From Baltimore OutLoud

McCarthy Throws Hat in 44th District Race

December 16, 2005

It never was a question if Anthony McCarthy would run for public office again - only when. This week, Baltimore Sun writer Laura Vozzella answered that question when she reported on Sunday, December 4, that the 37-year-old Mt. Vernon resident will run for a seat in the House of Delegates from the 44th District. His last attempt for the same House seat was in 1998. Since that time, McCarthy has added to his professional and public service resumés and excercised his skills plentiful gifts of public speaking and political analysis.

While he has never held elective office , McCarthy is no stranger to Baltimore City or state politics. He has worked for former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke, City Council President Sheila Dixon, and Congressman Elijah Cummings. And until recently he hosted a weekly news show on WYPR-FM (88.1). He resigned from the news job to run for the House of Delegates.

In addition to his political work, his resume includes stints as a reporter, editor and publisher at the Afro-American, Baltimore Times and Gay Life.

If McCarthy's professional resume looks busy, so does his volunteer work. He is an Associate Pastor at Unity Fellowship Church on W. Read Street. And, he has worked with many local lgbt and HIV/AIDS organizations including Equality Maryland (EM) and the Mayor's Task Force on lgbt Concerns. But he is probably best known in the gay community for his numerous appearances hosting or moderating everything from the recent EM Jazz Brunch to panel discussions on marriage rights.

Gifted with a strong, smooth voice and the out-going, glad-handing personality of a politician, McCarthy looks and sounds as comfortable speaking in front of 1,000 people as he does enjoying a cocktail with friends.

According to Vozzella, McCarthy intents to formally announce his candidacy next month. When contacted by OUTloud, McCarthy emailed back that he was in Seattle on vacation this week, spending time laying out the groundwork for his campaign.