Maryland’s Democratic women senators are pooling their money for female candidates

Maryland’s Democratic women senators are pooling their resources to elect more women to the chamber.

The sitting senators and women who are running for the Senate are forming a slate, allowing them to share campaign cash for the rest of the cycle.

“Maryland voters are lucky to have a number of talented women running for Senate and the incumbents are psyched to offer them a little bit of extra support,” said Sen. Cheryl Kagan, a Montgomery County Democrat who was elected to the Senate in 2014. She served in the House of Delegates before that.

The push for more women senators comes as female representation in the Senate is likely to decline. The 47-member Senate currently has 13 Democratic women and one Republican woman.

With a wave of retirements and a couple of primary election losses, men are likely to take over multiple seats held by Democratic women in this fall’s election.

• Sen. Pamela Beidle of Anne Arundel County is retiring and endorsed Del. Mark Chang to succeed her.
• Sen. Nancy King of Montgomery County lost her primary to Amar Mukunda, who is unopposed in the general election.
• Sen. Dalya Attar of Baltimore lost her primary to Del. Malcolm Ruff, who is unopposed in the general election.

Democrats hope to make up some of that lost ground by supporting women who are challenging Republican men this fall, including Katie Clendaniel challenging Sen. Johnny Mautz on the Eastern Shore; Lara Westdorp challenging Sen. Bill Folden in Frederick County; and Stephanie Popescu facing Kevin Ford for an open seat in Baltimore County.

The slate also could help sitting Democratic senators facing Republican opponents, including Sen. Shaneka Henson in Anne Arundel County and Sen. Mary-Dulany James in Harford County.

All five of those candidates are already getting support from the Senate Democratic Caucus, comprised of incumbent senators who work to elect and reelect Democrats.

The slate of women Democrats also hopes to support Del. Tiffany Alston, who is running unopposed for a Prince George’s County seat but has some campaign debt.

“We need to have a Senate that reflects the diversity of the community,” said Sen. Shelly Hettleman of Baltimore County. “Right now we’re potentially losing female members, so this is a way to augment and complement what the caucus is already doing.”

Some of the candidates might be considered long shots, Hettleman said, but Democrats are expecting a good year for women candidates.

Campaign slates are a common tool used by political allies during election season.

Under campaign finance laws, a campaign is limited to donating no more than $6,000 to another candidate. But members of a slate can contribute unlimited funds that can be used to support any of the members. That means candidates who are good fundraisers or facing little opposition can shift money to candidates who are facing opposition.

A campaign slate also can accept donations from individuals and groups.

“We are now less than a month until Election Day,” Kagan said. “There are a number of senators who can donate from their campaign account. There are some who can make fundraising calls. And there are some who can do both.”

Beidle, one of the outgoing senators, spoke during Women’s History Month in March about the challenges of representation while managing responsibilities like careers and raising children.

“I think it’s just more difficult for women to step up,” she said, “and I think that’s what all of us need to do: help other women and young women realize their potential and run for office,” she said.

Banner reporter Brenda Wintrode contributed to this article.