Lily Qi

Hong Qi (born November 4, 1963) is an American politician who represents the 15th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates.[1][2] Qi previously worked as a chief administrator for economic development under Isiah Leggett.[3]

Lily Qi
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 15th district
Assumed office
January 9, 2019
Preceded byAruna Miller
Personal details
Born (1963-11-04) November 4, 1963
Shanghai, China
Political partyDemocratic
SpousePhil Peng
Children1
EducationManchester University (MA)
Ohio University (MA)
American University (MBA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and career

Qi was born in Shanghai, China on November 4, 1963.[1] She grew up during the height of the Cultural Revolution, during which her family was persecuted. She migrated to Indiana on February 22, 1989, where she attended Manchester University on a sponsorship from Manchester professor Al Deeter, for who she worked as a translator when he visited Shanghai.[4][5] While at Manchester, she met her future husband, Yu "Phil" Peng.[4] She graduated from Manchester University in 1991, earning a M.A. degree in communication studies.[5] Afterwards, the couple worked at universities in Athens, Ohio, and Morgantown, West Virginia. In 1997, the couple moved to Montgomery County, Maryland after Qi accepted a position working on multicultural affairs at American University. She became a citizen of the United States in 1999 and earned a M.B.A. degree in marketing and global information technology management in 2001 while working at American University. After graduating, Qi began working on economic development for a couple of nonprofit organizations.[4]

Qi campaigning in 2018

Qi began her career in politics with under the administration of Montgomery County executive Ike Leggett, who asked her to serve as a liaison to the Asian American community after his election win in 2006.[3][4] In April 2016, Leggett appointed Qi to serve as his Assistant Chief Administrative Officer on economic and workforce matters in Montgomery County, becoming the first Asian American to serve the position.[6] Following Hillary Clinton's loss in the 2016 United States presidential election, Qi applied to a training course hosted by Emerge Maryland, an organization created to prepare potential female Democratic candidates for public office, to learn about the process of running for public office.[7] Utilizing her experience at Emerge Maryland, she announced her candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates in November 2017, seeking to succeed Delegate Aruna Miller.[4][6][8] During the Democratic primary, she was endorsed by Leggett and the Maryland Sierra Club.[6] Her 2018 campaign and election were noted for mobilizing the local Chinese-American community through WeChat.[3] She won the general election with 23.6 percent of the vote, becoming the first Chinese-born state legislator in Maryland.[9][10]

In the legislature

Qi was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 9, 2019.[1]

Committee assignments
  • Deputy Majority Whip, 2022–present
  • Member, Economic Matters Committee, 2019–present (workers' compensation subcommittee, 2019–present; vice-chair, business regulation subcommittee, 2022–present, member, 2019–present)
  • Study Group on Economic Stability, 2020–present
  • Joint Committee on Federal Relations, 2021–present

Other memberships
  • Member, Maryland Legislative Asian-American and Pacific-Islander Caucus, 2019–present
  • Member, Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus, 2019–present
  • Member, Maryland Legislative Transit Caucus, 2019–present
  • Member, Women Legislators of Maryland, 2019–present

Political positions

Alcohol

Qi introduced legislation in 2021 legislative session that would allow for the sale of beer and wine in grocery stores.[11] She introduced legislation in the 2022 legislative session that would create a ballot referendum on allowing grocery stores to sell wine and beer, but it failed to move out of committee.[12]

COVID-19 pandemic

In June 2020, Qi coordinated the donation of 20,000 masks from Xi'an, a sister city of Montgomery County, Maryland, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][14]

In August 2020, Qi joined a half dozen Maryland legislators in sending a letter to Governor Larry Hogan to push for widespread antibody testing and public disclosure of the results.[15]

Education

During her 2018 campaign, Qi said that she supports expanding magnet programs in Montgomery County and making universal pre-K a statewide priority.[6]

Housing

In January 2021, Qi voted against legislation that would require Montgomery County landlords to provide just cause for evicting a tenant from a residential property, saying that there could be a better solution, such as a third-party "referee" and that some landlords might rely on one or two properties as a main income stream.[16]

Qi introduced legislation in the 2021 legislative session that would create a pilot program to provide homeless people with a mobile laundry service.[17] The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan on May 18, 2021.[18]

Immigration

Qi says that she "does not believe Maryland needs sanctuary community designation", conveying that Maryland already has safe and welcoming communities. She opposes the use of local resources to enforce federal law when it comes to sanctuary policies.[3]

Minimum wage

Qi supports a $15 minimum wage.[3] She voted in favor of Senate Bill 280, which would gradually raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025.[19]

National politics

In April 2016, Qi endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries[20][21] and Chris Van Hollen in the 2016 United States Senate election in Maryland.[22] She also moderated a non-partisan debate between candidates for Maryland's 8th congressional district in 2016.[23]

In January 2020, Qi filed to run as a convention delegate for Pete Buttigieg at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.[24]

Social issues

Qi supported Question 6, saying that a vote in favor of same-sex marriage would improve the climate for entrepreneurs in Maryland.[25]

In March 2018, Qi testified in support of naming an elementary school in Montgomery County after Bayard Rustin, noting that her son came out as gay the summer before he began college.[26]

