Charles J. Otto | |
|---|---|
 Otto in 2019 | |
| Member of the MarylandHouseofDelegates from the 38A district | |
| Assumed office January 12, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Carolyn J. Elmore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 15,1964 Salisbury,Maryland,U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
Charles J. Otto (born February 15,1964) is an American politician and farmer serving as a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing district 38A since 2011.
Otto was born on February 15,1964,in Salisbury,Maryland. He graduated from Washington High School and attended the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,earning a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science in 1986. [1]
Otto is a corn and soybean farmer. [2] He previously worked as a sales representative and crop consultant for various organizations,including the William B. Tilghman Co. and the Maryland Farm Bureau,from 1987 to 1995. [1]
Otto was elected to the House of Delegates in 2010,succeeding Carolyn J. Elmore,who was appointed to the seat following the death of her husband Page. [3] He was sworn in on January 12,2011. Otto has served in the Environment and Transportation Committee during his entire tenure. He has also worked as the Deputy Minority Whip for the Maryland House Republican Caucus since 2013. [1]
In 2012,Otto said he opposed a bill that would ban arsenic in chicken feed,claiming that arsenic was not "an environmental threat or a human health threat". [4] The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that all forms of arsenic are a serious risk to human health. [5]
In 2014,Otto supported legislation to allow the use of hydraulic dredges to catch clams south of the Verrazano Bridge. [6]
During the 2023 legislative session,Otto introduced legislation to allow hunting on Sundays in Worcester County. [7] The bill passed and became law. [8]
In March 2013,Otto voted against a bill to repeal the death penalty. [9]
Following a string of false bomb threats made against schools and other public facilities across Delmarva in early 2016,Otto introduced legislation that would increase penalties for people who make fake bomb threats. [10] The bill passed and was signed into law. [11]
Otto supports Maryland's Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) program,which provides state-funded scholarships to low-income students attending private schools. He also supports the expansion of charter schools. [12]
During the 2018 legislative session,Otto introduced legislation that would allow residents of Somerset County to qualify for free tuition at Wor–Wic Community College. [13]
Otto opposes proposals to build a wind farm off the coast of Ocean City,Maryland,supporting legislation in 2018 that would've required turbines to be built 26 miles offshore. [14] The bill received an unfavorable report in the Environment and Transportation Committee. [15]
In 2014,Otto introduced bills to repeal Maryland's "Rain Tax". [16]
During the 2016 legislative session,Otto signed onto a letter calling on the federal government to ban seismic airgun blasting. [17] In January 2017,the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said it would deny a proposal to allow seismic airgun blasting off the coast of Ocean City. [18]
In 2019,Otto supported legislation to hold Exelon fiscally responsible for costs associated with Conowingo Dam cleanup projects and implementing the dam's watershed implementation plan. [19]
During the 2011 legislative session,Otto voted against legislation to increase fees on license plates and official documents to pay for road repair projects. [20] In March 2013,he voted against legislation to index the state's fuel taxes to inflation. [21]
During the 2014 legislative session,Otto voted against a bill to raise the state's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. [22]
During the 2013 legislative session,Otto voted against the Firearm Safety Act,a bill that placed restrictions on firearm purchases and magazine capacity in semi-automatic rifles. [23] In May 2023,he signed onto a letter calling on Governor Wes Moore to veto the Gun Safety Act,an omnibus gun control bill that increased requirements and fees to obtain a handgun permit,strengthened safe storage requirements,and prohibited carrying guns near certain locations. [24]
Otto supported the legalization of medical marijuana in Maryland,but expressed concerns with the legalization of recreational marijuana. [25]
During the 2012 legislative session,Otto voted against the Civil Marriage Protection Act,which legalized same-sex marriage in Maryland. [26]
In 2019,Otto introduced legislation requiring Somerset County commissioners to live in the districts they represent. The bill passed unanimously and became law. [27]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles James Otto | 1,558 | 40.4 | |
| Republican | John K. Phoebus | 1,185 | 30.7 | |
| Republican | John T. Cannon | 732 | 19.0 | |
| Republican | Julie D. Brewington | 384 | 10.0 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles James Otto | 8,714 | 62.1 | |
| Democratic | Michael K. McCready | 5,293 | 37.7 | |
| Write-in | 19 | 0.1 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles James Otto (incumbent) | 7,431 | 60.5 | |
| Democratic | Percy J. Purnell,Jr. | 4,838 | 39.4 | |
| Write-in | 10 | 0.1 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles James Otto (incumbent) | 8,707 | 59.4 | |
| Democratic | Kirkland J. Hall,Sr. | 5,939 | 40.5 | |
| Write-in | 20 | 0.1 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles James Otto (incumbent) | 10,023 | 63.2 | |
| Democratic | Todd J. Nock | 5,828 | 36.7 | |
| Write-in | 15 | 0.1 | ||
Samuel Isadore Rosenberg is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing northwest Baltimore since 1983. He is currently the longest serving member of the Maryland General Assembly.
