Natalie Ziegler

Natalie Ziegler
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 9A district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 11, 2023
Serving with Chao Wu
Preceded byReid Novotny
Personal details
Born (1955-09-05) September 5, 1955 (age 69)
New York, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJohn Zirschky
Children2
Residence(s)Ellicott City, Maryland, U.S.
OccupationFarmer

Natalie Carroll Ziegler[1] (born September 5, 1955) is an American politician and farmer. She is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for District 9A in Howard and Montgomery counties.[2]

Background

Born in 1955 to mother Mary Carter Carroll and father John C. Ziegler,[1] Ziegler was raised in New York City and Boston.[3] She graduated from Abbot Academy in 1972 and Oberlin College in 1977, receiving a bachelor's degree with high honors in psychology, and later attended the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where she earned a master's degree in economics and American foreign policy in 1986.[4] She worked as a journalist and a guest booker for CNN,[3] and founded a jewelry manufacturing company with her husband in 2001.[2][5]

Ziegler is a fifth-generation[1] descendant of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a former U.S. Senator from Maryland and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.[6] She owns Carroll Mill Farm, a feed grain operation in Ellicott City, Maryland.[3]

In 2018, Ziegler ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 9A, challenging incumbent Republican state delegates Trent Kittleman and Warren E. Miller.[7] She won the Democratic primary on June 26, 2018, but was defeated by Kittleman and Miller in the general election on November 6.[8] Shortly after her loss, county executive-elect Calvin Ball III named Ziegler to serve on the county's public works subcommittee transition team.[9]

In January 2020, Ziegler was appointed to the Howard Community College Board of Trustees. She was reappointed to the board in October 2021.[10][4]

In November 2021, Ziegler filed to run for state delegate in District 9A, seeking to succeed outgoing state delegate Reid Novotny, who ran unsuccessfully for Maryland Senate.[11][12] She won a tight general election on November 8, 2022, coming in first.[13][14]

In the legislature

Ziegler was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 11, 2023.[15] She is a member of the House Environment and Transportation Committee.[16]

Personal life

Ziegler lives in Ellicott City with her husband, John Zirschky. Together, they have two children.[4]

Political positions

In September 2016, Ziegler supported and testified for a proposal to expand solar development on Howard County farmland.[17][18]

During the 2023 legislative session, Ziegler pushed back against a bill that would ban foreign governments from buying farmland in Maryland, worrying that the bill would "demonize people unfairly".[19]

Electoral history

Maryland House of Delegates District 9A Democratic Primary Election, 2018[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Natalie Ziegler 4,860 51.7
Democratic Steven M. Bolen 2,848 30.3
Democratic Michael David Gross 1,696 18.0
Maryland House of Delegates District 9A General Election, 2018[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Trent Kittleman (incumbent) 24,531 30.6
Republican Warren E. Miller (incumbent) 19,563 24.4
Democratic Natalie Ziegler 18,891 23.6
Democratic Steven M. Bolen 17,019 21.3
Write-in 56 0.1
Maryland House of Delegates District 9A Democratic Primary Election, 2022[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Natalie Ziegler 5,308 41.8
Democratic Chao Wu 3,942 31.0
Democratic Steven M. Bolen 3,448 27.2
Maryland House of Delegates District 9A General Election, 2022[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Natalie Ziegler 17,767 26.68
Democratic Chao Wu 17,486 26.43
Republican Trent Kittleman (incumbent) 17,373 26.26
Republican Jianning Zeng 13,609 20.56
Write-in 44 0.07

References

  1. ^ a b c "Charles Carroll of Homewood and his Descendants" (PDF). Charles Carroll House. September 2002. p. 8. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Members – Delegate Natalie Ziegler". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Streeter, Leslie Gray (August 18, 2022). "Good old Baltimoreans whose favorite whiskey is rye, this could be the place it's derived". Baltimore Banner. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Ms. Natalie C. Ziegler". howardcc.edu. Howard Community College. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  5. ^ "The Story Of Grace A Mano". graceamano.com. West Friendship, Maryland. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  6. ^ Carson, Larry (September 4, 2006). "Howard manor may sell rights". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  7. ^ Mann, Alex (June 26, 2018). "Dems compete to face incumbent Republicans in District 9". Carroll County Times. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  8. ^ Mann, Alex (November 6, 2018). "Carroll County voters choose incumbent Republicans for Maryland General Assembly". Carroll County Times. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  9. ^ Logan, Erin B. (November 21, 2018). "With Ellicott City flood plan in limbo, a developer lets a business owner go rent-free for the holidays". Howard County Times. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  10. ^ "Sean Keller and Natalie Ziegler | Howard Community College Board of Trustees". The Daily Record. October 25, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  11. ^ Ewart, Scott (November 16, 2021). "Howard County Politics: Natalie Ziegler files to run for Delegate in District 9A in 2022". Scott E's Blog. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  12. ^ Kurtz, Josh (September 1, 2022). "A look at the latest fundraising in a dozen competitive legislative districts". Maryland Matters. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  13. ^ Kurtz, Josh (November 18, 2022). "Dems take two more Senate seats, win Frederick County exec race". Maryland Matters. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  14. ^ Bixby, Ginny (November 22, 2022). "Ziegler, Wu declare victory in tight District 9A House of Delegates race". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  15. ^ "Natalie Ziegler, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  16. ^ Gaines, Danielle E. (January 5, 2023). "Jones announces new Democratic caucus, committee leaders for 2023 General Assembly session". Maryland Matters. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  17. ^ Waseem, Fatimah (September 7, 2016). "Proposal to expand solar development on Howard County farmland". Howard County Times. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  18. ^ Waseem, Fatimah (September 20, 2016). "Solar development divides farmers, Ellicott City development halt draws strong support". Howard County Times. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  19. ^ Goldstein, Adam (March 18, 2023). "Limits on foreign ownership of U.S. farmland gain support in Congress, despite skepticism". Maryland Matters. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  20. ^ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. July 31, 2018.
  21. ^ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. November 12, 2018.
  22. ^ "Official 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. August 24, 2022.
  23. ^ "Official 2022 Gubernatorial General Election Results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. July 12, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.