David Fraser-Hidalgo
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 15th district
Assumed office
October 21, 2013
Serving with Linda Foley and Lily Qi
Appointed byMartin O'Malley
Preceded byBrian J. Feldman
Personal details
Born (1969-11-25) November 25, 1969 (age 54)
Quito, Ecuador
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceBoyds, Maryland
OccupationSales Director
Websitehttps://www.fraserfor15.org/

David V. Fraser-Hidalgo (born November 25, 1969) is an Ecuadorian-born American politician and a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 15 in Montgomery County, Maryland.[1] He was appointed to complete the term of Delegate Brian J. Feldman following Feldman's appointment to a Senate seat and has since been elected to his own full term.[2]

Early life and education

Fraser-Hidalgo was born on November 25, 1969, in Quito, Ecuador. He grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland, attending Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Maryland. In 1992, he earned a B.A. in History from St. Mary's College of Maryland.[1]

For three years, Fraser-Hidalgo served as a police officer in Montgomery County before leaving the police department and entering the business world. He has worked for a number of firms, including being a partner in a Montgomery County based tech firm for 10 years and as an Area Director for Regus. He has also been involved in a variety of volunteer activities in the county, including as a leader in the Boyds Civic Association and sits on the boards of the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Community Farm Share and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators.[1]

In 2010, Fraser-Hidalgo unsuccessfully ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 15,[3] coming in fourth place with 8.8 percent of the vote.[4]

In the legislature

Fraser-Hidalgo in the Economic Matters Committee, 2024

In 2013, the retirement of Senator Robert J. Garagiola from the Maryland Senate prompted the appointment of Delegate Brian J. Feldman to fill the remainder of Garagiola's term. This left an open Delegate seat, which was contested by a number of applicants. Fraser-Hidalgo won the final vote of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee by a close margin,[2] and on October 16, 2013, was appointed by Governor Martin O'Malley to fill the seat.[5] He was sworn in on October 21, 2013.[1]

In February 2015, Fraser-Hidalgo joined state Senator Victor Ramirez and Delegates Joseline Peña-Melnyk, Maricé Morales, Will Campos, and Ana Sol Gutierrez in organizing the Maryland Latino Legislative Caucus, becoming one of the caucus' first six members.[6][7][8] Fraser-Hidalgo served as the Latino Caucus' chair from 2019 to 2024.[1]

Political positions

Environment

Fraser-Hidalgo has repeatedly introduced legislation that would ban the practice of fracking in Maryland.[9][10][11] During the 2017 legislative session, his bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan on April 4, 2017.[12][13]

Fraser-Hidalgo introduced legislation in the 2019 legislative session that would increase the state's electric vehicle tax credit to $3,000.[14] The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Hogan on April 30, 2019.[15][16] A bill extending the tax credit was introduced and passed during the 2022 legislative session and was signed into law on April 21, 2022.[17][18]

Fraser-Hidalgo introduced legislation in the 2021 legislative session that would charge polluters a carbon fee for their greenhouse gas emissions, investing the revenue earned from the fee into education and green infrastructure.[19][20] The bill received an unfavorable committee report.[21]

Fraser-Hidalgo introduced legislation in the 2022 legislative session that would set goals for electrifying the state's vehicle fleet, with 100 percent of passenger cars purchased to be electric by 2028 and all passenger cars in the fleet to be electric by 2031.[22]

Industrial hemp

Fraser-Hidalgo introduced legislation in the 2018 legislative session that would create a pilot program authorizing both growing and processing operations for industrial hemp.[23] The bill passed with nearly unanimous support (136-1 in the House and 46-0 in the Senate) and was signed into law by Governor Hogan on May 8, 2018.[24] He introduced legislation during the 2019 legislation to fully legalize commercial hemp farming, which was signed into law by Hogan on April 30, 2019.[25][26]

