Reggie Oldak Decides Against Delegate Run in District 16

Following is a press release from former District 16 Delegate candidate Reggie Oldak, who ran a strong fourth in 2006 but has decided not to run again this year.

REGGIE OLDAK ANOUNCES SHE WILL NOT RUN FOR MARYLAND STATE DELEGATE IN 2010

Bethesda, MD – January 14, 2010 – Today, Reggie Oldak announced that she would not be a candidate for Delegate from Montgomery County’s District 16 this year. Her statement follows:

“I ran in 2006 because I believed that serving in the General Assembly would be the most effective way for me to work for social and economic justice for Maryland’s women and their families. I am very grateful for all of the support I received at that time, and I sincerely appreciate those who have encouraged me to run again. I especially want to thank the volunteers who helped me come close to winning in a very intense 10-week campaign.

But the timing is not right this year. As senior counsel at the National Women’s Law Center, I now focus on federal tax, budget and anti-poverty policy for the benefit of low-income and other women who are economically vulnerable – including single mothers, women of color, and the elderly. I find the work very fulfilling. More important, I believe I am in a position to make a difference.

Poverty is a women's issue. More than 14 million women – one in eight – live in poverty in this country. A report prepared by the Montgomery County Commission for Women in 2008, while I was president of the Commission, found that the poverty rate in Montgomery County was only three percent – but the poverty rate for single mothers with young children was ten times higher, 30 percent.

I will continue to advocate for women’s rights in Maryland, and I remain active in Montgomery County, especially through service on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington and through my work on the Commission for Women. And I will continue to support candidates who champion women’s rights in Maryland.”

CONTACT: Reggie Oldak, reggie@oldaks.com, 301-602-3923