Adelaide C. Eckardt

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Adelaide C. Eckardt

| image = Adelaide C. Eckardt (November 2007).jpg

| caption =

| state_senate = Maryland

| district = 37th

| term_start = January 14, 2015

| term_end = January 11, 2023

| predecessor = Richard F. Colburn

| successor = Johnny Mautz

| state_delegate2 = Maryland

| district2 = 37B

| term_start2 = January 11, 1995

| term_end2 = January 14, 2015

| deputy2 =

| predecessor2 = Robert Alan Thornton Jr.

| successor2 = Christopher T. Adams & Johnny Mautz

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|9|8}}

| birth_place = Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

| death_date =

| death_place =

| constituency =

| party = Republican

| spouse =

| profession =

| religion =

| signature =

| footnotes =

}}

Adelaide C. Eckardt (born September 8, 1943) is an American politician who was a member of the Maryland Senate, representing District 37.

Background

Adelaide C. Eckardt was first elected in 1994 to represent the new District 37B.{{Cite web|url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/1994/results_1994/gahod.html|title=1994 Gubernatorial Election|website=elections.maryland.gov}} District 37B covers parts of Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, & Wicomico counties.

She defeated Democratic incumbent Robert Alan Thornton Jr.{{Cite web|url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/1990/results_1990/gahod.html|title=1990 Gubernatorial Election|website=elections.maryland.gov}} and served with fellow Republican Kenneth D. Schisler. She ran in 1990, but was defeated by Kenneth D. Schisler, Robert Alan Thornton Jr., and Democrat Samuel Q. Johnson III.

In 1998, Eckardt was reelected along with Schisler.{{Cite web|url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/1998/results_1998/gahod.html|title=1998 Gubernatorial Election|website=elections.maryland.gov}} Again in 2002, Eckardt and Schisler won with little competition.{{Cite web|url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2002/results/g_house_of_delegate.html|title=2002 Gubernatorial Election|website=elections.maryland.gov}} Finally, in 2006, Eckardt won reelection, this time with fellow Republican, Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio.{{Cite web|url=https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2006/results/general/office_House_of_Delegates.html|title=Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates|website=elections.maryland.gov}} Schisler was appointed to the chair of the Maryland Public Service Commission by Governor Bob Ehrlich in May 2003.

Education

Like fellow House Republican Mary Roe Walkup, Eckardt got her career start in nursing. Eckardt attended Bryn Mawr Hospital School of Nursing and received her R.N. degree. She later attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Nursing attaining her B.S. in 1978, and later her M.S. in 1981. She practiced as a Registered Nurse-Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist.{{cite web |title=Adelaide C. Eckardt, Maryland State Senator |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/05sen/html/msa12216.html |website=Maryland Manual On-Line |publisher=Maryland State Archives |access-date=April 6, 2021 |date=February 22, 2021}}

Career

A few years later, Eckardt became an adjunct member of the faculty at Salisbury State University. Later that same year, she became a Psychiatric Nurse Clinical Specialist at Eastern Shore Hospital Center[https://archive.today/20130125233346/http://www.hospitalsoup.com/rn/asp/HospitalID.11601/pt/hospitaldetails3.asp Hospital details] and worked there until 2003. During that same time, she also served as an adjunct member of the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She remained on the faculty from 1991 to 1999.

Eckardt's remained active in her field, but shifted to a more administrative and legislative role. She joined the Executive Committee of the Maryland Hospital Association in 1993 and has served on the Board of Directors for Leadership Maryland, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to the betterment of Maryland,{{Cite web|url=https://www.leadershipmd.org/|title=Leadership Maryland | Annapolis, MD|website=www.leadershipmd.org}} since 2001.

Currently, Eckardt is a board member of the Chesapeake Health Planning Systems, a member of the Maryland Nurses Association,{{Cite web|url=https://mna.nursingnetwork.com/|title=Maryland Nurses Association|website=Nursing Network}} the American Nurses Association,{{Cite web|url=https://www.nursingworld.org/|title=ANA Enterprise | American Nurses Association|website=ANA}} the American Ortho-Psychiatric Association,{{cite web |url=http://www.amerortho.org/ |title=Home |website=amerortho.org}} and Sigma Theta Tau, the honor society of nursing.

She is a past recipient of the Psychiatric Nursing Award from the University of Maryland Graduate School of Nursing{{Cite web|url=https://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/admissions/grad.htm|title=University of Maryland School of Nursing|website=nursing.umaryland.edu}} in 1981. In 1986 and again in 1991, Eckard was named Nurse of the Year, District 4, by the Maryland Nurses Association. In 1988, she won the Rosalie S. Abrams Legislative Award from the Maryland Nurses Association. She received the Outstanding Board Member Award from the Maryland Nurses Association in 1992. Later she received the Outstanding Rural Legislator Award from the Rural Maryland Council{{Cite web|url=http://www.ruralforvm.state.md.us/|title=Rural Maryland Council - A Collective Voice for Rural Maryland|date=February 8, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208025736/http://www.ruralforvm.state.md.us/|archive-date=2007-02-08}} in 2003. Additionally in 2003, she received recognition for her efforts from Local Management Board. Finally, she was listed as a member of Maryland's Top 100 Women by the Daily Record,{{Cite web|url=https://mddailyrecord.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981205132741/http://www.mddailyrecord.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 5, 1998|title=MDDailyRecord.com ! Daily News, Entertainment and Gossip|accessdate=31 March 2023}} a local newspaper, in 2003, 2005, and 2007.

