Former state Delegate Jay Jalisi, an unsuccessful candidate in Maryland’s gubernatorial primary election for House of Delegates District 10, is asking the courts to overturn the results and order a new election.
The Reisterstown resident filed a civil complaint dated July 28 in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court seeking judicial relief over his loss at the polls. Jalisi alleges that his name was left off a computerized Democratic primary election ballot at a Randallstown voting precinct, costing him the votes he needed to return to the legislature.
Because District 10 is represented by one senator and three delegates, finishing among the top three would have qualified Jalisi as a Democratic nominee for the November General Election. He placed a distant fifth among six candidates and would have needed to overcome a 3,573-vote gap between the number of votes he received and those received by third-place finisher Del. N. Scott Phillips.
The timing of the filing creates a challenge. Early voting was held June 11-18, and the primary election was June 23. Baltimore County certified the local results on July 6, and the Maryland Board of Canvassers certified the primary election results for statewide and federal offices on July 23. Jalisi is asking the court to stay the District 10 results. It is unclear how the circuit court will hear or decide the case, as well as whether there is enough time to alter the outcome before the deadline for certifying General Election ballots.
The Complaint
In his three-page complaint, Jalisi alleges that voters reported to him that computerized ballots in precinct 02-016 did not list his name. His petition names no voters and provides no affidavits as evidence to support his claims.
According to state election data, precinct 02-016 is Randallstown High School, one of the county’s largest polling places, with nearly 3,700 registered voters assigned to cast their ballots either in the gymnasium or cafeteria.
The complaint states: “Given the size of precinct 02-016, the omission of Dr. Jalisi from the ballot altered the outcome of the election and prevented him from finishing among the top three candidates.” It continues: “But for the omission of his name, Dr. Jalisi expects he would have been a top-three finisher.”
District 10 Field and Results
Six Democrats, including Jalisi and two incumbent delegates, competed for the three District 10 House seats. The district includes Randallstown, Owings Mills, Windsor Mill, Halethorpe and Arbutus. Incumbent delegates Jennifer White Holland (11,781) and N. Scott Phillips (9,354), along with former school board member Robin Harvey (10,648), won the contest.
Nearly 46,000 votes were cast in the House race. Jalisi received 5,781 votes, or 12.6%. He finished ahead of only T. George Newton, a perennial candidate and longtime Republican who switched parties to run in the Democratic primary.
Speaker Emeritus Adrienne Jones, who represents District 10, is retiring from the House and did not seek reelection.
Election Board Response
Jared DeMarinis, administrator of the Maryland State Board of Elections (MSBE), is named as a defendant. Jalisi claims on multiple occasions he brought the issue to the attention of the MSBE, which is responsible for administering and overseeing elections, but the board “took no corrective action to certify or confirm” whether his name was missing from the early voting ballots.
Jalisi first raised the issue publicly on June 16, when he held a press conference outside the Randallstown Community Center.
At the time, the state election board responded with a statement saying it had investigated the claim and attributed the possible confusion to the way ballot-marking devices place names on the ballot. Some candidates’ names appeared on the second page. The board had no response to the court filing.
The issue drew attention from political observers, one of whom suggested at the time that Jalisi could be laying the groundwork for a formal complaint and request for a revote.
Political Career
The lawsuit marks the latest chapter in Jalisi’s efforts to return to elected office. He was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2015 and won reelection in 2019. In 2020, Jalisi ran unsuccessfully for U.S. representative in Maryland’s 7th Congressional District following the death of U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings. He received less than 2% of the vote in the Democratic primary. Congressman Kweisi Mfume won the election over 23 contenders.
In 2022, Jalisi sought the District 10 Senate seat vacated by Sen. Delores Kelley. He lost to Sen. Ben Brooks, who ran for reelection unopposed this year and faces no Republican opposition in the General Election.
The House was not Jalisi’s only primary election race. He was also on the District 10 ballot for the Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee (BCDCC). Because of a BCDCC rule requiring half of the winners to be male and half female, Jalisi was elected even though he placed fifth. Two men, including Jalisi, and four women were on the ballot.
Previous Controversies
Jalisi’s political career has been marked by controversy.
During the 2018 election cycle, a political action committee highlighted allegations concerning his legislative tenure and business practices. Following reports of a toxic workplace, the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee held a hearing at which staff members and other witnesses accused Jalisi of bullying and abusive behavior and alleged that employees had not been compensated for as many as 100 hours of overtime.
Based on the committee’s recommendation, the General Assembly formally reprimanded Jalisi in March 2019. He was directed to complete anger-management and workplace-civility classes and prohibited from hiring paid staff until he completed the requirements.
Jalisi’s legal challenges have extended beyond Annapolis. In recent years, his real estate company has faced lawsuits from creditors and tenants.
Some of Jalisi’s problems with tenants and contracts, as well as votes during his two terms in the House of Delegates, were the subject of negative mailers paid for by the PAC American Future.
A search of the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal found 43 cases involving Hasan Jalisi, his formal name. Jalisi was listed as the defendant in 29 of those cases, which were described as contractual in nature. Most of the cases were designated as closed or inactive, and no outcome or decision was noted.