Politician/Selina Hughes

Selina Hughes is an American politician serving as the junior United State Senator from Maryland since 2005. A Democrat, she previously served as the Mayor of Baltimore, Maryldn, and a member of the Baltimore School Board.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland to a single mother, Hughes was elected to the Baltimore School Board in 1991 and elected Mayor of Baltimore in 1999 and re-elected in 2003 and served until she was sworn into the Senate in 2005. She has been regarded as a rising star in the Democratic Party and has been mentioned as a possible contender in the 2008 or 2012 Presidential election.

Early life and career
Hughes was born to Samantha Hughes and an unknown father. She was raised in West Baltimore and attended elementary and high school in that neighborhood. She would later attend college at Princeton University and would graduate from it in 1989. Meyer worked for U.S Senator Morgan Oliver from 1989 to 1991 until she pursued her own career in politics.

Hughes said watching then-Vice President Paige Bohm become the first female Vice President in 1988 inspired her to get into public office.

Baltimore School Board (1992-2000)
Hughes was elected to the Baltimore School Board in 1991 with 76.9% of the vote. She was sworn in by Mayor Brandon Fay. She introduced legislation to raise teacher salaries and to supply children with Universal School Lunches. These both would pass easily and would become standard upon their passage.

In 1993 Hughes would introduce a bill to give a comprehensive sex education class in Baltimore, the first of its kind in Maryland. The bill would pass with only slight opposition.

In 1995 she would win re-election unopposed and would be sworn into a second term on January 1st, 1996.

Throughout her tenure on the Baltimore School Board, many described her as a hopeful optimist, hoping to get many things done at once.

Hughes term as a member of the Baltimore School Board ended on January 1st, 2000 as she assumed the office of Mayor of Baltimore

Baltimore City Mayor (2000-2005)
Hughes was inaugurated as Mayor of Baltimore on January 1, 2000. In her inaugural address, she expressed the need to find compromise and to pass legislation that would benefit residents of Baltimore.

In her first week as Mayor, she introduced legislation to increase the jail time for individuals who commit violent crimes from an average of 3 years to an average of 15 years. And in her first city budget, she cut back many programs to balance the city budget. Responding to criticism she said; "Baltimore needs stability and that's what I intend to deliver"

Hughes would introduce legislation to introduce High School Equivalency Programs for unemployed Baltimore residents. It would pass the City Council and Hughes would sign it into law a week later.

In response to a rise in crime in 2001, Hughes would implement tougher prison sentences and stronger rehabilitation programs in Baltimore, calling it a temporary procedure until crime in Baltimore got back under control.

Hughes won re-election in 2003 against firefighter Gavin Hancock with over 69% of the vote.

Her term as Mayor ended when she was sworn into the U.S Senate on January 3, 2005.

Election
Hughes announced her candidacy for the U.S Senate in January 2004 when incumbent Senator Morgan Oliver announced his retirement. Hughes was the frontrunner from the beginning to the end of her campaign.

She won the primary in June of 2004 and went on to win the general election against Tennyson Molloy with 57.8% of the vote.

Tenure
Hughes was sworn into the United States Senate on January 3, 2005, by Vice President (and then-President-Elect) Brian Boone. Hughes was appointed to the Senate Judiciary, Finance, and Veteran's Affairs Committee.

In her first week in the Senate, she introduced legislation to give High School programs to unemployed individuals which was passed in both the House and Senate and signed into law by President Boone.

Personal Life
Hughes was married to attorney Michael Owens until their divorce in 2003. They had 3 children together, Arya, Daniel, and Toni.