House of Delegates
Paliath to run for Maryland State House of Delegates
By Ela Dutt
Indian American Center
Dilip Paliath (File photo)
Maryland attorney Dilip Paliath, 34, is set to announce
his candidacy for the State's General Assembly from
District 42 and has already been endorsed by the State's
Republican Governor.
Paliath, who currently works as Chief Counsel in
the Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.'s (R) Office of
Crime Control & Prevention, and is the highest-ranking
Indian in the Ehrlich administration, has been exploring
the run since April this year and says he has an advantage
already with the Governor behind him. The primaries
for the race are in September 2006 and the general
elections take place in November 2006.
If elected next November, Paliath would be the second
Indian in the Maryland Assembly, the first being Democratic
Majority Leader Kumar Barve.
Born and brought up in Baltimore, Maryland, Paliath
told News India-Times, that he has a treasurer and
a political consultant helping him, and is in the
process of putting together a Finance Committee. Paliath,
whose parents belong to Kerala, India, ran for the
Maryland Assembly in 2002 but from a different district.
"Based on my prior experience and knowledge of
advertising needed, it could cost anything from $100,000
to $150,000. We've got time. There is a campaign report
due in January, so the higher amount we can post,
the better the chances of scaring away opponents,"
he said. "I expect that there will be other challengers
since it is an open seat. I appreciate the Governor's
support. I believe that it will push me over the top."
Each Legislative District in Maryland has one State
Senator and three Delegates. In District 42, the State
Senator is a Democrat and all three Delegates are
Republicans. Paliath said he consulted with Gov. Ehrlich
and others, and decided to run for one of the Delegate
slots that came open because the Republican incumbent
announced he would not seek re-election.
"
to compete for an open seat would be
a better strategy than trying to unseat an incumbent
State Senator," Paliath says in his official
release inviting people to the kick-off fundraiser.
"Governor Ehrlich fully supports Dilip Paliath
in this decision." His official "Campaign
Kick-Off Fundraiser" with Governor Ehrlich at
his side, takes place on Oct. 21. Governor Ehrlich
is also up for re-election in November next year.
Paliath is married to Tracey, who is also a political
appointee of the Governor. She is assistant director,
Baltimore City Department of Social Services and oversees
all welfare programs. They have a 17-month-old daughter
Hannah.
His father, George Kurien Paliath, is a retired physics
teacher, and mother, Elsie George Paliath, is a librarian.
Paliath graduated from Boston College and did law
at the University of Virginia School of Law. He joined
Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Grey where he met his
wife Tracey. In 1998, he became Asst. State Attorney
for Baltimore County, later volunteered for then U.S.
Rep. Bob Ehrlich's gubernatorial campaign. In January
2003, he became chief counsel in the Governor's office.
Dilip Paliath to Run for Maryland House
of Delegates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By RICHARD SPRINGER
India-West Staff Reporter
When last heard from, Dilip Paliath, currently chief
counsel in the office of Crime Control and Prevention
in the office of Maryland Republican Governor Robert
L Ehrlich, Jr., was seriously leaning toward running
in the GOP primary next September for the Maryland
state Senate (I-W, July 22, 2005).
Things have changed, Paliath told India-West Oct.
28. Instead, he has announced his candidacy for a
seat in the Maryland House of Delegates in District
42, which includes large sections of Baltimore County,
but not the city of Baltimore.
Indian American to run for Maryland General Assembly
Oct. 14, 2005
India Daily
http://www.newsindia.com/breaking_news/48615.asp
Another Indian American, attorney Dilip Paliath,
is set to announce his candidacy for the Maryland
State's General Assembly. Running from District 42,
Paliath, 34, chief counsel in Republican Governor
Bob Ehrlich's Office of Crime Control and Prevention,
is the highest-ranking Indian in the Ehrlich administration.
He has been exploring the run since April this year
and says he already has an advantage with the governor
behind him. If elected next November, Paliath, whose
parents hail from Kerala, would be the second Indian
in the Maryland Assembly but on the other side of
the aisle from Kumar Barve, the Democratic Party's
majority leader in the state assembly. The primaries
for the race are in September 2006 and the general
election takes place in November 2006. Born and brought
up in Baltimore, Paliath ran for the Maryland assembly
in 2002 but from a different district. Paliath said
he consulted with Governor Ehrlich and others and
decided to run for one of the Delegate slots that
opened because the Republican incumbent announced
he would not seek re-election. "...to compete
for an open seat would be a better strategy than trying
to unseat an incumbent state senator," Paliath
said in his official release inviting people to the
kick-off fundraiser. "Governor Ehrlich fully
supports Dilip Paliath in this decision." Paliath
is married to Tracey, who is also a political appointee
of the governor. She is assistant director, Baltimore
city department of social services and oversees all
welfare programmes. They have a 17-month-old daughter
Hannah.
January 9th, 2003
Finney and Paliath to Join Ehrlich Administration
ANNAPOLIS Governor-elect Robert L. Ehrlich,
Jr. today named two prominent Baltimore natives to
key posts in the incoming Ehrlich-Steele Administration.
Jervis Finney was named Counsel to the Governor and
Dilip Paliath was named to the incoming administrations
Office of Legislative Affairs.
Jervis Finney, 71, will be Counsel and Criminal
Justice Advisor to the Governor. Finney is currently
Senior Counsel at Ober, Kaler, Grimes and Shriver
in Baltimore, where he advises on aspects of business
and commercial cases, products liability, manufacturer
class-action defense, financial institution class-action
defense, trial and appeal in products liability and
other cases. Finney is a 1953 cum laude graduate of
Princeton University and a 1958 graduate of Harvard
University School of Law. A former Maryland State
Senator, Finney also served as United States Attorney
for the District of Maryland from 1975-1978. He is
a member of American College of Trial Lawyers and
in 1954 and 1955 was a Paratrooper, 11th Airborne
Division, in the United States Army. He lives in Baltimore
County with his wife, Patricia.
I have known Jervis Finney personally and professionally
for more than two decades. His knowledge and respect
for the law are unparalleled. I have absolute confidence
in his counsel, Ehrlich stated.
Dilip Paliath, 31, will be named Legislative
Officer to Director of Legislative Affairs Ken Masters.
The offices top three legislative priorities
will be Project Exile, a faith-based initiative, and
charter schools legislation. Paliath has served in
the Baltimore County States Attorneys
Office since December 1998 as the Assistant States
Attorney. Prior to that, Paliath served as an Associate
with Goodell, Devries, Leech & Gray, LLP in Baltimore.
Paliath is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association,
the Baltimore County Bar Association and the District
of Columbia Bar Association. Paliath earned his Bachelor
of Arts in Political Science from Boston College in
1993 and his Juris Doctor in 1996 from the University
of Virginia School of Law. Paliath resides in Cockeysville
with his wife, Tracey.
Dilip has proven himself to be a bright and
distinguished prosecutor with years of hands-on experience
in the courtroom, said incoming Director of
Legislative Affairs Ken Masters. His experience
will be invaluable to the nature of our work.