Kathy Afzali

Background

Afzali was born in San Francisco, California. She is a graduate of Mount Saint Mary's University. She was a columnist (2003-2006) for the Frederick News-Post. She is also a mother of two daughters, and a Frederick County businesswoman.

Legislative career

Afzali was sworn in as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates in January, 2011. She was assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee and to its Election Law and Education subcommittees. She is now the Ranking Republican on Ways and Means. She is also a member of the Women Legislators of Maryland.

By the end of Delegate Afzali’s first legislative session in Annapolis, she sponsored or co-sponsored forty-nine bills.

Business

Afzali is one of a very small handful of Delegates and Senators to hold a 100% lifetime rating from the Maryland Business for Responsible Government organization.

Crime

Afzali has sponsored legislation to increase sanctions on drunk drivers with multiple offenses and was responsible for "Anayah's Law", which allows Child Protective Services to be relieved of its obligation to reunite children with their parent if the parent has committed "sever physical abuse" against the child.

In her second year she pushed for legislation to require a photo ID when voting in the state of Maryland.

In 2013 she co-sponsored legislation to make the cyber-bullying of a child a misdemeanor.

Farms

Her first successful piece of legislation was a honey standard which passed unanimously through both chambers and has been used as a model in other states.

She introduced a Farm Estate Tax bill that eliminated state inheritance taxes.

2012 Congressional election

Governor Martin O'Malley proposed, and Maryland General Assembly adopted, a redistricting plan that reconfigured Republican incumbent U.S. Congressman Roscoe Bartlett's 6th congressional district to one that Barack Obama won in the 2008 presidential election. Portions of Baltimore and Harford counties as well as Carroll County were taken away from the 6th District during redistricting. More of Montgomery County was put into the district, while another part of Montgomery County was removed and added to northern Frederick County in 8th District, still safe for incumbent Chris Van Hollen. The previous version of the district has President Obama at 40%, while the newly redrawn district has President Obama at 56%.

On January 11, 2012, believing that Bartlett would be retiring, Afzali announced her intention to run for the GOP nomination to represent Maryland's 6th congressional district. At the last minute Bartlett decided that he would be running for reelection. He won the primary election (3 April 2012) with 44% of the vote in a crowded field but went on to lose the general election 38-58.

Personal life

Afzali is a member of the United Methodist Church.