Baltimore Democrats voted Tuesday to nominate Del. Dalya Attar as their choice to represent the city in the Maryland Senate.

Attar’s name will be forwarded to Gov. Wes Moore to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Sen. Jill P. Carter in the 41st District, which includes neighborhoods in West, Northwest and Southwest Baltimore.

Attar, who was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2018, told members of the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee that she would focus on improving education to reduce juvenile crime, foster unity among the diverse residents of the district and make smart choices to keep the budget in balance.

She stressed that she’s a lifelong resident of the district, now raising her two children just a block from where she lived as a child.

“I love this district and I look forward to continuing to represent the people in the district,” Attar said during a two-hour-long online meeting of the Democratic Central Committee.

Of the eight Central Committee members who live in the 41st District, five cast their votes for Attar, with another three supporting Del. Malcolm Ruff. Another half-dozen hopefuls made their pitches to the committee, but Attar and Ruff offered the most direct experience and were the only ones to win votes.

Attar was elected to the House of Delegates in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Outside of the legislature, she is an attorney in private practice and previously was an assistant state’s attorney in Baltimore City.

Ruff is a relative newcomer to politics, who was appointed to fill a vacancy in the House of Delegates in the summer of 2023. He’s an attorney with the high-powered and politically connected Murphy, Falcon & Murphy law firm.

The Senate seat is vacant following the resignation of Carter, who has been nominated to join the Maryland Board of Contract Appeals, which handles cases and disputes involving state contracts.

Earlier in the day, Carter was lauded in the Senate chamber by her former colleagues as a dedicated proponent of criminal justice reform.

When vacancies occur in the Maryland General Assembly, the task of nominating replacements is vested with the local political party central committees. Attar’s move from the House of Delegates to the state Senate will create yet another vacancy that the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee will be tasked with filling.

The 41st District covers parts of West, Northwest and Southwest Baltimore, including neighborhoods such as Pimlico, Park Heights, Howard Park, Forest Park, Gwynns Falls, Edmonson Village and Irvington.

Attar’s name will be sent to the governor, who has the final say on appointing new members to the Maryland General Assembly to fill vacancies. He can only appoint new members who have been nominated by a party Central Committee.