# Edward R. Reilly

Edward R. Reilly (born November 28, 1949) is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the Maryland Senate, appointed by Governor Martin O'Malley to represent District 33 after State Senator Janet Greenip resigned. He then ran and was elected in November 2010 to his first full term.

## Background

Reilly graduated from Essex Catholic High School in Newark, New Jersey. Reilly later received his Bachelor of Business Administration in banking and finance in 1972 from Iona College in New Rochelle, New York.
Reilly has been a member of the U.S. Jaycees since 1974 and was president of the Park-Adelphi Jaycees from 1976 to 1977 and is a past-president of College Park Jaycees. He is also a volunteer for the American Cancer Society, and a past-president of the Anne Arundel County Life Underwriters Association. Reilly is a Nationwide Insurance representative and owns his own insurance agency in Crofton, Maryland.
Reilly served on the Anne Arundel County Council representing District 7 from December 2002 to June 2009.

## In the legislature

Reilly was selected by the Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee to replace the retiring Janet Greenip who retired mid-term. He was sworn into the Maryland Senate on June 22, 2009. In 2021, he was elected to serve as the Deputy Minority Leader of the Maryland Senate.
In 2022, the Maryland General Assembly's Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics found that Reilly broke with the standards of the body after he told a constituent he planned to pull a bill they both worked on because she donated to his opponent's campaign.
Despite initially filing to run for re-election, Reilly announced he would not seek re-election to the Maryland Senate on April 18, 2022.

## Political positions
### Environment

In 2017, Reilly voted to uphold Governor Larry Hogan's veto of a bill to increase the use of renewable energy in Maryland, saying the bill would levy a "hidden tax" on consumers.
In 2021, Reilly was one of two Republican state Senators to vote in favor of the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2021, a bill that aimed to cut Maryland's greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2030.

### Marijuana

Reilly identifies as an "advocate of medical marijuana". During the 2012 legislative session, he introduced legislation to ban synthetic marijuana. In 2015, Reilly was one of three Republican members of the Maryland General Assembly to vote for a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession.

### Minimum wage

During a debate on legislation to raise Maryland's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2018, Reilly introduced three amendments, including one that would have raised the minimum wage just once to $9 an hour in July 2015. All three amendments were rejected.

### Policing

Reilly was the only Republican to vote in favor of the Police Reform and Accountability Act of 2021.

### Redistricting

During the 2019 legislative session, Reilly introduced legislation that call for a ballot initiative that, if approved, would require the state's congressional districts to be drawn with respect to the boundaries, compactness, and commonality of populations. During the 2021 special legislative session, he introduced an amendment to the state's new congressional redistricting plan that would exchange the maps, drawn by the Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission, with ones drawn by the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 15-32. In 2022, Reilly introduced an amendment to the state's legislative redistricting plan to again swap out the LRAC-drawn maps with those proposed by the MCRC, which was rejected by a 14-32 vote. He later voted against the legislative maps.

### Social issues

During a debate on legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland, Reilly introduced an amendment to change the bill's effective date from October to January 2013, which did not receive a vote. He later motioned to delay the bill to gain more time to prepare amendments. In 2015, Reilly voted against legislation that would allow transgender people to change the gender on their birth certificates.
In 2013, Reilly was one of two Republicans to vote in favor of a bill to repeal the death penalty in Maryland.
In 2014, Reilly voted against legislation to outlaw grain alcohol in Maryland, suggesting that the state should work on alcohol education instead of restricting sales of booze.
During the 2021 legislative session, Reilly introduced a resolution calling for "female monthly cycle tracking for adolescent girls" to be added to school health curriculum, which was met with criticism from reproductive health activists who called the proposal invasive and inappropriate. He later withdrew the resolution.

## Legacy

The nine-mile portion of Maryland Route 450 from Crofton to Annapolis known as Defense Highway was officially renamed after Reilly on October 25, 2023. Reilly worked on solutions to flooding along the road in 2018 and 2019.