In July 2022, Eckardt was defeated in the Republican primary by state delegate Johnny Mautz.{{cite news |last1=Kurtz |first1=Josh |title=Eckardt, 5 other state lawmakers appear to have lost their primaries; others could still fall |url=https://www.marylandmatters.org/2022/07/20/eckardt-5-other-state-lawmakers-appear-to-have-lost-their-primaries-others-could-still-fall/ |access-date=July 21, 2022 |work=Maryland Matters |date=July 20, 2022}} Following her defeat, she announced on July 25, 2022, that she would run in the Cambridge mayoral special election on August 23, 2022.{{cite news |last1=Kurtz |first1=Josh |title=Sen. Eckardt to run for mayor of Cambridge |url=https://www.marylandmatters.org/2022/07/25/sen-eckardt-to-run-for-mayor-of-cambridge/ |access-date=July 25, 2022 |work=Maryland Matters |date=July 25, 2022}} No candidate received the majority of the vote, forcing a runoff between Eckardt and former Cambridge commissioner Steve Rideout on September 20, 2022.{{cite news |last1=Flaks |first1=Rob |title=Cambridge Mayor race heads to runoff between State Senator Addie Eckardt and former Commissioner Stephen Rideout |url=https://www.wmdt.com/2022/08/cambridge-mayor-race-heads-to-runoff-between-state-senator-addie-eckardt-and-former-commissioner-stephen-rideout/ |access-date=September 12, 2022 |work=WMDT |date=August 24, 2022}} She was defeated by Rideout 55%-45%.{{cite news |last1=Kurtz |first1=Josh |title=Sen. Eckardt loses comeback bid in Cambridge mayoral election |url=https://www.marylandmatters.org/2022/09/21/sen-eckardt-loses-comeback-bid-in-cambridge-mayoral-election/ |access-date=September 21, 2022 |work=Maryland Matters |date=September 21, 2022}} In November 2022, Governor-elect Wes Moore announced that Eckardt would serve on the steering committee of his transition team.{{cite news |last1=Cox |first1=Erin |last2=Wiggins |first2=Ovetta |title=Newly elected Maryland Democrats prepare to take power in Annapolis |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/10/wes-moore-transition-team/ |access-date=November 12, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 10, 2022}}

=Legislative notes=

voted against the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 (HB359){{Cite web|url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/HB0359.htm|title=BILL INFO-2007 Regular Session-HB 359|website=mlis.state.md.us}}
voted for the Healthy Air Act in 2006(SB154){{Cite web|url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/votes/house/0942.htm|title=2006 Regular Session - Vote Record 0942|website=mlis.state.md.us}}
voted for slots in 2005 (HB1361){{Cite web|url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/votes/house/0152.htm|title=2005 Regular Session - Vote Record 0152|website=mlis.state.md.us}}
voted for electric deregulation in 1999 (HB703){{Cite web|url=http://mlis.state.md.us/1999rs/votes/house/0870.htm|title=1999 Regular Session - Vote Record 0870|website=mlis.state.md.us}}
voted against in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB6){{Cite web|url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0690.htm|title=2007 Regular Session - Vote Record 0690|website=mlis.state.md.us}}
voted against police transparency in 2021 (HB1090){{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Deana |title='What are you marching for?': Activist reacts to Senator voting no on police transparency bill |url=https://www.wmdt.com/2021/03/what-are-you-marching-for-activist-reacts-to-senator-voting-no-on-police-transparency-bill/ |work=47abc |access-date=March 15, 2021 |date=March 4, 2021}}

Election results

2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 37B{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2006/results/general/office_House_of_Delegates.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections |accessdate=September 30, 2007 }}

::Voters to choose two:

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Adelaide C. Eckardt, Rep.

|19,980

| 34.5%

| Won

|Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, Rep.

|18,677

| 32.2%

| Won

|James A. Adkins, Dem.

|9,640

| 16.6%

| Lost

|Tim Quinn, Dem.

|9,588

| 16.6%

| Lost

Other Write-Ins

|34

| 0.1%

| Lost

2002 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 37B{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2002/results/g_house_of_delegate.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections |accessdate=September 30, 2007 }}

::Voters to choose two:

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Adelaide C. Eckardt, Rep.

|21,100

| 50.2%

| Won

|Kenneth D. Schisler, Rep.

|20,718

| 49.3%

| Won

Other Write-Ins

|200

| 0.5%

| Lost

1998 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 37B{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1998/results_1998/gahod.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections |accessdate=September 30, 2007 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071105082842/http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1998/results_1998/gahod.html| archivedate= 5 November 2007 | url-status= live}}

::Voters to choose two:

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Adelaide C. Eckardt, Rep.

|16,558

| 42%

| Won

|Kenneth D. Schisler, Rep.

|15,604

| 40%

| Won

|William Steven Brohawn, Dem.

|7,340

| 19%

| Lost

1994 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 37B{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1994/results_1994/gahod.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections |accessdate=September 30, 2007 }}

::Voters to choose two:

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Adelaide C. Eckardt, Rep.

|11,422

| 27%

| Won

|Kenneth D. Schisler, Rep.

|14,992

| 35%

| Won

|Philip Carey Foster, Dem.

|6,618

| 16%

| Lost

|Robert Alan Thornton Jr, Dem.

|9,240

| 22%

| Lost

1990 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 37{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1990/results_1990/gahod.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections |accessdate=September 30, 2007 }}

::Voters to choose three:

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Samuel Q. Johnson, Dem.

|12,803

| 23%

| Won

|Kenneth D. Schisler, Rep.

|11,096