C. Anthony Muse

Charles Anthony Muse (born April 17, 1958) is an American politician and minister who has served in the Maryland Senate representing District 26 since 2023, and previously from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the district in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1995 to 1999. Muse unsuccessfully challenged incumbent U.S. Senator Ben Cardin in 2012, and ran for Prince George's County Executive in 2002 and 2018.

Early life and education
Muse was born in Baltimore on April 17, 1958. He was one of six children born to Gloria Watson, who had her first child when she was a teenager and married a man prone to violent outbursts, frequently beating him, his siblings, and his mother. They grew up in the Park Heights neighbourhood of Baltimore. At age 12, his mother announced that they were moving to Alabama to escape their stepfather. Muse fled from his family and lived with his older brother, afterwards he passed through 11 foster families before settling with United Methodist pastor George Stansbury.

Muse was expelled from three different school systems, including from Pimlico Junior High School, where he jumped up on a lunchroom table and starting a fight with other students. As a teenager, he became mixed up with the wrong crowd and eventually needed to be rescued by Stansbury after running into a drug dealer whom he feared was going to harm him. Muse began preaching at his father's church by age 13.

Muse attended Morgan State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1981; Wesley Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1984; and Howard University, where he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in church and community development in 1991.

Pastoral career
Muse began working in the ministry at age 20, first preaching at the Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Ellicott City, where he became known for his dramatic preaching and for adding guitars and drums to the service. He was reassigned to work as a pastor at the Gibbons-Resurrection United Methodist Church in Brandywine from 1984 to 1999, during which he expanded the church from 120 members to over 4,000 worshippers. Shortly after he left the church, Methodist leaders said that the church was $6 million in debt and had bond payments that were "seriously in arrears". Bishop Felton May offered the church $1.2 million in aid to help the church repay its debts, which Muse said was "not generous enough" and led him to resign from the Methodist denomination to become a nondenominational pastor. In interviews with The Washington Post, Muse offered a series of reasons for leaving the church, including "theological differences" in United Methodist's decision to appoint a transgender pastor, accusations that the church hierarchy did not support his congregation because they "are racist", and did not like his style of worship, which involved speaking in tongues and healing. After leaving the denomination, he started his own church, the Ark of Safety Christian Church, in Oxon Hill.

In May 2000, United Methodist Church officials filed a lawsuit against Muse to sort out assets and debts, which was settled with Muse paying the church $13,000 in exchange for the return of a television set and desk in 2002. After the church closed later that year, he acquired the property for $3.2 million and moved the church he founded, the Ark of Safety Christian Church, to the location. The Ark of declared bankruptcy in 2012 following the Great Recession. A court modified the church's mortgage terms, and the church continued to make regular payments until it defaulted in 2017, after which it began leasing the property. In January 2020, TMI Realty Advisors, who owned the site of Ark of Safety, motion to evict the congregation, alleging in court documents that Muse had not paid its $15,000 monthly rent since June.

Political involvement
From 1987 to 1992, Muse worked as a member of the Maryland State Ethics Commission. He became involved in politics after businessman Sydney Moore, who compared him to Adam Clayton Powell Jr., introduced him to influential Black politicians in county politics. In 1990, Muse unsuccessfully ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 27, challenging incumbent delegates Gary R. Alexander, Joseph F. Vallario Jr., and James E. Proctor Jr., all three of whom were running on a slate backed by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. During the campaign, he filed a complaint with the Prince George's County Police Department after discovering campaign signs that had defaced with racist phrases. Muse was defeated in the Democratic primary election, placing last with 18 percent of the vote. After his defeat, he moved to Tantallon, where he was invited to run for the House of Delegates in District 26 by state senator Gloria G. Lawlah.

Maryland General Assembly
Muse was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 11, 1995, where he was a member of the Ways and Means Committee. He did not seek re-election to a second term in 1998, instead mounting an unsuccessful campaign for state senate in District 26, challenging incumbent state senator Gloria Lawlah, whom he criticized for voting against school construction bills. He narrowly lost the Democratic primary to Lawlah by a margin of 267 votes, or two percent.

In June 2005, Muse told the Washington Post that he was exploring another run for state senator in District 26, again challenging Lawlah. He entered the race after Lawlah announced that she would not seek re-election in 2006, and defeated state delegate Obie Patterson in the Democratic primary election. In November 2006, Muse campaigned with Republican governor Bob Ehrlich.

Muse was first sworn into the Maryland Senate on January 10, 2007. He served as a member of the Judicial Proceedings Committee from 2007 to 2010, and again from 2013 to 2019, and on the Finance Committee from 2010 to 2013. Muse was transferred from the Finance Committee to the Judicial Proceedings Committee for repeatedly opposing a bill proposed by Governor Martin O'Malley to strengthen the state's wind energy industry, a move he expressed frustration with.

In 2022, Muse filed to run for the Maryland Senate in District 26, seeking to succeed retiring state senator Obie Patterson. He narrowly won the Democratic primary election on July 19, defeating challenger Tamara Davis Brown by a margin of 345 votes, or 1.2 percent. He won the general election and was sworn in on January 11, 2023. Muse is a member of the Judicial Proceedings Committee.

Prince George's County Executive campaigns
On May 19, 2002, Muse announced his campaign for Prince George's County Executive, seeking to succeed term-limited county executive Wayne K. Curry. During the Democratic primary, he ran on a platform of abolishing standardized testing and requiring uniforms in schools, and received endorsements from county religious leaders. Muse raised the second most funding out of candidates in the race with $347,000 cash on hand in August 2002, behind M. H. Jim Estepp.
 * 2002

Muse was defeated in the Democratic primary by eventual winner Jack B. Johnson, placing third with 18.7 percent of the vote.

