Maryland State Treasurer Dereck Davis (D) has not been on a ballot in five years but that has not stopped him from soliciting and accepting campaign contributions.
The nearly $44,000 Davis collected last year is all part of an effort by the 56-year-old treasurer to stay prepared should political opportunity knock. While his fundraising efforts are a break from the practice of recent state treasurers, they are completely legal.
“The only time that we force closure, and say you have to file a final report and dispose of all surplus funds, is after eight years,” said State Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis.
Under state law, a candidate has eight years to close their state campaign account. That clock starts running on the day the candidate last appears on the ballot or when they leave office, whichever comes later.
Davis is considered to be a possible contender for Prince George’s County executive should Angela Alsobrooks win her 2024 U.S. Senate race and must vacate the county office. Even if she isn’t elected to the Senate, she is termed out of her county job in 2026.
“I’m honestly not looking at the county executive race,” Davis said. “People have approached me in the county about it. It’s flattering that folks think I could do the job. but I really haven’t given it a thought. The only conversations I’ve had are when people bring it up to me. I sort of politely let them know that I’m just focused on the job that I’m doing.”
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Bryan P. Sears over at Maryland Matters
