Don H. Dwyer Jr. (born February 11, 1958) is an American former politician and former member of the Maryland House of Delegates. He served the 31st District of Anne Arundel County from January 8, 2003, to January 14, 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Dwyer is known for his conservative positions on certain issues, including outspoken opposition to same-sex marriage in Maryland.[2][3] He was reelected by 25 votes in the November 2006 election and reelected again in 2010. He was defeated in the June, 2014 Republican primary, thought to be largely due to his legal troubles.[4] Since 2017, Dwyer has lived in Clearwater, Florida.[5] As of April 2021,[update] Dwyer chairs the Board of Supervisors for the Clearwater Cay Community Development District.[6][7]
Don H. Dwyer Jr. | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 31st district | |
| In office January 8, 2003 – January 14, 2015 | |
| Succeeded by | Meagan C. Simonaire & Nicholaus R. Kipke |
| Constituency | Annapolis, Maryland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 11, 1958 Annapolis, Maryland[1] |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Cheryl |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Glen Burnie, Maryland |
| Occupation | Politician |
Alcohol-related legal issues
editDwyer has admitted to drinking on a "pretty regular" basis, beginning at the end of the 2011 legislative session.[8] He has also spoken of attending counseling sessions and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to cope with alcohol dependency.[8]
On August 22, 2012, Dwyer was operating a motorboat on the Magothy River when he collided with another vessel, seriously injuring himself, John Moran IV, his companion and former police officer,[8] and five others.[9] Among the others injured were three children, including a 5-year-old girl who fractured her skull.[8] Dwyer's blood alcohol content tested three times the legal limit of 0.08.[8][10] He admitted to operating the boat under the influence at a news conference held outside Maryland Shock Trauma, adding that he regretted his actions.[9] On August 6, 2013, Dwyer pleaded guilty to the charges but appealed his 30-day jail sentence.[11]
While he was appealing, early on the morning of August 20, 2013, Dwyer was pulled over by an Anne Arundel County sheriff's deputy in his 2001 Cadillac DeVille for suspected intoxication. After showing signs of alcohol intoxication, failing field sobriety tests, and refusing a to submit to a breathalyzer examination, he was arrested and transported to the Eastern District for booking.[12]
He was again found guilty and received an additional 30-day sentence for that offense, for a total of 60 days in jail. He did not resign his seat.[13]
Dwyer claimed his drinking that led to the boat accident was a result of marital problems and feeling betrayed by fellow lawmakers who supported legislation in favor of same-sex marriage in Maryland. Dwyer said "I felt a tremendous amount of pressure in my family. You take those personal issues [and] add betrayal on the professional side, and it really gets to be overwhelming."[14]
Political fundraising
editAt a May 2013 fundraiser for his political campaign, Rep. Dwyer hosted an auction of assault weapons during a "Gun Rights and Liberty BBQ".[15]
Election results
edit- 2002 General Election for Maryland House of Delegates – District 31[16]
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome John R. Leopold, Rep. 24,937 24.31% Won Joan Cadden, Dem. 16,906 16.48% Won Don Dwyer Jr., Rep. 16,807 16.39% Won Thomas R. Gardner, Rep. 15,321 14.94% Lost Mary Rosso, Dem. 15,127 14.75% Lost Thomas J. Fleckenstein, Dem. 13,404 13.07% Lost Other Write-Ins 73 0.07%
- 2006 General Election for Maryland House of Delegates – District 31[17]
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Steve Schuh, Rep. 19,049 18.4% Won Nic Kipke, Rep. 18,150 17.5% Won Don Dwyer Jr., Rep. 17,558 17.0% Won Joan Cadden, Dem. 17,533 16.9% Lost Thomas J. Fleckenstein, Dem. 16,654 16.1% Lost Craig A. Reynolds, Dem. 14,454 14.0% Lost Other Write-Ins 58 0.1%
- 2010 General Election for Maryland House of Delegates – District 31[18]
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Nic Kipke, Rep. 24,143 21.96% Won Steve Schuh, Rep. 22,805 20.74% Won Don Dwyer Jr., Rep. 22,452 20.42% Won Jeremiah Chiappelli, Dem. 12,943 11.77% Lost Justin M. Towles, Dem. 11,968 10.89% Lost Robert L. Eckert, Dem. 11,856 10.78% Lost Other Write-Ins 105 0.1%
- 2014 Republican Primary Election for Maryland House of Delegates – District 31B[19]
- Voters to choose two:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Nic Kipke, Rep. 3,920 31.00% Won Meagan Simonaire, Rep. 3,075 24.30% Won Gus Kurtz, Rep. 1,779 14.10% Lost Brian A. Chisholm, Rep. 1,607 12.70% Lost Faith M. Loudon, Rep. 1,017 8.10% Lost Don Dwyer Jr., Rep. 890 7.00% Lost Paul William Drgos Jr., Rep. 230 1.80% Lost David Lee Therrien, Rep. 111 0.90% Lost
References
edit- ^ "Don H. Dwyer, Jr., Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. September 29, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ Bykowicz, Julie (February 25, 2011). "House same-sex marriage hearing underway". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
Del. Don Dwyer Jr., an Anne Arundel County Republican who has called himself "the face of the opposition" began his testimony with a prayer.
- ^ Santoscoy, Carlos (February 27, 2011). "Maryland's Don Dwyer Claims Gay Marriage Supporters Have Perjured Themselves". On Top Magazine. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ Sauers, Elisha; Bottalico, Brandi; Read, Zoe (June 25, 2014). "Dwyer loses House seat in 31B; Simonaire advances". Maryland Gazette. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ^ Danielson, Richard (June 28, 2019). "The nuclear option: Clearwater condo owners push back against bond debt". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
- ^ Don Dwyer on LinkedIn
- ^ "Contact". Clearwater Cay Community Development District. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Prudente, Tim (January 14, 2013). "Dwyer discusses drinking and recovery". Maryland Gazette. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ a b Rector, Kevin (August 23, 2012). "Del. Dwyer admits to drinking in Arundel boating accident". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
- ^ "Md. Del. Dwyer acknowledges drinking before operating boat that struck another, injuring kids". The Washington Post. Associated Press. August 23, 2012. Archived from the original on August 24, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
- ^ Wagner, John (August 6, 2013). "Md. delegate enters guilty plea for drunken boating, awaits sentence in October". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Delegate Dwyer Arrested On DUI Charge". Eye on Annapolis. August 20, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
- ^ "Don Dwyer sentenced to 60 days in jail". WJLA-TV. October 25, 2013. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ^ "Drunken Republican Says It Was Gay Marriage That Made Him Operate Vehicles Under The Influence". AddictingInfo.org. August 20, 2013. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ Serino, Louis (April 12, 2013). "Maryland delegate raffles off two assault weapons in fundraiser". PoliticalPartyTime.org. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
- ^ "2002 Gubernatorial Election". Maryland State Board of Elections. December 2, 2002. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
- ^ "Official 2006 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
- ^ "2010 General Election Official Results". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- ^ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. July 16, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
External links
edit- Delegate Don Dwyer (archived from the original on January 11, 2016)
- Dwyer biography from the Maryland Archives