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Nancy K. Kopp, a pioneering figure in Maryland politics whose fiscal expertise has undergirded the operations of state government for the past half-century, announced Monday that she will resign as state treasurer later this year, about a year before her term was due to end.
In a letter to lawmakers, Kopp, who turns 78 on Dec. 7, called the post 鈥渁 great privilege, as well as a terrific challenge.鈥�
鈥淎fter these five decades of public service in Annapolis, it is time for me to invest more attention and energy in my wonderful family and community, who have made this all possible,鈥� she added.
She has served as state treasurer, a top financial position in state government and the General Assembly鈥檚 representative on the powerful three-person Board of Public Works, since Valentine鈥檚 Day in 2002. But her career in Maryland politics dates back to 1971, when she started as a General Assembly staffer following five years of working on Capitol Hill.
Kopp was elected to the House of Delegates, representing a district centered in Bethesda, in 1974, and rose to the position of speaker pro tem. She quickly became recognized as one of the legislature鈥檚 leading figures on fiscal matters, and was tapped by her colleagues to become state treasurer following the resignation of Richard N. Dixon (D), for health reasons, after six years on the job.
鈥淚n the coming weeks, I expect many decisions will be made as to the timing of the election of your next State Treasurer and additional adjustments that may ensue,鈥� Kopp wrote. 鈥淚 look forward to doing all I can to assure a smooth transition to the next Maryland Treasurer and to move us all one more great step forward. Change is good!鈥�
Kopp鈥檚 long tenure in Maryland politics was hailed by current and former colleagues.
鈥淚t is difficult to imagine chairing a Board of Public Works meeting without Nancy Kopp,鈥� said Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) in a statement.
鈥淲ith the second-longest tenure of any treasurer in state history, Nancy will leave an incredible legacy of strong financial stewardship, which has helped assure our coveted AAA bond rating year after year. We have enjoyed a very cordial relationship, and I have always admired her commitment to the people of Maryland,鈥� added the governor, who has served alongside Kopp since 2015.
鈥淥n behalf of all Marylanders, I want to express my profound gratitude to Nancy Kopp for her decades of distinguished service and wish her well in retirement.鈥�
Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D), who represented District 16 with Kopp for 15 years, called her 鈥渙ne of the finest public servants I鈥檝e ever met. She鈥檚 a Hall of Famer.鈥�
鈥淪he鈥檚 smart. She works hard. She is totally honest.听She doesn鈥檛 spin stuff. There is nobody I trust more for anything 鈥� her judgement, her analysis.听She didn鈥檛 do it to get on television. She did it for all the right听 reasons,鈥�听Frosh added. 鈥�Maryland couldn鈥檛 be in better hands than hers.鈥�听
Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County), said she relied on Kopp鈥檚 鈥済reat counsel鈥� over the years, and said the treasurer 鈥渆pitomized what it means to be a public servant.鈥�
鈥淔rom staffer, to delegate, to statewide treasurer for two decades, Nancy has kept the State鈥檚 fiscal house in order. She has been the driving force behind the triple-A bond ratings and the stability of the State鈥檚 pension system 鈥� and she did all of this without fanfare or celebration 鈥� even when others took credit for her great work over two decades,鈥� Jones said in a statement.
It is now up to the General Assembly to select Kopp鈥檚 replacement, and lawmakers are expected to do so in the anticipated special legislative session tentatively set for early December. Del. Dereck E. Davis (D-Prince George鈥檚), longtime chair of the House Economic Matters Committee, is the overwhelming favorite to replace Kopp as treasurer.
The House traditionally dominates the treasurer selection process given its 3-1 size advantage over the state Senate, and if House leaders coalesce around one candidate, that person is almost certain to prevail. The last four state treasurers were either current or former House members at the time of their selection.
But it isn鈥檛 a done deal: the legislature must advertise the vacancy, set up a process to vet and interview candidates, and establish a committee that will recommend a selection to the House and Senate. If Davis is selected to replace Kopp, he will be the first state treasurer from Prince George鈥檚 County, and the second African-American to hold the position, after Dixon.
Kopp herself held several notable notable firsts. She was the first woman in any state legislature to give birth to a child while in office, and she was also the first woman to hold the position of House speaker pro tem, the second-ranking position in that body and the person who presides over the House chamber when the speaker is not present. She was the second woman to serve as state treasurer, and is the third longest-serving treasurer in Maryland history.
But despite her faculty with numbers, Kopp made one political misstep in her long career that belied her ability to count: In late 1992, as speaker pro tem, she led an attempt to overthrow then-speaker R. Clayton Mitchell Jr. (D), arguing that he had become dictatorial and was ignoring the legislature鈥檚 growing suburban membership. Kopp thought she had the support to prevail, but ultimately concluded that the numbers weren鈥檛 there.
鈥淚 fought a good fight,鈥� she told听The Baltimore Sun听after abandoning her bid.
But remarkably for the transactional world of the legislature, Kopp was able to retain a high level of respect among her colleagues, was empowered by then-House Appropriations Committee chair Howard P. 鈥淧ete鈥� Rawlings (D) to craft the state鈥檚 education budget, and eventually rose to become treasurer.
In a recent interview, Kopp said Rawlings; Lucille Maurer, Maryland鈥檚 first female treasurer; and Helen L. Koss, a former state delegate from Montgomery County, were among her mentors. Kopp, Koss and Maurer are all members of the Maryland Women鈥檚 Hall of Fame.
