Carozza Announces Bid For New District Delegate Seat

OCEAN CITY — After serving for 28 years at high levels in the state and federal government, an Ocean City area native is now setting her sights on representing her home region in Annapolis.

Ocean City resident Mary Beth Carozza this week announced she was throwing her hat in the ring for the newly created District 38C House of Delegates seat for the upcoming election in 2014.

“I recently wrapped up my federal public service career, and as I was discerning my next steps, I decided to file for the new District 38C seat,” she said on Monday. “I still want to serve, but I’d like to serve in my home town and in the local community.”

Carozza has spent nearly three decades in public service, primarily in senior leadership positions in the state and federal government. She served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs in President George W. Bush’s Administration and served as Deputy Chief of Staff for former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich. Carozza also served as Deputy Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee and was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in 2003.

“It would be a privilege to serve and work for the people of our local area and I would like to give my all back to my home community where I was raised and which has supported me over the years,” she said. “I believe I can effectively use my past positions in prior public service to protect and advance our Shore way of life by focusing on local priorities in the areas of our economy, education, preservation, employment opportunities and public safety.”

District 38C was created during the 2012 legislative redistricting process following the last U.S. census in 2010. It is an entirely new district carved out of the old combination of Districts 38B and 38A. It encompasses much of northern Worcester County including Ocean City, West Ocean City, Ocean Pines and much of the county east of Route 113 and stretches west nearly to Salisbury. The town of Berlin, however, is carved out of District 38A, which now includes southern Worcester County and stretches north along the west side of the Route 113 corridor.

“With the creation of a new legislative district in our local area, this is a fresh opportunity to step up and serve here at home and I am committed to working tirelessly to earn and keep the trust of those in our community,” she said.

While the primary election is still over a year away, she plans to spend that year getting out and knocking on doors and finding out what is most important to residents.

Carozza is the daughter of Tony and Mary Pat Carozza, who have been long-time local community and church leaders and currently live in Ocean Pines. She was born in Baltimore, but raised in Ocean City, where she attended Ocean City Elementary, Berlin Middle School and Stephen Decatur High School, having graduated in 1979. While growing up, she worked in the family business, Beefy’s on 17th Street in Ocean City, with her parents and siblings. She played tennis at Decatur and also competed in local and regional tennis tournaments in Salisbury and across the Eastern Shore.

She graduated from The Catholic University with a Bachelor of Arts in political philosophy and a Master of Arts degree in American government. She has also completed the Harvard Senior Managers Government summer program.

Carozza joins Democrat and fellow Stephen Decatur graduate Mike Hindi in the field for the new District 38C seat.