Andrea Cwieka, correspondent
PHILADELPHIA 鈥斅燢nown as a 鈥渓ittle general in pearls,鈥� a legendary Maryland lawmaker and just plain 鈥淏arb,鈥� the country鈥檚 longest-serving female senator, Barbara Mikulski, is attending her last Democratic National Convention as a public official 鈥� and plans to go out with a bang.
The small-statured politician formally nominated her friend and former Senate colleague Hillary Clinton for president on the Wells Fargo Center convention stage Tuesday, along with U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about a 鈥榖oo,鈥� it鈥檚 about a 鈥榖oo-hoo鈥� if Donald Trump wins,鈥� the 80-year-old Mikulski told a roomful of Maryland delegates at their breakfast Tuesday. 鈥淩epublicans know how to investigate and instigate, but they sure don鈥檛 know how to legislate!鈥�
The Baltimore born-and-raised senator, known for her fiery temper, is also scheduled to speak Thursday in support of Clinton as part of a program featuring Democratic women senators.
鈥淪he was an early supporter of Clinton years ago,鈥� said fellow Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin, who has worked with Mikulski for years. 鈥淏arbara knows that she played a role in (Clinton鈥檚 success).鈥�
Mikulski supported Clinton in her 2008 bid, serving as the chair of her campaign, and played a central role in 2012鈥檚 party convention, speaking in support of President Barack Obama.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine it being anything other than a huge validation of Senator Mikulski鈥檚 career if Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States, which I hope and expect her to be,鈥� said Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot in a phone interview.
For Maryland Democratic delegate and state senator Susan Lee of Montgomery County, Mikulski has built a foundation for all female politicians, both in Maryland and nationally. The senator even endorsed Lee in her campaign for the Maryland House of Delegates.
鈥淪he鈥檚 always been there for me,鈥� said Lee, adding that Mikulski endorsed her in 2002, which helped her success. 鈥淪he supported me for my first primary in the House of Delegates. She always keeps her word, and she鈥檚 always there for help.鈥�
Lee, former executive director of the National Democratic Council of Asian and Pacific Americans, said that Mikulski 鈥渄id all that she could to help鈥� the organization and 鈥渦nderstood鈥� the challenges facing immigrants due to her personal history as the daughter of Polish immigrants.
鈥淪he was our ally and friend and we never forgot that,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淪he led the way for many of us who didn鈥檛 have a voice before.鈥�
According to Lee and other Maryland politicians, Mikulski has always supported women 鈥渨ho had earned respect鈥� and had a 鈥渟trong track record鈥� running for office, but did not just support them for being women.
鈥淪he鈥檚 played a major role in the convention,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淲e have a woman running for president, and she is going to win. I鈥檓 glad to be alive to see that.鈥�
Referred to as the 鈥渄ean of women鈥� in the Senate, Mikulski has been known to host regular dinners and workshops for female senators in both parties.
Her support for Clinton, then, only made sense. Mikulski dubbed her a 鈥渇ellow trailblazer鈥� in her 2007 endorsement speech.
Supporting women outside of politics has been a focus for Mikulski as well 鈥� she has been at the forefront of fighting for women鈥檚 issues like healthcare and equal pay, along with creating legislation to help families and the elderly.
Early on in her career, she fought against the dress code for women in the Senate, which originally limited women to dresses and skirts.
She wrote the Spousal Anti-Impoverishment Act to help those burdened by nursing home costs, she worked on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act for equal pay for women, and amended Obamacare to include mammograms and cervical cancer screenings for women.
鈥淚 have been an elected official for 30 years. Senator Mikulski has been in office longer than that,鈥� Franchot said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 very effective, and way out of my league 鈥� she鈥檚 an iconic national figure.鈥�
Mikulski also built a Baltimore legacy before claiming her Senate seat.
She grew up in the Highlandtown neighborhood, obtained a bachelor鈥檚 degree in sociology from Mount Saint Agnes College (now part of Loyola University) and a master鈥檚 degree in social work from the University of Maryland.
As a community activist, she was credited with helping to save East Baltimore from being torn apart by highway construction.
Years later, in November, was Obama awarded her the nation鈥檚 highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he recalled that early battle in Baltimore.
“Back in 1966, plans were laid to lay a highway through some of Baltimore’s most diverse neighborhoods,鈥� the president told a White House audience. 鈥淭he new road seemed like a go. It was about to happen. That is, until it ran into a young social worker, and let’s just say, you don’t want to be on the wrong side of Barbara Mikulski.”
She won a Baltimore City Council seat in 1971 and served in that post for five years.
She successfully ran in 1976 for the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served for 10 years before winning a Senate seat in 1986.
During her extensive federal government career, she was not only known for her short stature and sassy nature but for also serving on prestigious committees, working her way up to become the first woman to chair the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee in 2012. After the Republicans took control of the Senate in 2014, she became vice chairwoman of the panel.
鈥淭he baton is being passed,鈥� Franchot said. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure there will be several victory laps taken by her in Philly, which is entirely appropriate because she鈥檚 been such a spectacular success in politics.鈥�
With this year being her last term in the Senate, and this week in Philadelphia, her last convention as an elected official, many Marylanders agreed that they will miss Mikulski.
For Cardin, the convention is sure to be an 鈥渆motional鈥� and 鈥渆xciting鈥� one.
Mikulski admitted to the Maryland delegates that she would need them to cheer her on during her Clinton nomination speech, adding that she might get a little 鈥渃hoked up.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 ready to turn a new page because of who is coming after me 鈥� Cory (Booker of New Jersey), Elizabeth (Warren of Massachusetts), Chris (Van Hollen of Maryland) 鈥� what a new wonderful crowd,鈥� the senator said to a room loud with whoops and applause. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 hold on because you don鈥檛 want to hold anybody back.鈥�
Congressman and DNC delegate Van Hollen is favored in his race against Republican Kathy Szeliga to replace Mikulski in the Senate after she finishes out her final term.
鈥淢y granddaughter, who is 8 weeks old 鈥� I鈥檓 delighted she鈥檚 going to get to be an infant during the administration of the first woman president of the United States. To me, that鈥檚 an inspirational message,鈥� Franchot said.
鈥淗illary Clinton is standing on the shoulders of individuals like Barbara Mikulski, and I鈥檓 sure she would say that,鈥� he said.
