James N. Robey

James N. Robey (born January 18, 1941) was a member of the Maryland Senate. He was the Maryland State Senate Majority Leader from 2013-2015 until he retired January 14, 2015. http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/05sen/former/html/msa13849.html

Robey was born in Baltimore, and raised in the small Howard County mill town of Daniels, once located on the banks of the Patapsco River. His son Wayne Robey became the Clerk of the Circuit Court when Margaret D. Rappaport retired in 2012.

He attended Howard High School His principal was Howard County's first Execuitive Omar J. Jones. He graduated with the class of 1959. Robey holds a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland University College where he was recognized as the 2002 Distinguished Alumnus. He also holds a master's degree in Administrative Management from Hood College and is a graduate of both the FBI's National Academy and its Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar.

Robey joined the Howard County Police Department in 1966 reaching major by 1981. He was appointed by Charles I. Ecker to Chief of Police replacing Frederick W. Chaney in 1991. He retired in 1998 to run for County Executive. He was elected as County Executive of Howard County, Maryland in 1998 and 2002.

In 2006, Robey campaigned as a Democrat against Republican incumbent Sandra Schrader for her seat in the Maryland State Senate representing District 13. Robey won with 56% of the vote.

On October 29, 2007, the James N. Robey Public Safety Training Facility was dedicated. This will be a facility for both the Howard County Police Department and Howard County Fire and Rescue to use for training purposes.

Robey has been labeled one of the most-liberal State Senators in the Maryland Assembly. An independent website, www.votesmart.org, displays that Robey received a score of 97 out of 100 (the highest rating of any state senator) from a liberal organization known as Progressive Maryland.

On September 1, 2013, Robey was chosen to replace State Senator Robert J. Garagiola as State Senate Majority Leader.

Senator Robey retired from the Maryland State Senate on January 14, 2015.