Shirley Nathan-Pulliam

Shirley Nathan-Pulliam (born May 20, 1939) is a former American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. She was the first African-Caribbean woman to be elected to the Maryland General Assembly.^[1] Pulliam resigned in 2019 due to poor health.

Shirley Nathan-Pulliam
Member of the Maryland Senate from the 44th district
In office January 14, 2015 – December 1, 2019
Preceded by	Verna L. Jones
Succeeded by	Charles E. Sydnor III
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 10th district
In office January 11, 1995 – January 14, 2015
Personal details
Born	(1939-05-20) May 20, 1939 (age 86) Trelawny, Jamaica
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Divorced
Children	three children; five grandchildren
Education	Mico School, Kingston, Jamaica; Naburn and Bootham Park Hospitals School of Nursing, Yorkshire, England, 1960; Baltimore City Hospital School of Practical Nursing, L.P.N., 1962
Alma mater	Baltimore Community College, A.A. (nursing), 1975; University of Maryland at Baltimore, B.S. (nursing), 1980; The Johns Hopkins University, M.A.S. (administrative science), 1987
Profession	Registered nurse, Faculty Associate, The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 1997-2000

Background

Nathan-Pulliam was born in Trelawny, Jamaica on May 20, 1939. She attended Park Hospital School of Nursing in Yorkshire, England. While studying there she met her husband, a member of the United States Army, they married and moved to Baltimore, Maryland, in 1960.^[2]

She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1980 and a master's degree in administrative science from the Johns Hopkins University in 1984. In addition to owning her own business, she has been a faculty associate in nursing for Johns Hopkins. Before being elected in 1994, Nathan-Pulliam was active with Democratic Party organizations at the state and national level, as well as with Planned Parenthood of Maryland and various professional nursing organizations. Nathan-Pulliam has received a number of awards for her advocacy on health care.

In the Legislature

Nathan-Pulliam represented Maryland's 44th Legislative District—located in parts of Baltimore County and Baltimore City—while in the Maryland General Assembly. She was a member of the Education Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. While in the Maryland House of Delegates, Nathan-Pulliam served as a deputy majority whip and as a member of the Health and Government Operations Committee. She was also a member of both the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and of Women Legislators of Maryland.

Legislative notes

• voted for income tax reduction in 1998 (SB750)^[3]
• voted in favor of increasing the sales tax whilst simultaneously reducing income tax rates for some income brackets - Tax Reform Act of 2007(HB2)^[4]
• voted in favor of in-state tuition for individuals who are not permanent residents, under certain conditions - Higher Education -Tuition Charges -Maryland High School Students, 2007 (HB6)^[5]

Retirement

Senator Pulliam did not run in the 2020 elections because of health concerns. On January 30, 2023, her name was placed on the facade of the newest multi-million-dollar wing of the University of Maryland Nursing school. On May 18, 2023, she accepted an honorary Doctor of Public Service Degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.^[1]

Election results

1994 General election results District 10

Voters to choose three:^[6]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Clifford H. Andrews	4,039	6%	Lost
Emmett C. Burns Jr.	17,637	27%	Won
Shirley Nathan-Pulliam	17,411	26%	Won
Beverly E. Goldstein	5,535	8%	Lost
Clifton McDonald	4,321	7%	Lost
Joan N. Parker	16,919	26%	Won

1998 General election results District 10

Voters to choose three:^[7]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Emmett C. Burns Jr.	23,203	36%	Won
Adrienne A. Jones	20,676	32%	Won
Shirley Nathan-Pulliam	21,348	33%	Won

2002 General election results District 10

Voters to choose three:^[8]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Emmett C. Burns Jr.	27,921	31.52%	Won
Adrienne A. Jones	25,655	28.96%	Won
Shirley Nathan-Pulliam	26,269	29.66%	Won

2006 General election results District 10

Voters to choose three:^[9]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Emmett C. Burns, Jr.	29,140	34.2%	Won
Adrienne A. Jones	27,064	31.8%	Won
Shirley Nathan-Pulliam	28,544	33.5%	Won
Other Write-Ins	370	0.4%

2010 General election results District 10

Voters to choose three:^[10]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Emmett C. Burns Jr.	31,513	31.60%	Won
Brian C Eybs (Write In)	16	0.00%	Lost
Adrienne A. Jones	29,719	29.80%	Won
Shirley Nathan-Pulliam	31,399	31.50%	Won
Jeanne L. Turnock	6,837	6.90%	Lost
Michael Tyrone Brown, Sr. (Write In)	9	0.00%	Lost
Frederick Ware-Newsome (Write In)	11	0.00%	Lost
Other Write-Ins	296	0.30%	N/A

2014 General election results District 44

Voters to choose one:^[11]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Shirley Nathan-Pulliam	26,261	80.2%	Won
Bernard Reiter	6,412	19.6%	Lost
Other Write-Ins	51	0.2%	N/A

2018 General election results District 44

Voters to choose one:^[12]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Victor Clark, Jr.	6,280	15.2%	Lost
Shirley Nathan-Pulliam	34,834	84.5%	Won
Other Write-Ins	86	0.2%	N/A