Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller on Friday announced new committee and leadership appointments.
Some of the changes were necessitated by the loss of two members due to November's election.
The Senate lost two members to other elected offices: Baltimore's Catherine E. Pugh was elected the city's major and Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County won a seat in Congress.
Miller's appointments include:
•Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters, a Prince George's County Democrat, will take over as Senate Majority Leader, replacing Pugh.
•Sen. Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, as chairman of the Executive Nominations Committee, replacing Raskin
•Sen. Brian Feldman, a Montgomery County Democrat, as chairman of the Finance Committee's subcommittee on health, replacing Pugh
•Sen. Craig Zucker, a Montgomery County Democrat, as the Senate chairman of the Joint Audit Committee
Maryland Policy & Politics
•Sen. Guy Guzzone, a Howard County Democrat, as chairman of the Budget and Taxation's subcommittee on pensions
•Sen. Cheryl Kagan, a Montgomery County Democrat, as the Senate chairwoman of the Joint Committee on the Management of Public Funds. She also will join the Joint Committee on Federal Relations, replacing Raskin.
Other senators named to new positions in Democratic Party leadership include: Sen. Nancy J. King of Montgomery County as chairwoman of the Democratic Caucus, Sen. Joanne C. Benson of Prince George's County as assistant deputy majority leader, Sen. Roger Manno of Montgomery County as majority whip, Guzzone as majority whip and Sen. Susan C. Lee of Montgomery County as deputy majority whip.
Baltimore Democrats voted this week to nominate Del. Barbara Robinson to replace Pugh, while Montgomery County Democrats nominated Del. Will Smith to replace Raskin. The governor is required under the Maryland Constitution to appoint the person chosen by the party.
The General Assembly will open its next 90-day legislative session on Jan. 11.
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