## Electoral history

Anne Arundel County Council District 7 General Election, 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Edward R. Reilly | 16,098 | |
| | Democratic | Bill Rinehart | 11,936 | |
Anne Arundel County Council District 7 General Election, 2006 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Edward R. Reilly | 17,254 | 58.3 |
| Democratic | Eric Lipsetts | 9,934 | 33.6 |
| Green | Robb Tufts | 2,375 | 8.0 |
Maryland Senate District 33 Republican Primary Election, 2010 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Edward R. Reilly | 6,838 | 51.9 |
| Republican | James J. King | 5,458 | 41.4 |
| Republican | Brian Benjers | 886 | 6.7 |
Maryland Senate District 33 General Election, 2010 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Edward R. Reilly | 43,500 | 98.3 |
| | Write-In | | 763 | 1.7 |
Maryland Senate District 33 General Election, 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Edward R. Reilly | 41,745 | 98.0 |
| | Write-In | | 845 | 2.0 |
Maryland Senate District 33 General Election, 2018 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Edward R. Reilly | 34,884 | 53.5 |
| Democratic | Eve Hurwitz | 30,298 | 46.4 |
| Write-In | | 51 | 0.1 |

## References and notes

* ↑ Bykowicz, Julie (September 15, 2010). "Legislative dust settling: changes in Senate". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* 1 2 3 4 "Edward R. Reilly, Maryland State Senator". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. February 1, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
* 1 2 "Maryland Insurance Agent Reilly to Fill State Senator's Seat". Insurance Journal. Associated Press. June 4, 2009. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Kurtz, Josh (January 14, 2021). "House GOP to Get New Leadership — After Session". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Ohl, Danielle (January 15, 2021). "Anne Arundel representatives named to leadership roles in General Assembly". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Munro, Dana (March 3, 2022). "Sen. Ed Reilly breached standards of conduct for threatening retaliation against Severna Park woman, ethics panel finds". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Romano, Ada (June 9, 2021). "New Republican candidate to run for delegate; Sen. Ed Reilly files for reelection". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ DePuyt, Bruce (April 18, 2022). "Reilly Abandons State Senate Re-Election Bid, Clears Field for Del. Saab". Maryland Matters. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
* ↑ Wood, Pamela (February 2, 2017). "After veto override, renewable energy sourcing accelerates in Maryland". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Shwe, Elizabeth (March 12, 2021). "Ambitious Climate Bill Voted Out of Maryland Senate". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Rahman, Rema (September 17, 2015). "State senator slams Schuh medical marijuana proposal". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (July 18, 2012). "Calvert officials warn of synthetic marijuana". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Bock, Michael (February 2, 2012). "Bills Aim to Rid Synthetic Pot in State". The Talbot Spy. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Smith, Van (April 20, 2015). "The Maryland GOP on Pot: Free State Republicans have been warming to marijuana reform, but support for legalization so far remains a pipe dream". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Jackson, Alex (April 4, 2014). "Maryland Senate gives preliminary OK to bill to hike minimum wage to $10.10 by 2018". Carroll County Times. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Gaskill, Hannah; Leckrone, Bennett (April 2, 2021). "House and Senate Move Closer to Sending Cohesive Police Reform Package to Governor". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Kurtz, Josh (January 16, 2019). "Hogan, GOP Expand the Battlefield in War on Gerrymandering". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Leckrone, Bennett (December 8, 2021). "Senate Democratic Majority Sends Redistricting Plan to Hogan's Desk". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Leckrone, Bennett (January 19, 2022). "Republican Amendments to Legislative Redistricting Proposal Rejected in Senate". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Leckrone, Bennett (January 20, 2022). "Senate Sends Legislative Redistricting Proposal To House". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Lazarick, Len (February 22, 2012). "Senate delays debate on same-sex marriage bill". MarylandReporter.com. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Cox, Erin; Wheeler, Timothy (March 24, 2015). "Lawmakers approve new birth certificates for transgender people". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Lake, Brett (March 7, 2013). "State Senate passes bill on death penalty repeal, moves to House". Carroll County Times. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Cox, Erin (February 5, 2014). "Md. Senate votes to outlaw grain alcohol". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Sanchez, Olivia (February 1, 2021). "Reproductive health advocates decry Sen. Ed Reilly's resolution to add menstrual tracking education in curriculum". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Sanchez, Olivia (February 9, 2021). "Anne Arundel Sen. Ed Reilly requests withdrawal of resolution calling for menstrual tracking education in schools". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
* ↑ Munro, Dana (October 17, 2023). "Crofton road to be dedicated to former Maryland Sen. Ed Reilly". The Capital. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
* ↑ "Anne Arundel County, Maryland - General Election Returns 2002". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. March 14, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
* ↑ "Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election results for Anne Arundel County". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
* ↑ "Official 2010 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for State Senator". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections.
* ↑ "Official 2010 Gubernatorial General Election results for State Senator". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections.
* ↑ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for State Senator". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. December 2, 2014.
* ↑ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for State Senator". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. December 11, 2018.