Leaving the legislature, part 2: Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus

Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus, the former Republican leader who represents the Lower Shore, had both personal and political reasons for leaving the legislature after 20 years. His wife has Parkinson’s disease, but he also has a growing distaste for “the partisan stuff."

"I think that is a cancer that has come in for both parties,” said Stoltzfus.

Stoltfus, 60, said he left his post as GOP leader after four years under Republican Gov. Bob Ehrlich because of “the ugly, ugly partisanship that I was experiencing as a person that did not condone partisanship on my side.”

He considers Senate President Mike Miller a personal friend, but says Miller is privately the leader of the partisan bullying at the same time “he stands up publicly and decries the ugly partisanship.”

“When you’re a Republican around here, they remind you of that constantly,” Stoltzfus said. Unlike his early days in Annapolis, when he successfully challenged Gov. Parris Glendening on a  bill, he said it's hard to make gains without the support of leadership.

“There’s no way you can get up on the floor and win an argument if Mike Miller and the Democrats say, 'No, you’re not going to.' ”

Yet he said Miller “is the most capable on the floor to run that place. He really is, but he manipulates it sometimes in the wrong direction.”

In an interview, Miller attributed Stoltzfus' dour comments to “mood swings,” noting that the Republican had hugged him and thanked him the day before.

In a deep voice, Stoltzfus had sung “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” to the Senate as the last prayer on the final day because it was one of Miller's favorite songs. 

"I'm so fond of him," Stoltzfus said at the time. (You can listen to performance and tributes to Stotlzfus about 17 minutes in on session #2 on April 12.)

Miller said Stoltzfus did not run for leader again “not because of me, but because of Andy Harris,” the conservative Republican Baltimore County senator who is leaving the Senate to make another run for Congress.

“He didn’t like the right-wing obstructionism of Andy Harris," Miller said. Harris was minority whip at the time.

But Miller is unapologetic.

“I’m a Democrat through and through. When there’s a strictly party fight, I’ll stand with the Democrats.”

Stoltzfus said the partisanship has also led to policy shifts.

“The policy that drives the budget has changed dramatically,” said the senator, a budget committee member who routinely pushed for spending cuts. Stoltzfus said the legislature used to approve new spending only when there was a way to pay for it.

“There was some sort of rational requirements for securing funding until Thornton kicked in,” he said, referring to the big boost in K-12 funding passed in 2002 without a funding source. “Thornton blew that away. Once that line was crossed, people would say 'that’s a good idea, that’s a good concept; we’ll find a way.'

He said the Assembly is now dominated by “the philosophy that government takes care of people from cradle to grave.”

Stoltzfus was often approached in his final days in Annapolis by people saying they would miss him.

“They’re saying that because it is the end and I’m gone, but it’s still gratifying to hear.”

As for himself, “I don’t think I’m going to miss it,” said Stoltzfus. “This is not a comfortable arena for me anymore, where power and spin prevail.”