Catherine E. Pugh

Catherine E. Pugh
Member of the Maryland Senate from the 40th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 2007
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 40th district
In office 2004–2007
Member of the Baltimore City Council from the 4th district
In office 1999–2004
Personal details
Born	March 10, 1950 (1950-03-10) Norristown, Pennsylvania
Political party	Democratic
Residence	Baltimore, Maryland
Occupation	Businesswoman

Catherine E. Pugh is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. She is currently serving in her 2nd term in the Maryland State Senate, representing Maryland's District 40 in Baltimore City.

Background

Catherine Pugh was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania. One of seven children, raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pugh was the first in her family to attend college.^{[citation needed]} She attended Morgan State University in Baltimore, from which she earned B.S. and M.B.A. degrees. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Pugh is the President and CEO of C.E. Pugh & Company, a public relations consulting firm. In the mid 1970’s, Pugh founded Baltimore’s first African American business newspaper, the African American News.^{[citation needed]} For the next seven years, she served as the paper’s Managing Editor.^{[citation needed]} Pugh also served as an independent editor for the Baltimore Sun from 1986 to 1992 and as the dean and director for Strayer Business College (now Strayer University) in Baltimore.^{[citation needed]}

Pugh returned to Philadelphia in 1994 to work in television at WTGW-TV 48.^{[citation needed]} She was the host of “Another View,” a weekly public affairs program that focused on policy issues within the African American community and featured interviews with community leaders and public officials.^{[citation needed]} Pugh also authored Mind Garden: Where Thoughts Grow and Healthy Holly, a children’s book series advocating exercise and healthy eating.^{[citation needed]} She is the founder of such programs as the Baltimore Marathon;^{[citation needed]} the Fish Out of Water Project, designed to promote Baltimore tourism and to raise money for local youth arts programs;^{[citation needed]} and the Need to Read Campaign, a program designed to help illiterate Baltimore residents improve their reading skills.^{[citation needed]}

Currently, Pugh is serving her second term in the Maryland State Senate.

Political career

Pugh was first elected to the Baltimore City Council, where she served from 1999 to 2004. Pugh ran for President of the Baltimore City Council in 2003, but lost to Sheila Dixon in the September 9 primary. The Governor of Maryland appointed Pugh to an open seat in the Maryland House of Delegates in 2005, where she served for two years before winning a seat in the State Senate. Pugh currently sits on the Finance Committee and serves as Assistant Deputy Majority Whip. Senator Pugh is currently Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.

Mayoral bid

In 2011, Pugh ran for mayor of Baltimore in that city's Democratic primary. In the September Democratic primary, she and four other candidates were beaten by incumbent Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

Primary election results

These are the unofficial results for the 2011 Democratic primary, as reported on the city of Baltimore's election board Web site.

Candidate	Votes	%
Stephanie Rawling-Blake	38,102	52%
Catherine E. Pugh	18,271
Otis Rolley	9,210
Jody Landers	5,026
Frank Conaway	2007
Lloyd Wilson	233

References

• "Maryland Manual Online". Maryland State Archives. 2007. http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/05sen/html/senal.html. Retrieved 2007-08-08. 
• Best Politician, Getting the Job Done City Paper: Published: September 22, 2010
• Catherine at a Glance