Jon Steven Cardin is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 11 since 2019,and previously from 2003 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party,he unsuccessfully ran for Attorney General of Maryland in 2014. Cardin is the nephew of U.S. Senator Ben Cardin.
Dana Max Stein is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates,representing District 11B in Baltimore County,since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party,he has served as the speaker pro tempore of the Maryland House of Delegates since 2024.
Jay A. Jacobs is an American politician from the Republican Party who is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates,representing the 36th district since 2011.
Kevin Bailey Hornberger is an American politician from the Republican party who is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates,representing District 35B. He previously represented District 35A from 2015 to 2023.
Vanessa Elaine Atterbeary is an American attorney and politician from the Democratic Party who represents District 13 in the Maryland House of Delegates.
William Colonel Smith Jr. is an American politician a member of the Maryland Senate representing District 20 since 2016. He previously represented the district in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2015 to 2016.
Sheree L. Sample-Hughes is an American politician who since 2015 has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing legislative district 37A in Dorchester and Wicomico Counties on the Eastern Shore,centered around Salisbury. A member of the Democratic Party,she was the speaker pro tempore of the Maryland House of Delegates from 2019 to 2024.
Mary Beth Carozza is an American politician who is a Republican member of the Maryland State Senate,representing District 38. She previous represented District 38C in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2015 to 2019.
Robin L. Grammer Jr. is an American politician who is currently a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 6 in southeast Baltimore County. He is a lifelong resident of Maryland and a member of the Republican Party.
Robert B. Long is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the sixth district since 2015.
Harry Bhandari is an Nepalese-born American politician and educator. A member of the Democratic Party,he has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the eighth district since 2019. Bhandari is the first Nepali American elected to a state legislature in the United States.
William Joseph Wivell is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 2A since 2015. A member of the Republican Party,he was previously a member of the Washington County Board of Commissioners from 1998 to 2010,and from 2014 to 2015.
Mark Nicholas Fisher is an American politician who represents District 27C in the Maryland House of Delegates,which covers parts of Calvert County. He previously represented District 27B from 2011 to 2015. He also hosts a podcast called Mark and the Millennials,which explores the divide between conservative millennials and the baby boomer generation.
Christopher T. Adams is a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates,representing District 37B since 2015.
John Frederick "Johnny" Mautz IV is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland Senate from District 37 since 2023. A member of the Republican Party,he previously represented District 37B in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2015 to 2023.
Carl Anderton Jr. is a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing district 38B.
Wayne A. Hartman is a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates. He serves in District 38C,representing Wicomico County and Worcester County including Ocean City,Maryland. He previously served on the Ocean City Council for one four-year term.
Regina T. Boyce is an American politician who currently serves in the Maryland House of Delegates. Delegate Boyce is a Democrat who represents the 43rd Legislative District of the state of Maryland.
Melissa R. Wells is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 40 since 2019.