Robert Zirkin
 |
Bobby Zirkin | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Maryland Senate from the 11th district | |
| In office January 10, 2007 – January 1, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Paula Hollinger |
| Succeeded by | Shelly L. Hettleman |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 11th district | |
| In office January 13, 1999 – January 10, 2007 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 24, 1971 Davis, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Johns Hopkins University (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
Robert A. "Bobby" Zirkin (born April 24, 1971) is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. He represented Maryland's District 11 in Baltimore County in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1999 to 2007 and in the Maryland State Senate from 2007 to 2020.[1]
Background[edit]
Born in Davis, California, Zirkin's family moved to Maryland while he was a child and Zirkin attended Baltimore County Public Schools, including Pikesville High School. He received a bachelor's in political science from the Johns Hopkins University before earning a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center before being admitted to the Maryland Bar in 2000. He studied abroad during his undergrad at the London School of Economics and American University's Brussels program in 1992.[1]
He is the Founder and Senior Partner at Zirkin & Schmerling Law, a full-service law firm based in Baltimore.[2]
In the Legislature[edit]
Zirkin served two terms in the Maryland House of Delegates before winning an open seat in the State Senate in the 2006 election. He was a member of the Judicial Proceedings Committee; the Special Committee on Substance Abuse; the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review; and the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. In his first term, he was a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee and its public safety, transportation & environment subcommittee. Zirkin was also a member of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families; and the Joint Subcommittee on Program Open Space and Agricultural Land Preservation. Member, Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, 2007 (environment subcommittee, 2007; ethics & election law subcommittee, 2007; special committee on renewables & clean energy, 2007).[1]
Zirkin resigned from the Senate effective January 1, 2020, saying that politics had become too divisive and driven by special interests and social media.[3] After resigning, Zirkin lobbied on behalf of the Catholic Church in opposition to the Maryland Child Victims Act, which would extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases.[4] In 2023, Zirkin was reported to be advertising services to abuse survivors.[5]
In the Democratic Party[edit]
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Zirkin supported Barack Obama.
In 2014, State Senator Bobby Zirkin took over the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.[1]
In May 2024, former Republican Governor Larry Hogan announced that Zirkin would co-chair the "Democrats for Hogan" organization supporting his 2024 U.S. Senate campaign.[6] In an interview with The Washington Post, Zirkin said that he was supporting Hogan because of his positions on Israel.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Robert A. Zirkin, Maryland State Senator". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. January 2, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ "Bobby Zirkin". Zirkin and Schmerling Law. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Wood, Pamela (December 3, 2019). "Sen. Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore County member of General Assembly since 1999, says he's resigning next month". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ^ Gaskill, Hannah (February 5, 2021). "Zirkin Returns to Old Committee to Testify Against Wilson's Child Sex Abuse Bill". Maryland Matters. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
- ^ Gaskill, Hannah (June 5, 2023). "Ex-Maryland state Sen. Robert 'Bobby' Zirkin advertises legal assistance under Child Victims Act, which he once testified against". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Fortinsky, Sarah (May 15, 2024). "Hogan urges Democrats to back him in Maryland Senate race with new video". The Hill. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ Schwartzman, Paul; Cox, Erin (May 15, 2024). "Larry Hogan has won statewide twice. But now everything is different". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 16, 2024.