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Former Maryland State Democratic Sen. David Harrington Dies

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


A noted former state Democratic senator has passed away suddenly in Maryland, reports noted on Friday.

David Harrington, who recently served as the president of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce before stepping down from that post earlier this year, was 68, the Washington Informer noted earlier this week.

“David Harrington, a proud Howard University graduate, was more than a leader,” a statement from the chamber said. “He was a public servant and champion for businesses with a career that spanned over 40 years in the Washington metropolitan area. David was loved, respected, and admired throughout the region.

“The chamber shares the sorrow of his family, the community, and the businesses of Prince George’s County, as well as the entire public at his passing. We are heartbroken but will continue, as an organization, to honor his mission of excellence, service, advocacy, policy advisory, mentorship, and leadership,” the statement continued.

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“Sorry to hear about the passing of a great business and community leader that inspired and encouraged Black business owners to get in and stay in the game,” LaTasha Ward, a local entrepreneur and former candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates, noted. “Thanks for fighting for business stakeholders in Prince George’s County. You will be missed.”

Greenbelt Council member Brandon Gordon remembered Harrington fondly.

“He was the mayor of Bladensburg when I attended Bladensburg High School,” said Gordon, according to the Informer. “He challenged us to make a broader change in the community and was glad to see me doing just that. Rest in Heaven!”

Onetime Prince George’s County Board of Education member Belinda Queen described the former Democratic senator’s death as “a great loss to our county.”

“Definitely, gone too soon,” said Queen, who is currently a member of Prince George’s County Central Democratic Committee. “I have so many great memories out in the community working with you for a better Prince George’s. Just know your work is done. Rest in peace. My prayers are with the family.”

President Joe Biden reportedly kicked off his reelection bid in heavily Democratic Maryland last month “with a rally promoting the administration’s recent policy wins as he begins selling his agenda to voters ahead of the high-stakes November election,” The Washington Post reported.

“We must take our case to the American people and be crystal clear about it. There’s no question it’s been a few hard years,” Biden said during a speech at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville.

“We’re in a serious moment in our nation’s history,” Biden said, asking voters to join him in “saving” the country during the November midterms.

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“I respect conservative Republicans. I don’t respect these MAGA Republicans,” he added.

Biden gave a highly divisive primetime speech earlier this month in which he also hit on the “MAGA Republicans” theme, a speech that was widely criticized by both parties for the rhetoric and the visuals.

“We must be honest with each other and with ourselves,” Biden said during the speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, with a pair of U.S. Marines in the background. “Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.”

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“MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution,” he claimed without context or explanation. “They do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people. They refuse to accept the results of a free election.”

“And they’re working right now, as I speak in state after state, to give the power to decide elections in America to partisans and cronies, empowering election-deniers to undermine democracy itself,” Biden continued.

“MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards. Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love. They promote authoritarian leaders and they fan the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice, to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country,” the president said.

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