| Donald F. Munson | |
| State Senate: | Maryland |
| District: | 2nd |
| Term Start: | January 1991 |
| Term End: | January 2011 |
| Predecessor: | Victor Cushwa |
| Successor: | Christopher B. Shank |
| Birth Name: | Donald Francis Munson[1] |
| Birth Date: | 21 December 1937 |
| Birth Place: | Hagerstown, Maryland |
| Party: | Republican |
| State Delegate2: | Maryland |
| District2: | 2nd |
| Term Start2: | January 1975 |
| Term End2: | January 1991 |
| Successor2: | John P. Donoghue |
Donald F. Munson (born December 21, 1937) is a former Maryland State Senator who represented district 2 (Washington County). He was defeated in both a primary and general election in 2010 by Delegate Christopher B. Shank.
Donald F. Munson is an American politician from the state of Maryland. He started his political career in 1975 when he won the seat in the House of Delegates for district 2, representing Washington County. He won reelection three times before running for the seat in the State Senate in 1990 where he handily defeated Democrat Patricia K. Cushwa, who finished her late husband's term,[2] with 64% of the vote.[3]
In 1994, Munson won reelection against Democratic challenger Laura J. Wright, winning with 82% of the vote.[4] In 1998, Munson went unchallenged, receiving 100% of the vote.[5] Mary Newby challenged him in 2002, yet only received 29% of the vote to Munson's 70%.[6] In 2006 Munson won re-election with 98.9% of the vote.[7]
On September 14, 2010, Munson was defeated in the Republican primary election by State Delegate Chris Shank. Munson received 42.95% of the vote, compared to 57.05% received by Delegate Shank.[8]
Munson attended Washington County Public Schools while growing up in Washington County. After high school, he graduated from the Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in mathematics in 1968.[1]
Munson got his first taste of politics in 1953 when he became a legislative page for U.S. Representative DeWitt S. Hyde. He also served in the United States Army Reserves. In his community, he is active in many organizations including the Washington County Republican Club http://www.whisperscastle.com/WCRC_newsletter.html, the Washington County Historical Society https://web.archive.org/web/20070611030133/http://www.rootsweb.com/~mdwchs/, Washington County Association for Retarded Citizens, the Antietam Exchange Club, the North American Rod & Gun Club http://www.rodandgunclub.com/, and the Alsatia Club.
Munson has won numerous awards, including the Legislator of the Year from the Maryland Retailers Association http://www.mdra.org/ in 2003, the Outstanding Rural Legislator Award from the Rural Maryland Council https://web.archive.org/web/20070208025736/http://www.ruralforvm.state.md.us/ in 2004, and the John Otho Marsh Jr. Public Service Award from Shenandoah University in 2004.
As a member of the Maryland Senate, Munson serves on numerous committees, including the Budget and Taxation Committee, the Joint Committee on Federal Relations, the Rules Committee, the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, and the Joint Commission on the Maryland Port Administration, to name a few.
During the 2010 legislative session, Munson was a sponsor of the Correctional Officers Bill of Rights, SB 887. This bill
Voters to choose one:
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald F. Munson, Rep. | 28,900 | 98.9% | Won | |
| Write-ins | 320 | 1.1% | Lost |
Voters to choose one:
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald F. Munson, Rep. | 23,640 | 70.53% | Won | |
| Mary E. Newby, Dem. | 9,859 | 29.42% | Lost |
Voters to choose one:
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald F. Munson, Rep. | 22,347 | 100% | Won | |
| Unopposed |
Voters to choose one:
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald F. Munson, Rep. | 20,242 | 82% | Won | |
| Laura J. Wright, Dem. | 4,535 | 18% | Lost |
Voters to choose one:
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald F. Munson, Rep. | 13,371 | 64% | Won | |
| Patricia K. Cushwa, Dem. | 7,477 | 36% | Lost |
Voters to choose one:
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald F. Munson, Rep. | 4,303 | 100% | Won | |
| Unopposed |