Eastern Shore gets new delegate as widow sworn in
Del. Carolyn J. Elmore was sworn in at noon today, taking the seat held for seven years by her husband D. Page Elmore, who died in June of cancer.
Carolyn Elmore, a Republican and longtime educator, will represent parts of Somerset and Wicomico counties until the new crop of 188 lawmakers takes over in January. Elmore is not running for the seat.
After Speaker Michael E. Busch administered the oath of office on the House floor, Elmore posed for photographs with friends and new colleagues and stood by her husband's desk, which was adorned with a single white rose.
Elmore said it was her husband's wish that she fill the seat in the interim between his death and the 2011 legislative session.
"I want to honor him and continue his good works on the Eastern Shore," she said. "This also helps my family make the transition, too."
The Wicomico and Somerset County Republican Central Committees submitted her name to Gov. Martin O'Malley earlier this month.
She said her appointment is also a point of fairness; this way, none of the four Republicans who have filed to run gets the advantage of holding the office. A Democrat also is running for the seat, in District 38A.
Carolyn Elmore is retired from the Wicomico County School System, according to a biography released by Busch's office. Her most recent position was director of curriculum and professional development.
"Dr. Elmore is active with Salisbury University, including serving on the Advisory Board for the University’s Eastern Shore Institute for the Advancement of Thinking and on the Salisbury University Foundation Board," the release states.
