In an unexpected political turn in Baltimore's 41st District, Del. Dalya Attar has been recommended over Del. Malcolm P. Ruff for the vacant state Senate seat. This decision is now waiting for Governor Wes Moore's approval. The Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee's vote swung 5-3 in favor of Attar, as reported by Maryland Matters. If Attar's appointment is confirmed, she will become the first Orthodox Jewish woman to serve in the state Senate and is said to be one of the most high-ranking Orthodox Jewish women in elected U.S. office.
The voting process brought a blend of familiar faces and political power within the Central Committee. Voters for Attar included Angela Gibson, Alex Friedman, Lakesha Brown Wright-El, City Councilmember Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer, and Sandy Rosenbluth. Brian Easley, Dayvon Love, and Tammy Stinnett cast opposing votes for Ruff, the latter being the committee chair. This decision came after careful deliberation and a series of interviews spanning nearly two hours, conducted over Zoom, detailed by Maryland Matters.
As for the policy positions of the two candidates, Attar and Ruff shared similar perspectives on tackling youth engagement with the criminal justice system and addressing the state’s $3 billion budget gap. Attar, in particular, hopes to focus on education, expressing in an interview that when addressing juvenile crime, "if we are not sending our children to Grade-A schools, we cannot blame them for ending up in the [criminal justice] system." Maryland Matters reported this statement during the central committee member questioning.
The community and political leaders, including Carter, who've been closely watching the proceedings, are turning their attention to Governor Moore's decision. Although Sen. Carter initially supported Ruff, she offered cooperation following the vote, stating, "I’ve worked well with Delegate Attar for years, and I believe she is decent person." She added, "While I supported Delegate Ruff because I believe he is a unifier in a diverse and sometimes divided district, I stand ready to assist Delegate Atttar in her transition and I hope she takes me up on that," as The Brew reported.
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