Mark Soo Chang (born July 9, 1976) is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 32 since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he unsuccessfully ran in the 2024 U.S. House of Representatives election in Maryland's 3rd congressional district, losing to state senator Sarah Elfreth in the Democratic primary.
Mark Chang | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 32nd district | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2015 Serving with J. Sandy Bartlett, Mike Rogers | |
| Preceded by | Mary Ann Love |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mark Soo Chang July 9, 1976 Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (before 2012) Democratic (since 2012) |
| Education | University of Maryland, Baltimore County (BA) Loyola University Maryland (MBA) |
Early life and education
editChang was born on July 9, 1976, in Glen Burnie, Maryland.[1] He was one of three children born to Hak Jin Chang, who was a small business owner during the 1980s and 1990s, and his wife, who worked at Annapolis General Hospital and who died when Chang was eleven years old.[2][3] He is a first-generation Korean-American, with his parents having moved to the United States from South Korea in 1975.[3]
Chang graduated from Glen Burnie High School and later attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and graduated cum laude in 1999. In 2010, Chang attended Loyola University Maryland, where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree.[1]
Political career
editChang entered politics in 2003 by becoming a member of the Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee.[1] In 2006, he ran for the Maryland House of Delegates as a Republican and was defeated in the general election with 17.1 percent of the vote.[4] After his defeat, Chang went to work as a community liaison for Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold. In 2012, he switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic.[5] Chang was replaced by County Executive Laura Neuman after she took office following Leopold's corruption conviction and subsequent resignation,[6] and he subsequently worked as a legislative aide to state senator James E. DeGrange Sr.[4]
In 2014, Chang again ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 32, this time as a Democrat. He won the general election in November 2014, becoming the first Korean-American elected to the Maryland General Assembly from Anne Arundel County, and the first in the state alongside state delegate-elect David Moon.[2]
In the legislature
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Chang was sworn into the House of Delegates on January 14, 2015. He has been a member of the Appropriations Committee during his entire tenure, and became the committee's vice chair in 2021.[1]
On December 5, 2023, Chang announced that he would run for Congress in Maryland's 3rd congressional district, seeking to succeed retiring U.S. Representative John Sarbanes.[7] He was defeated in the Democratic primary election by state senator Sarah Elfreth on May 14, 2024, placing fifth with 5.0 percent of the vote.[8]
Political positions
editCrime
editDuring the 2018 legislative session, Chang introduced legislation to make human trafficking a felony offense.[9]
In March 2021, Chang expressed concern following the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings[10] and later attended and spoke at a rally at the Lincoln Memorial honoring the victims.[11]
Development initiatives
editDuring the 2016 legislative session, Chang voted to override Governor Larry Hogan's veto on a bill to provide $2 million toward Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts renovations.[12]
In 2019, Chang introduced legislation to fund developments at the Laurel Park.[13]
Social issues
editIn January 2016, Chang voted against overriding Governor Larry Hogan's veto on a bill restoring voting rights for felons on parole.[14]
During the 2019 legislative session and following incidents involving nooses on school campuses in 2018, Chang introduced a bill that would ban the use of nooses or swastikas to "threaten or intimidate someone".[15] The bill was reintroduced in 2020, during which it passed and became law.[16]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark S. Chang | 3,913 | 30.4 | |
| Republican | Terry R. Gilleland Jr. (incumbent) | 2,927 | 22.7 | |
| Republican | Wayne Charles Smith | 2,829 | 21.9 | |
| Republican | Tiger Pimentel | 1,796 | 13.9 | |
| Republican | Robert Middleswarth | 1,426 | 11.1 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pamela Beidle | 17,964 | 18.6 | |
| Democratic | Mary Ann Love (incumbent) | 17,697 | 18.3 | |
| Democratic | Theodore J. Sophocleus (incumbent) | 17,661 | 18.3 | |
| Republican | Mark S. Chang | 16,569 | 17.1 | |
| Republican | Terry R. Gilleland Jr. (incumbent) | 13,632 | 14.1 | |
| Republican | Wayne Charles Smith | 13,153 | 13.6 | |
| Write-in | 75 | 0.1 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pamela Beidle (incumbent) | 4,631 | 25.9 | |
| Democratic | Mark S. Chang | 3,910 | 21.8 | |
| Democratic | Theodore J. Sophocleus (incumbent) | 3,232 | 18.0 | |
| Democratic | Tonja McCoy | 2,364 | 13.2 | |
| Democratic | Spencer Dove | 2,357 | 13.2 | |
| Democratic | Steven D. Wyatt | 1,420 | 7.9 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pamela Beidle (incumbent) | 17,120 | 20.0 | |
| Democratic | Mark S. Chang | 15,904 | 18.6 | |
