Larry Hogan tweeted his support for his daughter’s candidacy.
ST. MARY’S COUNTY, Md. — The daughter of Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced she is running to become state’s attorney for St. Mary’s County in southern Maryland.
Jaymi Sterling, who has been a prosecutor for 14 years, announced her candidacy in a 30-second campaign video posted to Twitter on Tuesday.
In the video, Sterling says “integrity” has guided her throughout her career as an assistant state’s attorney and a deputy state’s attorney.
“I have worked my way up to serve St. Mary’s County, but qualifications alone are not enough,” she says in the video. “It’s the qualities you bring to the job that matter. We deserve a state’s attorney who demands accountability and does it with integrity.”
I’m excited to see my daughter Jaymi launch her campaign for State’s Attorney in St. Mary’s county. As a tough prosecutor, Jaymi knows the local justice systems are too lenient on repeat violent offenders. https://t.co/NMBK1UHnUu
— Larry Hogan (@LarryHogan) March 2, 2022
Sterling’s campaign website says she is a longtime resident of St. Mary’s who lives in the county with her husband and two children.
According to reporting in the Washington Post, Sterling has appeared in campaign ads for Hogan’s gubernatorial campaigns in 2014 and 2018, defending her father from critics taking aim at his record on abortion and highlighting his record on women’s issues.
The governor tweeted his support for Sterling Tuesday, calling his daughter a “tough prosecutor.”
I know as State’s Attorney, Jaymi will prosecute more violent crimes to protect the community and make families safer. I’m so proud of her, and I’m proud to be supporting her campaign.
— Larry Hogan (@LarryHogan) March 2, 2022
“Jaymi knows the local justice systems are too lenient on repeat violent offenders,” Hogan tweeted. “I know as State’s Attorney, Jaymi will prosecute more violent crimes to protect the community and make families safer. I’m so proud of her, and I’m proud to be supporting her campaign.”
Sterling also touts her record on never shying away from “tough cases” in a statement.
I am officially announcing my run for State’s Attorney for St. Mary’s County. Throughout my career, I prosecuted some of the worst criminals in St. Mary’s, Anne Arundel and Frederick counties. I pledge to protect our families, neighborhoods and communities from career criminals. pic.twitter.com/KMb9DTmaKZ
— Jaymi Sterling (@JaymiSterling) March 2, 2022
Sterling said in a statement she wants to regain the community’s trust in seeing the state’s attorney’s office as independent and nonpartisan. She plans to not accept donations from “criminal defense lawyers, criminal defense law firms, or their family members.”
“Throughout my career I prosecuted some of the worst criminals in St. Mary’s Anne Arundel, and Frederick counties,” she said in the statement.
She also said she wants to address the opioid crisis by cracking down on drug dealers.
“We cannot jail our way out of the opioid epidemic,” she said. “I am dedicated to cracking down on drug dealers who peddle this poison.”
