Ken Ulman, leaving public office, talks up Howard Co. innovation economy

After an unsuccessful campaign for higher office, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman is packing his bags.
The Democrat, a two-term county executive, was running-mate to Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown. The pair lost to Gov.-elect Larry Hogan and Lt. Gov.-elect Boyd Rutherford.
However, Ulman told the Baltimore Business Journal he’s still excited about what comes next for him in the economic development sphere, though he didn’t give specifics on what it might be.

“We’ll have some information very soon,” he said. “The good news is I am incredibly excited about continuing to play a role in Maryland’s innovation economy, in making sure we’re pushing forward solutions to our challenges.”
It’s too early to think about running for another office, Ulman said. He called the last election exhausting.
That election and its unexpected outcome in favor of a Republican gubernatorial candidate creates a time for the Democratic Party to reflect and make sure it understands Marylanders’ concerns, Ulman said. But he’s trying to focus on the future rather than dining on ashes.
“While I’m disappointed with the results of the election, I’m a person that always looks forward,” he said. “I think we’ve got an incredibly strong party. We’ve got an incredibly strong state.”

Ulman said in the interview he wanted voters to remember the campaign’s optimism for the state’s future and progress made during the recession.
Read the full storyKaren Murphy