Ken Ulman
Ken Ulman in 2010
Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party
Assumed office
November 18, 2023
Preceded byEverett Browning (acting)
8th County Executive of Howard County
In office
December 4, 2006 – December 1, 2014
Preceded byJames N. Robey
Succeeded byAllan Kittleman
Member of the Howard County Council
from the 4th district
In office
December 2002 – December 4, 2006
Preceded byMary Lorsung
Succeeded byMary Kay Sigaty
Personal details
Born (1974-05-04) May 4, 1974
Columbia, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Maryland, College Park (BA)
Georgetown University (JD)

Kenneth "Ken" Ulman (born May 4, 1974) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who has served as the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party since 2023. He had previously worked as the founder and CEO of Margrave Strategies, a consulting firm, and served as county executive for Howard County from 2006 to 2014.[1] He also represented the 4th district as a County Council member from 2002 to 2006.[2] Ulman previously worked in the office of Maryland Governor Parris Glendening as liaison to the Board of Public Works and secretary to the Cabinet.[3]

Early life and education

Born May 4, 1974, in Columbia, Maryland, to Diana and Louis "Lou" Ulman, Ken Ulman grew up in Columbia and attended Centennial High School.[4] His father is a lawyer and former chairman of the Maryland Racing Commission, which oversees horse racing and off-track betting in Maryland.[5] A three-time cancer survivor, his brother, Douglas Ulman, founded the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults Edit this on Wikidata during college and was CEO of the Lance Armstrong Livestrong Foundation from 2007 to 2015.[4]

While attending college at University of Maryland, College Park, Ulman studied government and politics and interned at the White House. He received a bachelor's in 1997[6] and was admitted to Georgetown Law School. During law school, he served as director of the Maryland Board of Public Works determining state school construction allocations[7] He received a J.D.Tooltip Juris Doctor in 2001 and was admitted to the Maryland State Bar Association.[2] He initially joined his father's law firm taking cases on a contract basis before entering local politics in 2002.[5]

Political activity

Ulman worked on campaigns to elect Bill Clinton in 1996, Maryland Governor Parris Glendening in 1998, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in 2002.[6] Ulman first ran for political office in 2002, when he sought the district 4 County Council seat that was being vacated by Mary Lorsung. Ulman won the Democratic primary by 50 votes and beat Republican opponent, Joan Lancos, in the general election.[8][9] Ulman served a four-year term as a Council member in Howard County.[2]

In 2006, Ulman ran for county executive against Republican Party opponent Christopher Merdon and Independent candidate C. Stephen Wallis. A major theme of Ulman's campaign was his claim he played a role in preventing the closure of Columbia's Merriweather Post Pavilion. Ulman won in the general election with 52% of the vote and was sworn in on December 4, 2006, at age 32, becoming the youngest person in Maryland to be elected as county executive.[1] During his tenure as county executive, Ulman served as chairman of the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board[10] and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.[11] He was also on the board of directors of the Maryland Association of Counties[12] and County Executives of America.[13]

On June 3, 2013, Ulman announced that he would be running in 2014 for lieutenant governor of Maryland as the running mate of gubernatorial candidate and incumbent lieutenant governor, Anthony Brown.[14] After being defeated by the Republican ticket of Larry Hogan and Boyd Rutherford, Ulman left public office in December 2014 at the end of his term as Howard County Executive and founded a consulting firm, Margrave Strategies.[15]

In October 2023, following the retirement of Yvette Lewis, Governor Wes Moore recommended Ulman to succeed her as chair of the Maryland Democratic Party.[16] On November 18, he was overwhelmingly elected as the party's chair and was sworn in by Moore.[17]

