maryland House of Delegates

The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...

, serving District 33B, which is located in Anne Arundel County. He defeated Democrat Mike Shay in the 2006 election. In 2002 he defeated Democrat Dotty Chaney to initially capture the seat of this newly created district.

Education

Costa attended Annapolis High School

Annapolis High School

Annapolis High School is an American high school located in the city of Annapolis, Maryland in Anne Arundel County. It is part of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools system and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools....

 in Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...

. After high school he attended Anne Arundel Community College

Anne Arundel Community College

Anne Arundel Community College, founded in 1961, is located in Arnold, Maryland. The college was named "Community College of the Year" by National Business Alliance in 2000. AACC has also received many other in recent years...

, focusing on general studies.

Career

Prior to becoming an elected official, Robert Costa served in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 from 1981 until 1985. After his service in the military, Costa became a professional firefighter with the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. He has also spent some time as a real estate agent.

Costa has been an active member in several organizations. He is on the Executive Board of Local 1563, the Anne Arundel County Professional Firefighters Association. He was a member Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee from 1998-2002, serving as its chair from 1999 until 2000. Costa is the founder of the South County Republican Dinner Club. He is also a member of the Italian Businessmen's Association in Annapolis, the South County Moose Lodge

Moose International

Moose International is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888, consisting of the Loyal Order of Moose, with nearly 1 million men in roughly 2,400 Lodges, in all 50 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, plus Great Britain and Bermuda; and the Women of the Moose with more than...

, the Deale Elk's Lodge

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...

, Deale Elementary School P.T.A., the Alliance of the Chesapeake, the National Rifle Association

National Rifle Association

The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...

 (NRA), and the Maryland Rifle and Pistol Association. He is also a member of the Arbor Day Foundation, Citizens for a Sound Economy, and the Anne Arundel Affordable Housing Coalition. Finally, he served as the chair of the Board of Directors of the Avalon Shores Civic Association from 1999 until 2001.

Costa has received numerous awards for his service including the Outstanding Patriotism Award, Annapolis Chapter, Military Order of World Wars in 1983 and the Outstanding Legislative Leadership Award, ARC of Maryland and Maryland Association of Community Services in 2005.

While working for the House of Delegates, Costa has been selected as a member of the Health and Government Operations Committee and the Investigation Committee. He served as Deputy Minority Whip from 2003 to 2005.

Legislative notes

• voted against the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 (HB359)http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/HB0359.htm
• voted for the Healthy Air Act in 2006(SB154)http://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/votes/house/0942.htm

• voted for slots in 2005 (HB1361)http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/votes/house/0152.htm
• voted against in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB6)http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0690.htm

Election results

• 2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 33rd District, Division B

Voters to choose one:

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Robert A. Costa, Rep.	10,484	58.1%	Won
Mike Shay, Dem.	7,568	41.9%	Lost
Other Write-Ins	7	0.0%

External links

• http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa14000.html