James E. Malone Jr.

James Edward Malone Jr. (July 8, 1957 – December 16, 2024) was an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Maryland's District 12A in Baltimore and Howard Counties from 1995 to 2014. Malone also served as director of the Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation from 2014 to 2016.

Early life and education Malone was born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 8, 1957, to Margaret Ann Daniels (1933–2021) and James E. Malone (1927–2002), a 34-year railroad worker for the Western Maryland Railroad who served in the Maryland House of Delegates for 12 years and later became the sheriff of Baltimore County. He is of Irish descent. He graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School, afterwards attending Catonsville Community College, where he earned an Associate of Arts degree in 1986. After graduating, Malone worked as a firefighter for the Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department, becoming the department's youngest ever president in 1979, and the Baltimore County Fire Department, retiring in March 2007. Malone later joined the Susquehanna House Company Division 5 after moving to Harford County. Malone was allowed to continue working as a firefighter after Baltimore County stripped Malone of his ability to write citations by moving him to a supervisory position.

Malone resigned from the House of Delegates on November 30, 2014, after Republican Harford County Executive Barry Glassman appointed him as the director of the Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation. He resigned from this position in April 2016.

Personal life and death Malone was married to his wife, Darlene. He had two children, James Malone III and Danica Crum. During the 2025 legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly passed the James "Jimmy" Malone Act, which requires counties that offer self-insured employee health plans to provide firefighters with coverage for preventive cancer screenings without copays or deductibles.

Electoral history