Maryland’s former speaker of the House of Delegates, Casper R. Taylor Jr. (D-Cumberland), has endorsed state Sen. Roger Manno’s (D-Montgomery) congressional bid for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, according to a press release forwarded to A Miner Detail by Manno’s campaign.
Taylor, 83, was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1975, representing District 1C – Allegany and Washington Counties – and served as Maryland’s speaker from 1994 to 2003, until being defeated by former Republican Del. LeRoy E. Myers, Jr. by 76 votes in 2002.
The former House speaker is often lauded as one of the most effective leaders in Annapolis in a generation. Taylor worked to bring millions of state and private aid to Cumberland, helping his economically stressed district with jobs and business incentives.
Two sources close to Taylor told A Miner Detail that Total Wine & More co-owner David Trone, also a candidate in the 6th Congressional District’s Democratic primary, solicited Taylor’s endorsement but was rejected by Taylor himself.
A Miner Detail shares Manno’s press release announcing the former speaker’s endorsement.
Cumberland, MD – Today, Maryland congressional candidate (MD-6) and State Senator Roger Manno announced the critical endorsement of Western Maryland’s Casper R. Taylor, Jr., former Speaker of the Maryland State House of Delegates. Speaker Taylor was elected to the House of Delegates representing District 1C (Allegany & Washington Counties) in 1975, and served as Speaker of the House of Delegates from 1994-2003.
Speaker Taylor is memorialized as bringing millions of dollars of state and private investments to the aid of his struggling district in Cumberland, including job-creating projects like Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort, and his “One Maryland” legislation to increase incentives for businesses, jobs and investments Western Maryland and other economically challenged regions of the state.
Speaker Taylor formally endorsed Senator Manno in a meeting at the Allegany Museum in Cumberland, of which Speaker Taylor serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board. “Roger Manno understands the challenges of working people because he has lived them,” stated Speaker Taylor. “No one will work harder for us than Roger will. We need Roger Manno to represent us in Congress.”
Manno responded: “Since Maryland’s early beginnings, few leaders have been as visionary and instrumental in Maryland’s progress as Speaker Taylor. His mark on our great state is undeniable, and his statesmanship and patriotism for Allegany County and Western Maryland are legendary. It as a great and rare honor to have his support, and to work closely with him for the empowerment of our great western counties.”
Manno currently serves as Senate Majority Whip, and previously served as a member of the House of Delegates from 2007-2011, before being elected to the Senate in 2010 in a landslide victory in both the Democratic Primary (~54-46%) and the General Election (~68-32%) in 2010.
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