Shawn Z. Tarrant
Encyclopedia
Shawn Z. Tarrant is an American politician who represents the 40th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates
.http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa14616.html Tarrant is a member of the House Health and Government Operations Committee, Insurance Subcommittee and Secretary to the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
.http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa14635.html
in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance/Marketing. In Spring 1985, he became a member of the Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity. Delegate Tarrant is currently a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi
and the Norfolk State University Baltimore Alumni Chapter. Tarrant has been employed for the past 17 years by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. He currently serves as the Director of State Policy. In this role, he ensures patients with Medicaid as their insurance have access to the entire portfolio of life saving medications sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb. In previous positions, he has helped municipalities and cities conduct HIV/AIDS testing and awareness programs. Tarrant is married to Brenda McDaniels Tarrant, a chemistry teacher at the Baltimore City College
. They are the parents of two children: Kayla, 13 and Shawn Jr., 12.
Early Career=
Prior to running for office, he was the president of Ashburton Area Association from 1994–1999, a community improvement group in his neighborhood. He created several long-standing programs and is most proud of success achieved in rezoning Ashburton to an R-1 zone status (i.e., allowing single family only dwellings). He is a frequent speaker on improving housing and zoning codes. Tarrant is also very committed to public school education serving 6 terms as a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) board member and vice president of the PTO at his children’s public elementary school. He is the founder of “Tiger Pa’s,” a fathers’ group at his son’s school that encourages male parental involvement by having fathers coordinate and host special activities at the school.
Maryland House of Delegates=
Delegate Tarrant’s first (2007) session in the Maryland House of Delegates was a winning one—as he was the lead sponsor of three bills that became law; and co-sponsor to numerous pieces of legislation that became new laws.
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...
.http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa14616.html Tarrant is a member of the House Health and Government Operations Committee, Insurance Subcommittee and Secretary to the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly...
.http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa14635.html
Background
Delegate Tarrant graduated from Norfolk State UniversityNorfolk State University
Norfolk State University is a four-year, state-supported, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.-Academics:...
in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance/Marketing. In Spring 1985, he became a member of the Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
Fraternity. Delegate Tarrant is currently a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
and the Norfolk State University Baltimore Alumni Chapter. Tarrant has been employed for the past 17 years by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. He currently serves as the Director of State Policy. In this role, he ensures patients with Medicaid as their insurance have access to the entire portfolio of life saving medications sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb. In previous positions, he has helped municipalities and cities conduct HIV/AIDS testing and awareness programs. Tarrant is married to Brenda McDaniels Tarrant, a chemistry teacher at the Baltimore City College
Baltimore City College
The Baltimore City College , also referred to as The Castle on the Hill, historically as The College, and most commonly City, is a public high school in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The City College curriculum includes the International Baccalaureate Programme and emphasizes study in the classics...
. They are the parents of two children: Kayla, 13 and Shawn Jr., 12.
Early Career=
Prior to running for office, he was the president of Ashburton Area Association from 1994–1999, a community improvement group in his neighborhood. He created several long-standing programs and is most proud of success achieved in rezoning Ashburton to an R-1 zone status (i.e., allowing single family only dwellings). He is a frequent speaker on improving housing and zoning codes. Tarrant is also very committed to public school education serving 6 terms as a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) board member and vice president of the PTO at his children’s public elementary school. He is the founder of “Tiger Pa’s,” a fathers’ group at his son’s school that encourages male parental involvement by having fathers coordinate and host special activities at the school.
Maryland House of Delegates=
Delegate Tarrant’s first (2007) session in the Maryland House of Delegates was a winning one—as he was the lead sponsor of three bills that became law; and co-sponsor to numerous pieces of legislation that became new laws.
Three open seats
During the four year term prior to Tarrant's candidacy for the House of Delegates, two of the delegates, Howard "Pete" Rawlings and Tony Fulton, died while in office. Marshall Goodwin and Catherine Pugh were appointed to finish their terms. Rawlings and Fulton were Democrats, as are Goodwin and Pugh. Prior to the 2006 Democratic primary, the only incumbent delegate in the district, Salima Marriott, decided to run for the Senate seat being vacated by the district's senator. Catherine Pugh also decided to run for the same seat leaving the newly appointed Goodwin as the only incumbent in the race. The vacancies drew a large crowd of contenders; http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=12161 including Tarrant, Barbara Robinson and Frank M. Conaway, Jr., who all finished ahead of Goodwin. The General Election in November, therefore, featured all newcomers for the three open seats.General election results, 2006
- 2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 40th District
-
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Frank M. Conaway, Jr. Frank M. Conaway, Jr.Frank M. Conaway, Jr. is an American politician who represents the 40th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates. Conaway is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.-Background:...
Dem.16,432 32.4% Won Barbara A. Robinson Barbara A. RobinsonBarbara A. Robinson is an American politician who represents the 40th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates. Robinson is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.-Background:...
, Dem.16,032 31.6% Won Shawn Z. Tarrant, Dem. 13,921 27.5% Won Jan E. Danforth, Green 4,135 8.2% Lost Other Write-Ins 177 0.3%
- Voters to choose three:
Legislative notes
- voted for the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 (HB359)http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/HB0359.htm
- voted in favor of prohibiting ground rents in 2007(SB106)http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0250.htm
- voted in favor of increasing the sales tax - Tax Reform Act of 2007(HB2)http://www.mdchamber.org/docs/ss_hb2.pdf
- voted in favor of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB6)http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0690.htm