Election history

Year Office Election Subject Party Votes  % Opponent Party Votes  % Opponent Party Votes  %
2002 Howard County Council, District 4 General[18] Kenneth Ulman Democratic 11,602 58% Joan C. Lancos Republican 8,260 42%  
2006 Howard County Executive General[19][20] Kenneth Ulman Democratic 54,022 52.1% Christopher Merdon Republican 44,910 43.3% C. Stephen Wallis Independent 4,701 4.5%
2010 Howard County Executive General[21][22] Kenneth Ulman Democratic 66,121 62.8% Trent Kittleman Republican 39,066 37.1%  
2014 Lt. Governor Maryland Primary[23][24] Anthony Brown–Kenneth Ulman Democratic 249,398 51.4% Doug Gansler–Jolene Ivey Democratic 117,383 24.2% Heather Mizeur–Delman Coates Democratic 104,721 21.6%
2014 Lt. Governor Maryland General[23][25] Anthony Brown–Kenneth Ulman Democratic 818,890 47.2% Larry Hogan–Boyd Rutherford Republican 884,400 51.0% Shawn Quinn–Lorenzo Gaztanaga Libertarian 25,382 1.5%

References

  1. 1 2 Johnson, Jenna (December 22, 2014). "University of Maryland Recruits Ulman to Turn College Park into Start-Up Hub". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Kenneth S. Ulman, County Executive, Howard County, Maryland". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. September 28, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  3. ↑ Lazarick, Len (November 2016), "The Shifting Weight of Columbia Political Power" (PDF), Columbia at 50: A Memoir of a City, Part 5: Politics, pp. 21–22, retrieved March 18, 2017 – via The Business Monthly
  4. 1 2 Cassie, Ron (May 30, 2013). "Surviving Lance". Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "For Dad, There is Pride in a Son's Achievement and New Career Turn: Louis Ulman". The Baltimore Sun. April 8, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Carson, Larry (September 17, 2001). "Differences help define hopefuls for council post; Ulman, Sigaty seek west Columbia seat". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  7. ↑ Carson, Larry (July 19, 2001). "Colleagues say Lorsung won't seek a third term Councilwoman told executive Monday; Howard County". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  8. ↑ Howard County Board of Elections (July 29, 2010). "Howard County Election Returns: Primary Election September 10, 2002". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010.
  9. ↑ Carson, Larry (August 19, 2003). "Howard County, Md., Council Discloses Campaign Donors; Developers among Them". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  10. ↑ Castellanos, Nelson J.; Thompson, Letitia A. (September 3, 2008). "Re: Federal Certification of the Baltimore Region Metropolitan Planning Organization' (MPO) Planning Process" (PDF). 2008 Certification Report: Baltimore Region. Letter to Ken Ulman. Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  11. ↑ BMC (January 2009). "Annual Report 2008" (pdf). Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC). Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  12. ↑ Countryman, Wayne (January 17, 2011). "On the Move, 1/17: Mandel named VP of Van Eperen & Co. – Maryland Daily Record". The Daily Record. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  13. ↑ CEA (2008). "County Executives of American: Officers and Board of Directors" (PDF). County Executives of America (CEA). Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  14. ↑ Cox, Erin (June 3, 2013). "Brown names Ulman as his running mate". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  15. ↑ Yeager, Amanda; Zumer, Bryna (November 30, 2014). "For Ulman and Craig, a Different End of Term Than Expected". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  16. ↑ Wood, Pamela (October 30, 2023). "Gov. Moore's pick to lead state Democrats: Former Howard County Executive Ken Ulman". Baltimore Banner. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  17. ↑ Kurtz, Josh (November 18, 2023). "Ulman overwhelmingly wins election to be new Democratic state chair". Maryland Matters. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  18. ↑ Howard County Board of Elections (September 29, 2015). "Howard County, Maryland – General Election Returns 2002". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election Results for Howard County". Maryland.gov. State Board of Elections (SBE). Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  20. ↑ Howard County Board of Elections (September 29, 2015). "Howard County, Maryland – General Election Returns 2006". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Official 2010 Gubernatorial General Election results for Howard County". Maryland.gov. State Board of Elections (SBE). Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  22. ↑ Howard County Board of Elections (September 29, 2015). "Howard County, Maryland – General Election Returns 2010". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  23. 1 2 "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Governor / Lt. Governor". Maryland.gov. State Board of Elections (SBE). July 16, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  24. ↑ Howard County Board of Elections (September 29, 2015). "Maryland Primary Election, 2014 – Governor & Lt. Governor". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  25. ↑ Howard County Board of Elections (September 29, 2015). "Maryland General Election, 2014 – Governor & Lt. Governor". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
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