At 93, Connie Morella can look back at her lasting and unique legacy in Montgomery County politics.
Before starting her career in politics, Morella was a teacher in Montgomery County.
After getting married in 1954, Morella and her husband moved to Bethesda, and she began teaching in the county school system.
Morella was a mother to nine children, three of her own and six of her late sister after she died from cancer.
In 1967, Morella received her master’s degree from American University and began teaching at Montgomery College from 1970 to 1984.
During her time as a professor, Morella became involved in politics as a founding member of the Montgomery County Commission for Women. She served as the Commission’s president in 1973 for one year, advocating for equal access to education, housing and employment.
Elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1978, Morella served for eight years.
In 1986, Morella ran for Congress as a Republican against Democratic opponent, State Senator Stewart Bainum, Jr., in Maryland’s 8th congressional district, a heavily Democratic district. Morella received endorsements from both the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun, giving her more support from registered Democrats.
Morella won the 8th District seat, beating Bainum by 11,239 votes, and would serve eight terms in office until 2003. During her time in Congress, Morella gained a reputation as a moderate, voting with the Democrats on several instances, which helped her maintain her position in Maryland politics.
While in office, Morella continued to advocate for Women’s rights, voting against a 1996 measure that would outlaw “partial-birth abortions,” a rare procedure for late-stage pregnancies.
Morella left office in 2003 after losing her seat to Chris Van Hollen in the 2002 election.
In 2018, the Bethesda Library on Arlington Road was renamed the Connie Morella Library.
Connie Morella Library in Bethesda
During the 2020 presidential election, Morella, along with a group of more than two dozen former Republican lawmakers, announced her support for Joe Biden.
