Howard County Executive Ken Ulman
When state residents fill out their election ballots Nov. 4 to decide who will govern the state for the next four years, they will see the name of university alumnus and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman for lieutenant governor as Anthony Brown’s running mate.
A young Terp dreams big
Ulman was always interested in politics, but he said his time at this university solidified his passion and created his dream of running for office.
A graduate of a Howard County public school, Ulman spent his freshman year at the University of Richmond in Virginia before returning to his home state to attend this university.
It wasn’t long after moving into Charles Hall that he decided to get involved in Greek life. He pledged Theta Chi and balanced his time between serving as membership chair of the Interfraternity Council and working at the Adidas store on Route 1.
Ulman got his start in politics when he joined the Student Government Association as a legislator. It was there he met his wife, Jaki Harf, an Alpha Phi member who was the SGA treasurer. The two now live in Columbia with their daughters, Maddie, 13, and Lily, 9.
“We had a lot of things in common because we were both interested in government and politics,” Jaki Ulman said. “I was always impressed with his focus and passion for politics.”
During his junior year, when Ulman got what he calls his big break: a White House internship with the Bill Clinton administration. Ulman made several connections within the administration, and at the beginning of his senior year, he took off a semester to travel to Iowa to work on Clinton’s re-election campaign.
“I really fell in love with the opportunities I had [during college] — both the coursework and the internships,” Ulman said.
Diving into the political arena
After working on political campaigns and in the Maryland State House, then-28-year-old Ulman launched his own political career with a run for Howard County Council.
“I never thought I would run myself,” Ulman said. “I just got to a point working for others where I said, ‘You know what? Maybe I’ll take a shot at this,’”
Ulman won the election with 58 percent of the vote and faced his first serious political challenge shortly afterward.
The city of Columbia announced in 2003 that they were going to close Merriweather Post Pavilion, a concert venue Ulman attended in his teenage years. Ulman, who described himself as a “brash, headstrong new councilmember,” said he couldn’t stand to see the venue demolished, and he successfully led a campaign to save it.
“Quality of life is really important,” Ulman said. “We talk about business climate, schools, but there’s this other piece that is the intangibles of quality of life. I think that’s what Merriweather means to lots of people. Everyone’s got their story of their first date, their best concert. Those things are really important in this world.”
This early victory brought Ulman favor with Howard County residents, giving a welcome boost to his 2006 campaign for county executive. At 32, he became the youngest county executive elected in state history, with 52 percent of the vote.
“A lot of people thought that [saving Merriweather] spoke to my values, that I would stand up and fight for something,” Ulman said. “Certainly citizens are looking for leaders who will stand up and fight for their shared values, so I took a shot and ran for county executive.”
As county executive, Ulman led a push for environmental sustainability at a time when evidence of global warming was shifting the national discussion. His initiatives included creating the county’s Office of Environmental Sustainability in 2007, setting green building standards and encouraging the use of hybrid transit buses.
“It’s a big priority, especially when it comes to innovation tied to sustainability,” Ulman said.
Education was also a top priority during Ulman’s eight years as county executive. In addition to keeping Howard County public schools some of the best ranked in the state, he also worked to allow greater access to higher education, including setting aside $2.5 million for a scholarship grant to Howard County Community College.
“I believe strongly, as does Anthony Brown, that it is incumbent for us to remove as many barriers as we can for people climbing that ladder of opportunity, higher education being affordable is critical to that,” Ulman said. “We’ve got to make it as easy as possible for folks to continue their education past 12th grade.”
On the campaign trail
Ulman has known Brown since 1998, when Brown was a state delegate. He attended Brown’s wedding with Harf in 2012. It was in March 2013 when the two began discussing a gubernatorial campaign.
“Once it became 100 percent clear that we were absolutely aligned in our vision and values, it was an easy choice to say ‘yes’ when he asked me to join the team,” Ulman said.
Though he admits it has been tiring, Ulman calls the campaign the best experience of his life.
“It’s been an amazing experience to further my belief that folks in every corner of the state really want the same things,” he said, naming issues such as job opportunities and public safety. “How we get there, that is a discussion we are having in this campaign.”
In June, Brown and Ulman won the Democratic primary with 51 percent of the vote, while Attorney General Doug Gansler and Del. Heather Mizeur each amassed less than 25 percent.
“First off, you’ve got to be a team player, and [Ulman] is,” said Del. Guy Guzzone (D — Howard County), who worked with Ulman on the Howard County Council. “He recognizes that working together, you can accomplish more so as a team.”
In a race many have criticized for being overly combative with not enough emphasis placed on the issues on both sides, Ulman said he wants the media to focus more on the positives.
On Sept. 24, opponent Larry Hogan’s running mate, Boyd Rutherford, and Ulman agreed to schedule a debate, but the date has not yet been finalized.
Ulman has met with university President Wallace Loh on several occasions, and said if he is elected they will work together to improve development in College Park. Loh said Ulman can serve as a model for students to follow.
“[He’s a] really nice guy, I like him a lot, just as a person,” Loh said of Ulman. “He’s very approachable, very open, has the interest of students at heart, the interest of the University of Maryland, and I think he’s a great politician.”
While on the campaign trail, Ulman says he has kept close ties with his alma mater, and appreciates all that the university gave him.
“I really owe my experiences and my opportunities in public service almost entirely to my experience at College Park,” Ulman said.
Senior staff writer Ellie Silverman contributed to this report.