Electoral history
Maryland House of Delegates District 15 Democratic Primary Election, 2018[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathleen Dumais 8,207 22.4%
Democratic Lily Qi 6,568 17.9%
Democratic David Fraser-Hidalgo 6,206 16.9%
Democratic Amy Frieder 5,289 14.4%
Democratic Kevin Mack 4,257 11.6%
Democratic Anis Ahmed 2,097 5.7%
Democratic Andy Van Wye 2,032 5.5%
Democratic Hamza Sarwar Khan 1,262 3.4%
Democratic Tony Puca 776 2.1%
Maryland House of Delegates District 15 General Election, 2018[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathleen Dumais 36,331 24.6%
Democratic Lily Qi 34,888 23.6%
Democratic David Fraser-Hidalgo 33,808 22.9%
Republican Laurie Halverson 15,678 10.6%
Republican Harvey Jacobs 14,096 9.5%
Republican Marc A. King 12,993 8.8%
Other Write-Ins 139 0.1%
Female Delegate to the Democratic National Convention, District 6, 2020[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nancy J. King (Biden) 62,804 22.8%
Democratic Barbara Goldberg Goldman (Biden) 61,938 22.4%
Democratic Karen Lewis Young (Biden) 61,341 22.2%
Democratic Aesha Greer (Sanders) 13,512 4.9%
Democratic Angela R. Lowry (Sanders) 13,057 4.7%
Democratic Linda Wagner (Sanders) 12,418 4.5%
Democratic Jessica Fitzwater (Warren) 6,252 2.3%
Democratic Sophie Ehrlich (Warren) 5,826 2.1%
Democratic Elise F. Goldstein (Warren) 5,022 1.8%
Democratic Lily Qi (Buttigieg) 4,726 1.7%
Democratic Suzanne Sable Beall (Yang) 3,111 1.1%
Democratic Maria Lane (Buttigieg) 3,070 1.1%
Democratic Ismatu F. Daramy (Yang) 2,622 1%
Democratic Mary Ellen Mitchell (Buttigieg) 2,573 0.9%
Democratic Maureen D. Grayzeck (Klobuchar) 2,468 0.9%
Democratic Martha L. Kahn (Yang) 2,445 0.9%
Democratic Mary Bierman (Bloomberg) 2,297 0.8%
Democratic Venattia W. Vann (Uncommitted) 1,919 0.7%
Democratic Myrna Whitworth (Klobuchar) 1,697 0.6%
Democratic Elizabeth S. Stiefvater (Klobuchar) 1,630 0.6%
Democratic Arlene Proebsting (Bloomberg) 1,021 0.4%
Democratic Adrienne Oleck (Gabbard) 881 0.3%

References
  1. "Lily Qi, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. January 27, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  2. Chunying, Cai (August 8, 2014). "Lily Qi: Leading like a true American". China Daily. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  3. Hernández, Arelis R. (November 28, 2018). "How a Chinese immigrant used WeChat to win a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  4. Goldstein, Steve (August 4, 2020). "Lily Qi is making her voice—and the voices of other immigrants across Montgomery County—heard". Montgomery Magazine. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  5. "Maryland Delegate Lily Qi receives Manchester University Alumni Honor Award". Manchester University. October 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  6. Chen, Lily (April 6, 2018). "Lily Qi Eyes Open Seat For Maryland Delegate". Asian Fortune News. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  7. Wiggins, Ovetta (December 10, 2016). "Clinton's loss sparks surge of interest in women running for office". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  8. Metcalf, Andrew; Peck, Louis (November 3, 2017). "Political Roundup: Leggett, Delaney Aides to Run for Open District 15 Seat; Van Hollen Endorses Baker". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  9. Chen, Lily (November 11, 2018). "Lily Qi in Historic Win as Maryland Delegate". Asian Fortune. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  10. Gaines, Danielle E. (November 9, 2018). "Highest Number of Women Headed to General Assembly". Maryland Matters. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  11. "Maryland Considering Bill To Allow Beer, Wine In Grocery Stores". WJZ-TV. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  12. Dance, Scott; Stole, Bryn (March 22, 2022). "Grocery store booze, gun penalties and vanishing texts among issues unlikely to pass Maryland legislature after crossover day". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  13. Pollak, Suzanne (June 23, 2020). "County's Sister City in China Donates 20,000 Masks". Montgomery Community Media. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  14. "Montgomery County Receives 20,000 Masks from its Sister City in Xi'an, China". montgomerycountymd.gov (Press release). Montgomery County, Maryland. June 23, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  15. Fleischer, Jodie; Jones, Steve; Piper, Jeff; Yarborough, Rick (August 13, 2020). "Maryland Legislators Urge More Aggressive Use of Antibody Tests as Local Company Aims to Advance Research". NBC Washington. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  16. Adhikusuma, Briana (January 7, 2021). "Majority of county delegation backs bill limiting eviction powers". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  17. Collins, David (March 16, 2021). "Bill would provide mobile laundry service for the homeless". WBAL-TV. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  18. "Legislation - HB0189". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  19. "Voting Report - SB 280" (PDF). mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  20. Fritze, John (April 9, 2016). "Hillary Clinton announces endorsements from Maryland women". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  21. "More than 200 Maryland women leaders endorse Hillary Clinton for president". WBAL-TV. April 9, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  22. "Letter from 1,011 Democratic women: Here's why we support Van Hollen". The Baltimore Sun. April 20, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  23. Robinson, Mark (April 6, 2016). "Chinese-American group sponsors District 8 debate". Montgomery County Sentinel. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  24. Kurtz, Josh (January 27, 2020). "No Surprise: Biden Is Dem Establishment Choice, Convention Filings Show". Maryland Matters. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  25. Sears, Bryan P. (August 16, 2012). "Same-Sex Marriage an 'Economic Imperative'". Patch. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  26. Rodgers, Bethany (March 26, 2018). "School Notes: Emotions Flow During Testimony about Naming New School for Bayard Rustin". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  27. "Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  28. "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  29. "Official 2020 Presidential Primary Election results for Female Delegates to the Democratic National Convention - District 6". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
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