Brooke Elizabeth Lierman (D) and Barry Glassman (R) are running for Maryland comptroller on Nov. 8, 2022. Incumbent Peter Franchot (D) ran for election for governor of Maryland. He lost in the Democratic primary on July 19, 2022.
Lierman has represented District 46 of the Maryland House of Delegates since 2015. She also worked as a disability and civil rights attorney and field organizer for U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone (D) and former presidential candidate Howard Dean (D). “As one of only three statewide, independently-elected officials,” Lierman said, “I will provide strong independent oversight of our state’s financial resources and be an advocate for families, communities, and small businesses.” Lierman’s endorsers include U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D), U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes (D), and The Baltimore Sun.
Glassman represented District 35 of the Maryland State Senate from 2009 to 2015 and served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1999 to 2008. In 2014, Glassman was elected as county executive of Harford County. His professional experience includes working as a claims investigator for Travelers Insurance Company. On his campaign website, Glassman said, “Maryland’s budget is nearly $50 billion. As your Comptroller, I will hold the state accountable for spending money responsibly and in your best interest.” Glassman’s endorsers include Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), the Maryland Farm Bureau, and The Washington Post.
Lierman and Glassman both made statements regarding environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues. Lierman said she would “ensure that any outside investment management firms reflect the diversity of our state, and ensure our investments are prudent while also reflecting our progressive values” and that “[m]aking climate resilience one of the key pillars of the Comptroller’s Office will ensure that all decision-making and functions have a ‘climate lens’ by which to define future actions.” Glassman said, “The state constitution sets that office up as a non-partisan CFO. A bookkeeper — more than a bookkeeper — a tax collector, revenue-estimator, all those fiscal duties. The comptroller is not intended to be a partisan position,” and said, “I don’t think a carbon neutral or a new policy such as that is probably realistic going forward.”
The comptroller’s main duties are to collect all of the revenues from state programs, to provide information technology services for most of the state agencies, and to regulate the state’s alcohol, tobacco, and motor fuel industries. The officer also serves as a member of many state boards and commissions, such as the board of revenue estimates, the board of public works, and the board of trustees of the State retirement and pension system. Additional responsibilities of the office include registering wills, performing compliance audits for taxpayers, handling delinquent tax collection, and enforcing license and unclaimed property laws. The comptroller oversees agency efforts to publicize forgotten bank accounts, insurance benefits, and other unclaimed assets of state taxpayers.