Social issues

Fraser-Hidalgo introduced legislation in the 2016 legislative session that would have strengthened laws on underage drinking. The bill was watered down during committee hearings,[27][28] but passed and became law on May 19, 2016.[29][30][31]

Fraser-Hidalgo introduced legislation in the 2020 legislative session that would require special elections to fill vacancies in the Maryland General Assembly.[32]

Personal life

Fraser-Hidalgo lives in Boyds, Maryland, in a home that is almost completely autonomous.[33] He was married to Lisa Bethel, and has two children, Samantha and Scott.[1][34][35] In the early spring of 2018, his wife Lisa died from cancer.[36][37]

Electoral history

Maryland House of Delegates District 15 Democratic Primary Election, 2010[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brian J. Feldman 6,262 31.4%
Democratic Kathleen Dumais 6,086 30.6%
Democratic Aruna Miller 4,671 23.5%
Democratic David-Fraser Hidalgo 1,755 8.8%
Democratic Lara Wibeto 1,142 5.7%
Maryland House of Delegates District 15 Democratic Primary Election, 2014[38]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathleen Dumais 6,156 30.6%
Democratic Aruna Miller 5,748 28.6%
Democratic David Fraser-Hidalgo 4,447 22.1%
Democratic Bennett Rushkoff 3,754 18.7%
Maryland House of Delegates District 15 General Election, 2014[39]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathleen Dumais 19,083 20.6%
Democratic Aruna Miller 18,071 19.5%
Democratic David Fraser-Hidalgo 17,324 18.7%
Republican Ed Edmundson 12,913 13.9%
Republican Christine Thron 12,825 13.8%
Republican Flynn Ficker 12,355 13.3%
N/A Other Write-Ins 86 0.1%
Maryland House of Delegates District 15 Democratic Primary Election, 2018[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathleen Dumais 8,207 22.4%
Democratic Lily Qi 6,568 17.9%
Democratic David Fraser-Hidalgo 6,206 16.9%
Democratic Amy Frieder 5,289 14.4%
Democratic Kevin Mack 4,257 11.6%
Democratic Anis Ahmed 2,097 5.7%
Democratic Andy Van Wye 2,032 5.5%
Democratic Hamza Sarwar Khan 1,262 3.4%
Democratic Tony Puca 776 2.1%
Maryland House of Delegates District 15 General Election, 2018[41]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathleen Dumais 36,331 24.6%
Democratic Lily Qi 34,888 23.6%
Democratic David Fraser-Hidalgo 33,808 22.9%
Republican Laurie Halverson 15,678 10.6%
Republican Harvey Jacobs 14,096 9.5%
Republican Marc A. King 12,993 8.8%
N/A Other Write-Ins 139 0.1%
Maryland House of Delegates District 15 General Election, 2022[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lily Qi 21,127 23.1%
Democratic Linda Foley 21,097 23.1%
Democratic David Fraser-Hidalgo 20,429 22.4%
Republican Stacey Sauter 9,930 10.9%
Republican Matt Wade 9,426 10.3%
Republican Jodi Noah 9,321 9.1%
N/A Other Write-Ins 73 0.1%

