David Fraser-Hidalgo
American politician (born 1969)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David V. Fraser-Hidalgo (born 1969) is an Ecuadorian-born American politician and a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 15 in Montgomery County, Maryland.[1] He was appointed to complete the term of Delegate Brian J. Feldman following Feldman's appointment to a Senate seat and has since been elected to his own full term.[2]
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David Fraser-Hidalgo | |
|---|---|
Fraser-Hidalgo in 2026 | |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 15th district | |
| Assumed office October 21, 2013 | |
| Appointed by | Martin O'Malley |
| Preceded by | Brian J. Feldman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1969 (age 56–57) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Occupation | Sales Director |
| Website | https://www.fraserfor15.org/ |
Early life and education
Fraser-Hidalgo was born in 1969 in Quito, Ecuador. He grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland, attending Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Maryland. In 1992, he earned a B.A. in History from St. Mary's College of Maryland.[1]
For three years, Fraser-Hidalgo served as a police officer in Montgomery County before leaving the police department and entering the business world. He has worked for a number of firms, including being a partner in a Montgomery County based tech firm for 10 years and as an Area Director for Regus. He has also been involved in a variety of volunteer activities in the county, including as a leader in the Boyds Civic Association and sits on the boards of the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Community Farm Share and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators.[1]
In 2010, Fraser-Hidalgo unsuccessfully ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 15,[3] coming in fourth place with 8.8 percent of the vote.[4]
In the legislature
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In 2013, the retirement of Senator Robert J. Garagiola from the Maryland Senate prompted the appointment of Delegate Brian J. Feldman to fill the remainder of Garagiola's term. This left an open Delegate seat, which was contested by a number of applicants. Fraser-Hidalgo won the final vote of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee by a close margin,[2] and on October 16, 2013, was appointed by Governor Martin O'Malley to fill the seat.[5] He was sworn in on October 21, 2013.[1]
In February 2015, Fraser-Hidalgo joined state Senator Victor Ramirez and Delegates Joseline Peña-Melnyk, Maricé Morales, Will Campos, and Ana Sol Gutierrez in organizing the Maryland Latino Legislative Caucus, becoming one of the caucus' first six members.[6][7][8] Fraser-Hidalgo served as the Latino Caucus' chair from 2019 to 2024.[1]
Political positions
Environment
Fraser-Hidalgo repeatedly introduced legislation that would ban the practice of fracking in Maryland.[9][10][11] During the 2017 legislative session, his bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan on April 4, 2017.[12][13]
During the 2019 legislative session, Fraser-Hidalgo introduced a bill that would increase the state's electric vehicle tax credit to $3,000.[14] The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Hogan on April 30, 2019.[15][16] During the 2022 legislative session, Fraser-Hidalgo introduced a bill extending the tax credit, which passed and was signed into law.[17][18]
During the 2021 legislative session, Fraser-Hidalgo introduced a bill that would charge polluters a carbon fee for their greenhouse gas emissions, which would fund education programs and green infrastructure.[19][20] The bill received an unfavorable committee report.[21]
During the 2022 legislative session, Fraser-Hidalgo introduced a bill that would set goals for electrifying the state's vehicle fleet, with 100 percent of passenger cars purchased to be electric by 2028 and all passenger cars in the fleet to be electric by 2031.[22]
Industrial hemp
During the 2018 legislative session, Fraser-Hidalgo introduced a bill that would create a pilot program authorizing both growing and processing operations for industrial hemp.[23] The bill passed with nearly unanimous support (136–1 in the House and 46–0 in the Senate) and was signed into law by Governor Hogan.[24] During the 2019 legislative session, he introduced legislation to fully legalize commercial hemp farming, which was signed into law by Governor Hogan.[25][26]
Social issues
During the 2016 legislative session, Fraser-Hidalgo introduced a bill that would have strengthened laws on underage drinking. The bill was watered down during committee hearings,[27][28] but passed and became law.[29][30][31]
During the 2020 legislative session, Fraser-Hidalgo introduced a bill that would require special elections to fill vacancies in the Maryland General Assembly.[32]
In February 2026, Fraser-Hidalgo supported a bill that would prohibit investor-owned utilities from paying employee bonuses and supervisor compensation with ratepayer dollars.[33]
Personal life
Fraser-Hidalgo lives in Boyds, Maryland, in a home that is almost completely autonomous.[34] He was married to Lisa Bethel, and has two children, Samantha and Scott.[1][35][36] In the early spring of 2018, his wife Lisa died from cancer.[37][38]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brian J. Feldman | 6,262 | 31.4% |
| Democratic | Kathleen Dumais | 6,086 | 30.6% |
| Democratic | Aruna Miller | 4,671 | 23.5% |
| Democratic | David-Fraser Hidalgo | 1,755 | 8.8% |
| Democratic | Lara Wibeto | 1,142 | 5.7% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kathleen Dumais | 6,156 | 30.6% |
| Democratic | Aruna Miller | 5,748 | 28.6% |
| Democratic | David Fraser-Hidalgo | 4,447 | 22.1% |
| Democratic | Bennett Rushkoff | 3,754 | 18.7% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kathleen Dumais | 19,083 | 20.6% |
| Democratic | Aruna Miller | 18,071 | 19.5% |
| Democratic | David Fraser-Hidalgo | 17,324 | 18.7% |
| Republican | Ed Edmundson | 12,913 | 13.9% |
| Republican | Christine Thron | 12,825 | 13.8% |
| Republican | Flynn Ficker | 12,355 | 13.3% |
| N/A | Other Write-Ins | 86 | 0.1% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kathleen Dumais | 8,207 | 22.4% |
| Democratic | Lily Qi | 6,568 | 17.9% |
| Democratic | David Fraser-Hidalgo | 6,206 | 16.9% |
| Democratic | Amy Frieder | 5,289 | 14.4% |
| Democratic | Kevin Mack | 4,257 | 11.6% |
| Democratic | Anis Ahmed | 2,097 | 5.7% |
| Democratic | Andy Van Wye | 2,032 | 5.5% |
| Democratic | Hamza Sarwar Khan | 1,262 | 3.4% |
| Democratic | Tony Puca | 776 | 2.1% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kathleen Dumais | 36,331 | 24.6% |
| Democratic | Lily Qi | 34,888 | 23.6% |
| Democratic | David Fraser-Hidalgo | 33,808 | 22.9% |
| Republican | Laurie Halverson | 15,678 | 10.6% |
| Republican | Harvey Jacobs | 14,096 | 9.5% |
| Republican | Marc A. King | 12,993 | 8.8% |
| N/A | Other Write-Ins | 139 | 0.1% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lily Qi | 21,127 | 23.1% |
| Democratic | Linda Foley | 21,097 | 23.1% |
| Democratic | David Fraser-Hidalgo | 20,429 | 22.4% |
| Republican | Stacey Sauter | 9,930 | 10.9% |
| Republican | Matt Wade | 9,426 | 10.3% |
| Republican | Jodi Noah | 9,321 | 9.1% |
| N/A | Other Write-Ins | 73 | 0.1% |