On June 26, 2017, Muse announced that he would again run for Prince George's County Executive in 2018, seeking to succeed term-limited county executive Rushern Baker. Muse was seen as one of the three frontrunners in the race, alongside state's attorney Angela Alsobrooks and former congresswoman Donna Edwards. He sought to position himself as an outsider rallying against the "political machine", and received endorsements from local labor unions.
 * 2018

Muse was defeated in the Democratic primary by Alsobrooks, placing third with 10 percent of the vote.

2012 U.S. Senate campaign
In September 2011, Muse said that he was exploring a run for the U.S. Senate in 2012, challenging incumbent Senator Ben Cardin. He announced his candidacy on January 5, 2012, and ran on a platform of addressing foreclosures, education disparities, and high unemployment.

During the Democratic primary, Muse received endorsements from state religious leaders, but was heavily out-raised and out-funded by Cardin, who had the backing of the Maryland Democratic establishment and President Barack Obama, which led Muse to complain that the state party should "do a better job staying neutral" in the contest. Muse was defeated in the Democratic primary in April 2012, placing second and receiving 15.7 percent of the vote.

Personal life
Muse is married to Pat Lawson Muse, an anchor for WRC-TV. Together, they have a daughter, whom they adopted after Muse officiated the funeral of her mother.

Political positions
Muse has been described as a social conservative.

Crime and justice
In April 2004, Muse opened a 24-hour shelter at his Ark of Safety church to house victims of domestic abuse. In July 2005, he partnered with other churches and the Prince George's County Police Department to provide services to domestic violence victims and to create job training programs with local businesses in an effort to reduce violent crime in the county.

During the 2013 legislative session, Muse voted for a bill to abolish the death penalty.

In 2015, he introduced legislation to remove the governor of Maryland from the state's parole board.

During the 2017 legislative session, Muse introduced a bill that would repeal a rule adopted by the attorney general of Maryland that prevented courts from setting a high bail on low-income defendants.

Development initiatives
In 1996, Muse voted for a bill to provide state funding for the construction of FedExField.

In June 2011, Muse launched an effort aimed at blocking the construction of a high-end outlet store near National Harbor, which he claimed would create unmanageable traffic on Maryland Route 210.

Education
In 1996, Muse introduced a bill to create a task force on deciding whether to enforce mandatory uniforms at public schools. The bill passed and became law, and the task force recommended against uniforms later that year. In 1997, he introduced a bill that would require uniforms in public schools, despite the task force's recommendations, which passed the Prince George's County Delegation in a 11-9 vote.

In 1997, Muse introduced legislation that would make the Prince George's County Board of Education fully appointed. During his 2002 and 2018 county executive campaigns, he said he would support making the school board fully elected. He also expressed support for increasing teacher pay and to refurbish aging schools.

During the 2011 legislative session, Muse voted against Maryland's Dream Act, a bill that extended in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.

In 2013, Muse was the only member of the Prince George's County Delegation to vote against a bill to give the Prince George's County Executive control over the county school system's budget.

Environment
Muse was opposed to legislation proposed by Governor Martin O'Malley to strengthen Maryland's wind energy industry.

Gambling
During the 2011 legislative session, during debate on a bill establishing a statewide referendum on expanding gambling in Maryland, Muse supported an amendment that would allow card games to be played at casinos, saying that card games "don't come with many of the same social ills as slots."

In February 2012, Muse said he opposed plans to build a billion-dollar casino near National Harbor and vowed to "do everything in my power" to stop the deal from passing. The bill passed the Maryland Senate in a 35-11 vote, with Muse being one of two Prince George's County-based senators to vote against it.

In February 2017, Muse voted against the nomination of Gordon Medenica to serve as the chair of the Maryland Lottery.

Gun policy
During the 2013 legislative session, Muse voted for the Firearm Safety Act, which placed restrictions on firearm purchases and magazine capacity in semi-automatic rifles.

LGBT rights
Muse opposes same-sex marriage on religious grounds. In 2007, he voted against a bill to ban discrimination against transgender people. In February 2011, Muse voted against a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland, predicting that the bill would open the doors to making polygamy and marriage between people of very different ages "acceptable."

During the 2012 legislative session, Muse attended rallies opposing and later voted against the Civil Marriage Protection Act. During debate on the bill, he introduced an amendment to rename it to the "Marriage Redefinition Act", saying that the bill would redefine marriage from being "between one man and one woman". After the bill became law and went to referendum, Muse donated to groups opposing the referendum.

In 2014, Muse voted for a bill to ban discrimination against transgender people.

Redistricting
During the 2011 special legislative session, Muse was the only Democratic state senator to vote against the congressional redistricting plan proposed by Governor Martin O'Malley, accusing the legislature of putting party politics before voters and manipulating minority communities.

Social issues
In 1998, Muse said he opposed abortion. During the 2023 legislative session, Muse voted in favor of putting a referendum to codify reproductive rights before voters in 2024.

During the 2016 legislative session, Muse voted against a bill to legalize palliative care for terminally ill patients. In March 2023, he expressed openness to voting for a bill to legalize palliative care.

In August 2017, after Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. defended Roger B. Taney, the former Supreme Court Chief Justice who authored the infamous Dred Scott decision, Muse called for his censure. No action was taken.

Taxes
During his 2002 county executive campaign, Muse said he would support lifting Prince George's County's cap on property taxes. In 2012, he voted for a bill that would allow full funding of any school spending plan approved by the County Council. During the 2015 legislative session, Muse introduced legislation that sought to block a proposed 15 percent property tax increase in Prince George's County.

In 2012, Muse voted against a bill to raise income taxes on Maryland's wealthiest residents.