Senator Andrew Serafini, who represents District 2 in Washington County, announced his resignation from the Maryland Senate stating the “long hours and stress of the job have taken a toll. ” Senator Serafini served 12 years in the General Assembly. He was appointed to the Maryland House of Delegates and sworn in on March 7, 2008. He resigned from the House on February 2, 2015 and was appointed to the Senate. He has served in the Senate since that time on the Budget and Taxation Committee.
As reported by The Baltimore Sun,
“I must admit that leaving my family on a Monday and not returning home until Friday late afternoon has worn on me,” Serafini, 58, wrote. “Frankly, being a Republican from a rural area has also worn on me.”
Despite the challenges of being outnumbered by Democrats, Serafini credited Senate President Emeritus Thomas V. Mike Miller with making sure the minority party’s voice was heard.
“We have debated, disagreed, and worked through very difficult decisions but it has been done from a sincere desire to make Maryland better with mutual respect for each and every opinion,” Serafini wrote.
A Maryland Matters article highlights his friendships on both sides of the aisle.
In a statement, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore city) said “Andy is one of my closest friends in the Senate.”
“In a time when it is sometimes difficult to believe in bipartisanship and collegiality, Andy Serafini has been a shining example of how government can succeed,” Ferguson said.
“In the many moments we disagreed, he was a fierce challenger in the marketplace of ideas. When we agreed, there was no better ally you could ask for.”
Senate Minority Whip Stephen S. Hershey (R-Eastern Shore) praised him as well. “He brought a fiscally responsible outlook to the budget, the pension system and to Kirwan.”
