Maryland 8th Distirct congressional
candidate Kathleen Matthews speaking to the Rockville/Midcounty Democratic Breakfast Club in January
April 7, 2016
By Bill Turque
Kathleen Matthews (click here) is one of nine Democrats vying for the nomination to succeed Rep. Chris Van Hollen in Congress. Van Hollen is vacating the seat to run for the U.S. Senate. A first-time political candidate, Matthews is well-known in the Washington area for her years as a television news anchor. She also spent a decade as an executive with Marriott. Here are five less-known facts about her:
1) Born to Serve: She played varsity tennis at Stanford University in the mid-1970s. “Men had the best courts and scholarships, and I learned first-hand about the gender gap.”
2) Watergate Baby: Washington Post’s Watergate coverage prompted her to major in communications at Stanford. She got an interview with Bob Woodward, but no job.
3) Broadcast News: She met her husband, Chris Matthews, at the Radio Television Correspondents’ Association dinner when he was an aide to President Jimmy Carter. They were married in 1980.
4) Gone Green: She was inspired by Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth” to spearhead Marriott International’s sustainability strategy. Matthews drives a 2007 Smart Car, which gets 40 miles to the gallon.
5) Surf’s Up: She sang with The Beach Boys during a 2000 concert at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.
