Roy Dyson

Roy Dyson
Member of the Maryland Senate
from the 29th district
In office
January 11, 1995 – January 14, 2015
Preceded byBernie Fowler
Succeeded byStephen M. Waugh
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 1st district
In office
January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1991
Preceded byRobert Bauman
Succeeded byWayne Gilchrest
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
In office
1975–1980
Personal details
Born (1948-11-15) November 15, 1948 (age 76)
Great Mills, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic

Royden Patrick Dyson (born November 15, 1948), is a former Democratic politician from Maryland. Dyson served in the United States House of Representatives from 1980 to 1991 and as a Maryland state senator from 1995 to 2015.

Background

Dyson was born in Great Mills, Maryland. Dyson attended private schools and graduated from Great Mills High School in 1966. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Baltimore in 1968, 1969, and 1970. He also served as a legislative assistant in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1974 for U.S. Representative William D. Ford of Michigan.[1]

Political career

In 1975, Dyson was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates for district 29. The following year, Dyson ran for Congress in the Eastern Shore-based 1st District, losing to two-term Republican Robert Bauman. In 1978 he was a delegate in 1978 to the Democratic National Issues Conference. In 1980, Dyson narrowly defeated Bauman after Bauman suffered a sex scandal in the weeks prior to election day.[2][3]

1988 election

See also: 1988 United States House of Representatives elections and Suicide of Tom Pappas

In the 1988 election, Dyson was dogged by allegations of improper contributions from defense contractors.[4][5] His Republican opponent was Wayne Gilchrest, a high school teacher who had never run for office before. Dyson won by a smaller than projected margin of 1,431 votes.[6]

During his campaign, Dyson's chief of staff Tom Pappas committed suicide by jumping from a building while on a trip to New York with Dyson to meet with executives from Unisys.[2][7] Shortly before the trip, Pappas was the subject of a front-page Washington Post article, accusing Pappas of misconduct.[8] Dyson refuted the article's claims as untrue.[9] Others critiqued the front page piece piece for obfuscating facts and suggesting innuendo to titillate readers.[10]

Later years

In 1990, Gilchrest defeated Dyson 57% to 43% despite again being badly outspent by Dyson, who received substantial PAC contributions in all of his later campaigns.[11][12][13]

In 1995, Dyson was elected to the Maryland Senate, representing District 29 (St. Mary's County and southern Calvert County).[1] He served in the Maryland Senate until January 14, 2015[1] after losing the 2014 Maryland Senate Election to Republican Steve Waugh.[14][15]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "Roy P. Dyson, Maryland State Senator". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  2. ^ a b "Rep. Roy Dyson, emerging from seclusion three days after... - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  3. ^ "Ex-Congressman Quits Maryland G.O.P. Race". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  4. ^ "Defense Probe Checks Dyson". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. 1988-06-19. Retrieved 2019-03-20 – via Google News Archive.
  5. ^ Marcus, Ruth (December 27, 1988). "Air Force Aide Tied to Gratuities". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ "RECOUNT RULED OUT IN MD. 1ST DISTRICT". Washington Post. 2023-12-31. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  7. ^ Marcus, Ruth (1988-12-28). "AF Official Was Paid for Data, Affidavit Says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  8. ^ "House Aide Dies in Plunge From a Hotel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  9. ^ "Rep. Dyson Says Smear Drove an Aide to Suicide". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  10. ^ Glassman, James K. (1988-05-08). "Abusive Capitol Hill Aides: A Story Lost in Innuendo". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  11. ^ By (1990-11-07). "Gilchrest leaves Dyson on outside 1ST DISRICT". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  12. ^ By (1990-09-16). "GOP views Dyson as vulnerable Challenger to focus on personalities". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  13. ^ "Miscellaneous Defense Recipients: Top 20 PAC Recipients, 1989-1990". Open Secrets.
  14. ^ "Democrats vow to overcome election defeat | Hoyer for Congress". www.hoyerforcongress.com. 2015-06-09. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  15. ^ "2014 Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-21.

References

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 1st congressional district
January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1991 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative 		Succeeded byas Former US Representative