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Bernice Mireku-North

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Bernice Mireku-North
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 14th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 11, 2023
Serving with Anne Kaiser and Pamela E. Queen
Appointed byLarry Hogan
Preceded byEric Luedtke
Personal details
Born (1981-10-29) October 29, 1981 (age 43)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseTerrill North
Children1
EducationUniversity of Maryland, College Park (BA)
Howard University School of Law (JD)
OccupationCriminal defense attorney
WebsiteCampaign website

Bernice D. Mireku-North (born October 29, 1981)[1] is an American politician. She is currently a Democratic member of the Maryland House of Delegates, appointed by Governor Larry Hogan to fill the term of Eric Luedtke, who resigned on January 2, 2023, to serve as the chief legislative officer of governor-elect Wes Moore. She was previously a candidate for Montgomery County State's Attorney in 2022.

Background

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Mireku-North attended Montgomery County public schools and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. degree in government and politics in 2003, and the Howard University School of Law with a J.D. degree in 2006.[2] She also studied abroad at the University of Oxford in the summer of 2002, studying British and U.S. judicial systems. She also served as a judicial law clerk to D.C. Superior Court Associate Judge Hiram E. Puig-Lugo and Prince George's Circuit Court Judge Dwight D. Jackson.[3][4]

Mireku-North served as the assistant state's attorney in Anne Arundel County from 2009 to 2015, then joined the Law Office of Aileen Oliver.[4][5] Since 2019, she has run her own law firm, the North Law Group, and worked as a criminal defense attorney.[2][3]

In 2020, Mireku-North was named co-chair of the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force organized by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich.[6] The 41-member task force released its final report on February 5, 2021; its 87 recommendations included redirecting some 911 calls to non-law enforcement agencies, eliminating police training programs with connections to military training, and increasing recruitment at historically Black colleges and universities.[7][8]

Bernice Mireku-North stands in front of several campaign signs and supporters at a campaign rally
Mireku-North campaigning in October 2021

In June 2021, Mireku-North filed to run for Montgomery County State's Attorney, challenging incumbent John McCarthy.[9][10] She pledged to reform criminal justice, increase diversity in the state's attorney's office,[11][12] and divert minor offenders from jail.[2] Mireku-North was defeated by McCarthy in the Democratic primary on July 19, 2022.[13]

In October 2022, Mireku-North applied to fill a vacancy in the Montgomery County Planning Commission.[14]

In the legislature

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In December 2022, Mireku-North filed to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of then-Majority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates Eric Luedtke, seeking to serve out his four-year term in the Maryland House of Delegates.[15] On January 3, 2023, the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee voted to nominate Mireku-North to fill the vacancy,[16][17] and on January 6, Governor Larry Hogan appointed her to fill the seat.[18]

Committee assignments

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  • Ways and Means Committee, 2023–present (early childhood subcommittee, 2023–present; local revenues subcommittee, 2023–present)

[3]

Other memberships

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  • Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, 2023–present
  • Women Legislators of Maryland, 2023–present

[3]

Electoral history

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Montgomery County State's Attorney Democratic primary election, 2022[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John McCarthy (incumbent) 65,598 52.05
Democratic Bernice Mireku-North 23,972 19.02
Democratic Perry Paylor 18,648 14.80
Democratic Tom DeGonia 17,817 14.14

References

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  1. ^ "State's Attorney". MoCo360. 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Leckrone, Bennett (June 21, 2021). "Mireku-North Launches Challenge to Montgomery County State's Attorney". Maryland Matters. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Bernice Mireku-North, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Bernice Mireku-North, Esq". The Daily Record. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  5. ^ Lash, Steve (October 13, 2021). "Longtime Montgomery prosecutor faces 3 challengers in race focused on 'evolving' justice". The Daily Record. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  6. ^ "Community Representatives - Reimagining Public Safety Task Force". montgomerycountymd.gov. Montgomery County, Maryland. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Schere, Dan (February 5, 2021). "Crisis training, focus on Taser use among 87 recommendations of police task force". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  8. ^ Morse, Dan; Tan, Rebecca (February 4, 2021). "In Maryland's largest suburb, an ambitious police overhaul faces roadblocks". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  9. ^ Tan, Rebecca (June 22, 2021). "Montgomery primary: Gaithersburg lawmaker, former Raskin aide join council race". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  10. ^ Schere, Dan (June 17, 2021). "Silver Spring attorney files for Montgomery County state's attorney race". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  11. ^ Schere, Dan (May 14, 2022). "State's Attorney candidates discuss local crime spikes, juvenile justice and the role of data in criminal justice reform". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  12. ^ Schere, Dan (June 13, 2022). "State's Attorney challenger candidates call for changes to combat violent crime". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  13. ^ Schere, Dan (October 10, 2022). "McCarthy unopposed in quest for 5th term as Montgomery County state's attorney". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  14. ^ Kurtz, Josh (October 19, 2022). "Political notes: Guess who's coming to town? Plus, MoCo planning vacancies draw a crowd, and a political provocateur targets Moore". Maryland Matters. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  15. ^ Bohnel, Steve (December 10, 2022). "Former state's attorney candidate eyeing vacant District 14 delegate seat in Annapolis". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  16. ^ Gaines, Danielle E. (January 4, 2023). "Mireku-North nominated to replace Luedtke in House of Delegates". Maryland Matters. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  17. ^ Bohnel, Steve (January 4, 2023). "Criminal justice reformer Mireku-North tapped to fill District 14 delegate vacancy". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  18. ^ "Governor Hogan Announces Legislative Appointment". governor.maryland.gov. The Office of Governor Larry Hogan. January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  19. ^ "Official 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election Results for Montgomery County". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. August 24, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
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