Dennis C. Donaldson

Dennis C. Donaldson
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
In office January 10, 1979 – January 16, 1991 Serving with Francis W. White (1979–1983), Lorraine M. Sheehan (1979–1983), Albert Wynn (1983–1987), Jerry E. Perry (1983–1987), Ulysses Currie (1987–1991) and Juanita Miller (1987–1991)
Constituency	26th district (1979–1983), 25th district (1983–1991)
Personal details
Born	(1938-06-09)June 9, 1938 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	October 11, 2024(2024-10-11) (aged 86) Melbourne, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Democratic

Dennis Clifton Donaldson (June 9, 1938 – October 11, 2024) was an American politician from the state of Maryland.^[1] Born in Washington, D.C., he served in the U.S. Air Force from 1960 to 1966. He served as a Democratic member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Prince George's County-based district 26 from 1979 to 1983 and district 25 from 1983 to 1991, serving as speaker pro tempore for the final two years.^[1]

Donaldson considered a primary challenge against Congressman Roy Dyson in the 1990 cycle, receiving the endorsement of state house speaker R. Clayton Mitchell Jr., but declined to run, citing a lack of funds.^[2] He did not seek re-election that year, having accepted a position as a liaison between the Maryland Department of Transportation and the state legislature.^[3] He ran for a Maryland Senate seat on the lower Eastern Shore in 1994, losing to incumbent Republican J. Lowell Stoltzfus.^[4] He later worked as a political consultant, founding his own company, Donaldson Consultants. He died in Melbourne, Florida on October 11, 2024, at the age of 86.^[1]

Electoral history

1978

Maryland House of Delegates, District 26, 1978 election
* denotes incumbent     Source:^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Francis W. White	6,974	27.4
	Democratic	Dennis C. Donaldson	6,603	25.9
	Democratic	Lorraine M. Sheehan*	6,100	23.9
	Republican	John Simpson	3,947	15.5
	Republican	Joseph A. Finlayson Jr.	1,866	7.3
Total votes			25,490	100

1982

Maryland House of Delegates, District 25, 1982 election
* denotes incumbent     Source:^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Lorraine M. Sheehan*	11,966	32.4
	Democratic	Albert Wynn	11,318	30.7
	Democratic	Dennis C. Donaldson*	11,265	30.5
	Republican	Joseph A. Finlayson Jr.	2,353	6.4
Total votes			36,902	100

1986

Maryland House of Delegates, District 25, 1986 election
* denotes incumbent     Source:^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Dennis C. Donaldson*	10,806	33.0
	Democratic	Juanita Miller	10,180	31.1
	Democratic	Ulysses Currie	9,733	29.7
	Republican	Bryan K. Swartwood	2,049	6.3
Total votes			32,768	100

1994

Maryland Senate, District 38, 1994 election
* denotes incumbent     Source:^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	J. Lowell Stoltzfus*	21,783	66.9
	Democratic	Dennis C. Donaldson	10,794	33.1
Total votes			32,577	100

References

1. "Dennis C. Donaldson Sr". Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory. October 15, 2024.
2. "Donaldson says he won't challenge Dyson". The Star-Democrat. Easton, Maryland. January 9, 1990. p. 1, p. 2
3. "Speaker pro tem of House confirms he is stepping down". Baltimore Sun. May 30, 1990.
4. "38th same; 37th gets shuffled". The Daily Times. Salisbury, Maryland. November 9, 1994.
5. "Maryland Manual" (PDF). Maryland State Board of Elections. 1979. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
6. "Maryland Manual" (PDF). Maryland State Board of Elections. 1983. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
7. "1986 Gubernatorial Election - House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
8. "1994 Gubernatorial Election - State Senate". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 14, 2024.