Anthony Brown (Maryland politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anthony Brown
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Official portrait, 2023
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| 47th Attorney General of Maryland | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
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| Governor | Larry Hogan Wes Moore |
| Preceded by | Brian Frosh |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 4th district |
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| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Donna Edwards |
| Succeeded by | Glenn Ivey |
| 8th Lieutenant Governor of Maryland | |
| In office January 17, 2007 – January 21, 2015 |
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| Governor | Martin O'Malley |
| Preceded by | Michael Steele |
| Succeeded by | Boyd Rutherford |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 25th district |
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| In office January 14, 1999 – January 14, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Brenda Hughes |
| Succeeded by | Aisha Braveboy |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Anthony Gregory Brown
November 21, 1961 Huntington, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Patricia Arzuaga
(m. 1993; div. 2009)Karmen Walker Bailey
(m. 2012) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | United States Military Academy Harvard University (AB, JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1984–2014 |
| Rank |  Colonel (retired) |
| Unit | 3rd Infantry Division (Active) 10th LSO (Reserve) 353rd CACOM (OIF) 153rd LSO (Reserve) |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards | Legion of Merit Bronze Star |
Anthony Gregory Brown (born November 21, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician. Since 2023, he has served as the attorney general of Maryland. The attorney general is the top lawyer for the state government. He is the first African American to hold this position in Maryland.
Before becoming attorney general, Brown had many important jobs. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives for Maryland's 4th congressional district from 2017 to 2023. From 2007 to 2015, he was the lieutenant governor of Maryland. He also served in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Prince George's County.
Brown is also a retired colonel in the United States Army Reserve. He served in the U.S. Army for more than 30 years, including a tour of duty in the Iraq War.
Contents
Early Life and School
Anthony Brown was born in 1961 in Huntington, New York. His father, Roy, was a doctor from Cuba who was raised in Jamaica. His mother, Lilly, was from Switzerland. They met in Zürich, Switzerland, and moved to New York, where they raised Anthony and his four siblings.
In high school, Brown was elected president of the student council. He was the first African American to hold that role at his school. After graduating in 1979, he went to Harvard College. He studied government and joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at MIT. In 1984, he graduated from Harvard with honors.
Military and Law Career
Serving in the Army
After college, Brown became an officer in the U.S. Army and served on active duty for five years. He trained to be a helicopter pilot and served in Europe with the 3rd Infantry Division. He held several leadership roles, including platoon leader.
Even after his active duty ended, Brown continued to serve in the United States Army Reserve. He switched from being a pilot to being a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. He eventually reached the rank of colonel before retiring in 2014 after 30 years of service.
In 2004, while he was a politician in Maryland, Brown was sent to Iraq. He served for a year as a senior consultant to the Iraqi government. For his service in Iraq, he was awarded the Bronze Star.
Becoming a Lawyer
After his active duty, Brown went to Harvard Law School. He graduated in 1992 with a JD degree, which is the degree needed to be a lawyer. One of his classmates was future president Barack Obama.
After law school, he worked as a clerk for a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. In 1994, he joined a large law firm in Washington, D.C. He was known for doing pro bono work, which means providing free legal help to people who cannot afford it.
Political Career in Maryland
Maryland House of Delegates
Brown's political career started in 1998. He was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, which is part of Maryland's state legislature. He represented the 25th district in Prince George's County. He served for two terms and became the majority whip, an important leadership position.
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
In 2006, Brown was elected as Maryland's lieutenant governor. He was the running mate of Governor Martin O'Malley. They were reelected in 2010. As lieutenant governor, Brown was the second-highest official in the state.
Governor O'Malley put Brown in charge of several important areas. He worked on improving health care, helping the economy grow, and supporting military veterans.
Health Care Work
Brown led Maryland's efforts to put the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into action. This law aimed to make health care more affordable for more people. He also worked to create a state-run website, called a health insurance exchange, where people could buy insurance. The launch of the website had many problems, which drew criticism.
Helping Veterans
As a veteran himself, Brown focused on helping other military veterans in Maryland. He led efforts to pass laws that gave veterans better access to health care, especially for mental health. He also helped create a program that offered veterans lower interest rates on home loans.
2014 Governor's Race
In 2014, Brown ran for governor of Maryland. He won the Democratic Party's primary election. However, in the main election, he lost to the Republican candidate, Larry Hogan.
U.S. House of Representatives
After the governor's race, Brown decided to run for national office. In 2016, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He represented Maryland's 4th congressional district. This district includes parts of Prince George's County and Anne Arundel County.
While in Congress, Brown served on several committees, including:
- Committee on Armed Services (where he was Vice Chair)
- Committee on Ethics
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
He was also a member of groups like the Congressional Black Caucus and the New Democrat Coalition.
Attorney General of Maryland
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In 2021, Brown announced he would not run for Congress again. Instead, he decided to run for Attorney General of Maryland. He won the Democratic primary and then defeated the Republican candidate in the November 2022 election.
On January 3, 2023, Brown was sworn in as Maryland's 47th attorney general. He made history as the first African American to hold the job.
As attorney general, Brown's office acts as the lawyer for the state. He has focused on protecting people's civil rights, enforcing environmental laws, and investigating police misconduct. In 2023, his office released a major report about abuse in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore. During the second presidency of Donald Trump, he filed many lawsuits against the Trump administration.
Personal Life
Anthony Brown was married to Patricia Arzuaga from 1993 to 2009. They have two children, a daughter named Rebecca and a son named Jonathan.
In 2012, Brown married Karmen Walker Bailey. He became a stepfather to her son. Karmen works for the company Comcast. Brown is a member of the Catholic faith.
Images for kids
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Lt. Governor Anthony Brown testifies for Public-Private Partnership Legislation
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Lt. Governor Brown announcing the launch of 'Maryland's Commitment to Veterans' tour, September 2008
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Brown being sworn in by Governor Larry Hogan, January 2023
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See also