| Democratic | Theodore J. Sophocleus (incumbent) | 14,995 | 17.5 | |
| Republican | Tim Walters | 13,066 | 15.3 | |
| Republican | Mark Angell | 12,327 | 14.4 | |
| Republican | Joseph Fioravante | 12,012 | 14.0 | |
| Write-in | 85 | 0.1 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mark S. Chang (incumbent) | 24,498 | 20.9 | |
| Democratic | J. Sandy Bartlett | 24,220 | 20.7 | |
| Democratic | Mike Rogers | 23,316 | 19.9 | |
| Republican | Patty Ewing | 16,340 | 13.9 | |
| Republican | Mark E. Bailey | 14,520 | 12.4 | |
| Republican | Tim Walters | 14,158 | 12.1 | |
| Write-in | 150 | 0.1 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mark S. Chang (incumbent) | 21,755 | 22.4 | |
| Democratic | J. Sandy Bartlett (incumbent) | 20,988 | 21.6 | |
| Democratic | Mike Rogers (incumbent) | 20,597 | 21.2 | |
| Republican | Monica L. W. Smearman | 11,384 | 11.7 | |
| Republican | Michael Jette | 11,213 | 11.5 | |
| Republican | Michele Speakman | 11,169 | 11.5 | |
| Write-in | 107 | 0.1 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sarah Elfreth | 29,459 | 36.2 | |
| Democratic | Harry Dunn | 20,380 | 25.0 | |
| Democratic | Clarence Lam | 9,548 | 11.7 | |
| Democratic | Terri Hill | 5,318 | 6.5 | |
| Democratic | Mark Chang | 4,106 | 5.0 | |
| Democratic | Aisha Khan | 2,199 | 2.7 | |
| Democratic | Mike Rogers | 2,147 | 2.6 | |
| Democratic | John Morse | 1,447 | 1.8 | |
| Democratic | Abigail Diehl | 1,379 | 1.7 | |
| Democratic | Lindsay Donahue | 1,213 | 1.5 | |
| Democratic | Juan Dominguez | 1,205 | 1.3 | |
| Democratic | Michael Coburn (withdrawn) | 583 | 0.7 | |
| Democratic | Malcolm Thomas Colombo | 527 | 0.7 | |
| Democratic | Don Quinn | 408 | 0.5 | |
| Democratic | Kristin Lyman Nabors | 397 | 0.5 | |
| Democratic | Jeff Woodard | 352 | 0.4 | |
| Democratic | Gary Schuman | 286 | 0.4 | |
| Democratic | Mark Gosnell | 221 | 0.3 | |
| Democratic | Jake Pretot | 162 | 0.2 | |
| Democratic | Matt Libber | 159 | 0.2 | |
| Democratic | Stewart Silver | 78 | 0.1 | |
| Democratic | Danny Rupli | 34 | <0.1 | |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Mark S. Chang, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. May 2, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Bottalico, Brandi (November 15, 2014). "For Chang, a journey to State House". The Capital. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Kurtz, Josh (April 24, 2024). "Meet the state lawmakers running for Congress: Del. Mark Chang". Maryland Matters. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ a b "Mark Chang". The Capital. September 24, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ "Anne Arundel endorsements [Editorial]". The Baltimore Sun. June 18, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ Bourg, Allison (March 27, 2013). "Neuman overhauls county constituent services". The Capital. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Kurtz, Josh; Ford, William J. (December 5, 2023). "Political Notes: Del. Chang joining congressional race, Trone leads in his own poll, Nick Charles to be sworn in". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ Fernandez, Madison; Shepard, Steven (May 14, 2024). "AIPAC-backed Sarah Elfreth wins primary for open Maryland congressional seat". Politico. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ Cook, Chase (January 16, 2018). "Glen Burnie delegate makes case for changing Maryland's human trafficking law". The Capital. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Wood, Pamela (March 17, 2021). "Maryland governor says he's 'horrified' by Atlanta killings". The Capital. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Duncan, Ian (March 28, 2021). "Korean groups rally on the Mall to decry racism after deadly attacks in Atlanta". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Sauers, Elisha (January 20, 2016). "Hogan releases $42B spending plan". The Capital. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Donovan, Doug; Pacella, Rachael (February 26, 2019). "High stakes at Laurel: As officials ponder Pimlico's future, Stronach focuses on Laurel Park's racing role". The Capital. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Wiggins, Ovetta (January 20, 2016). "Maryland House overrides three of Gov. Hogan's vetoes". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Price, Lilly (February 11, 2020). "Parents of Richard Collins III, slain Bowie State student, back bill strengthening Maryland hate crime laws". The Capital. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ "Here's a Look at New State Laws Taking Effect on Oct. 1". Maryland Matters. October 1, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ "Official 2006 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Legislative District 32". Maryland State Board of Elections.
- ^ "Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election results for Legislative District 32". Maryland State Board of Elections.
- ^ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. July 16, 2014.
- ^ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. December 2, 2014.
- ^ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. December 11, 2018.
- ^ "Official 2022 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. December 7, 2022.
- ^ "Unofficial 2024 Presidential Primary Election Results for Representative in Congress". Maryland State Board of Elections. May 31, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.