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "David Fraser-Hidalgo, Maryland State Delegate". msa.maryland.gov. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Peck, Louis (October 9, 2013). "Democratic Committee Backs Fraser-Hidalgo For Vacant Dist. 15 Delegate Seat". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  3. ^ Peck, Louis (September 20, 2013). "Candidates Facing a Three-Week Sprint to Capture Delegate Seat". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Official 2010 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Wagner, John (October 16, 2013). "O'Malley names Fraser-Hidalgo to take over delegate seat from Montgomery County". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  6. ^ "Lawmakers seek to give Latinos bigger voice in Maryland". WBAL-TV. February 5, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Hernández, Arelis R. (February 2, 2015). "Md. lawmakers organizing the state's first Latino legislative caucus". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  8. ^ Hernández, Arelis R. (February 5, 2015). "Md. Latino lawmakers launch caucus to boost their presence in Annapolis". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  9. ^ Wheeler, Timothy B. (February 5, 2015). "Health, environmental groups seek fracking moratorium". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  10. ^ "Deforestation, fracking bills spark rallies before hearing in Annapolis". The Baltimore Sun. Capital Gazette. February 22, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Hernandez, Arelis; Jouvenal, Justin; Morse, Dan; Vozzella, Laura (February 5, 2015). "Man who sought sex-assault victims at 'beer pong' tournaments is convicted". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  12. ^ Dresser, Michael; Wood, Pamela (March 17, 2017). "Hogan announces support for fracking ban in Maryland". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  13. ^ Hicks, Josh; Wiggins, Ovetta (April 4, 2017). "As a child, he was raped. As a lawmaker, he ensured victims have more time to sue". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  14. ^ Youngmann, Charlie (March 28, 2019). "Maryland may expand electric vehicle tax credits". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  15. ^ Dance, Scott (July 8, 2019). "Maryland's electric vehicle rebate is so popular it ran out of money even before the fiscal year began July 1". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  16. ^ "Legislation - HB1246". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  17. ^ DePuyt, Bruce; Gaines, Danielle E.; Kurtz, Josh; Shwe, Elizabeth (March 21, 2022). "On 'Crossover Day,' Lawmakers Address Myriad Pandemic Challenges — And More". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  18. ^ "Legislation - HB1391". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  19. ^ Shwe, Elizabeth (February 19, 2021). "Lawmakers Consider Carbon Fees For Polluters That Will Help Pay for Kirwan Bill". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  20. ^ "Legislation - HB0033". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  21. ^ Shwe, Elizabeth (March 1, 2021). "Committee Votes Down Bill That Would Charge Carbon Fee for Polluters". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  22. ^ Condon, Christine (February 10, 2022). "Maryland lawmakers are once again hoping to pass wide-ranging environmental legislation. Here's what's proposed". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  23. ^ Dresser, Michael (February 2, 2018). "Industrial hemp advocates hope this is their year in Annapolis". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  24. ^ "Legislation - HB0698". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  25. ^ "Maryland passes HB 1123 to legalize commercial hemp farming". votehemp.com. April 30, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  26. ^ Prudente, Tim (June 24, 2020). "How Congress passed a farm bill and left Maryland police labs unable to test for marijuana". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  27. ^ Metcalf, Andrew (April 12, 2016). "Alex and Calvin's Law Weakened Before Passing General Assembly". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  28. ^ Wiggins, Ovetta (April 19, 2016). "How a bill to fight underage drinking got watered down". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  29. ^ Burnett, Ava-joye (September 30, 2016). "New Law Punishes Adults Who Host Underage Drinking Parties". WJZ-TV. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  30. ^ Wiggins, Ovetta (September 22, 2016). "MADD honors three Maryland lawmakers who toughened drunken-driving laws". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  31. ^ "Legislation - HB0409". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  32. ^ Gaines, Danielle E. (January 23, 2020). "Lawmakers Press for Special Elections to Fill Vacancies". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  33. ^ Kurtz, Josh (January 4, 2022). "State Lawmaker Lives (Almost) Completely Off the Grid". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  34. ^ "Alumni Connection" (PDF). smcm.edu. St. Mary's College of Maryland. Spring 2014. pp. 19–20. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  35. ^ Prairie, Cynthia (October 22, 2013). "State Roundup, October 22, 2013". MarylandReporter.com. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  36. ^ Kurtz, Josh (October 24, 2018). "Hogan Revs Up Montgomery County Crowd, Tries to Ignore Ficker". Maryland Matters. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  37. ^ Maria Bonessi, Dominique (February 21, 2020). "These Maryland Lawmakers Strategize On The Run (Literally)". NPR. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  38. ^ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  39. ^ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  40. ^ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  41. ^ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  42. ^ "General election for Maryland House of Delegates District 15 (3 seats)". ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
Categories