C. T. Wilson

Background

Wilson was born in Missouri. An orphan, he lived in several foster homes as a child. Wilson has stated he was sexually abused and repeatedly raped by his adoptive father, Tom Wilson, while in foster care from the ages of 9 to 15.

He graduated from Freeburg Community High School in Freeburg, Illinois. After high school, at 18, he enlisted as a combat soldier in the U.S. Army from 1990 to 1997. He served in the Persian Gulf and Bosnia Herzegovina in both combat and medical units. Wilson later graduated cum laude from Upper Iowa University with a B.A. in psychology. He then went on to the Howard University School of Law where he earned a J.D. in 2003, and was admitted to Maryland Bar. After graduating, he helped organize the Community Prosecution Unit of the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office.

He is a Maryland Foster Youth Resource Center boardmember and a National Eagle Scout Association member. He and his wife Nicole have three daughters.

In 2014, Wilson's book, 10,000 Hills: One Boy's Journey was published by CreateSpace. The book follows Wilson's early life story and the sexual abuse he faced from his adoptive father.

In the legislature

Wilson has been a member of House of Delegates since January 12, 2011. He is the first Black man elected delegate in Charles County. Wilson served as the chair on the Business Regulations Subcommittee under the Economic Matters Committee. He is a member of the Southern Maryland Delegation and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. He previously served as the House Chair of the Maryland Veterans Caucus. In December 2021, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones appointed Wilson chairman of the House Economic Matters Committee, succeeding Delegate Dereck E. Davis. He served as the chair of this committee until December 2025, when House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk named Wilson as the House parliamentarian.

In December 2025, after Adrienne A. Jones announced that she would step down as Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, Wilson announced that he would run for Speaker. Wilson dropped out of the race a few days later, endorsing Joseline Peña-Melnyk.

Political positions

Education

During the 2021 legislative session, Wilson introduced legislation to require the Maryland State Board of Education to create statewide standards for teaching Black history to public school students. The bill was reintroduced during the 2022 legislative session.

In 2022, Wilson opposed legislation to break up the College of Southern Maryland to create a new Charles County Community College.

Electoral reform

In 2016, Wilson voted against overriding Governor Larry Hogan's veto on legislation that would restore voting rights to felons on parole and probation.

In November 2025, House Speaker Adrienne Jones appointed Wilson to the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Commission, a body formed by Governor Wes Moore to study mid-decade redistricting in Maryland. In January 2026, Wilson voted to recommend a congressional redistricting map that would increase the Democratic Party's chances of winning Maryland's 1st congressional district, the only one represented by a Republican, after which he introduced the bill to adopt the map for the 2026 elections.

Environment

In August 2025, Wilson criticized the Trump administration's plans to revoke federal offshore wind permits for US Wind's proposed wind farm off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, calling its stoppage "shortsighted" and saying that there's "nothing that they're going to say to replace it besides, 'drill, baby, drill'".

Justice

Wilson opposed legislation to repeal the death penalty in Maryland, saying, "I wish we did not need the death penalty... but I've seen the worst of the worst, and I know it's necessary." During the debate on the bill in 2013, Wilson opposed an amendment to keep execution as an option for those who kill after being sentenced to death or life in prison. The amendment failed by a 61–77 vote.

Paid family leave

Wilson introduced legislation in the 2022 legislative session to provide up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to all Maryland workers. During a hearing on the bill, he introduced an amendment to replace the bill with a commission to investigate how to implement a statewide paid family leave program. The bill was later restored and passed with an effective date of 2025 in a compromise with Wilson. The bill became law after the General Assembly voted to override Governor Larry Hogan's veto on April 9, 2022.

Policing

Following the 2015 Baltimore protests, Wilson called on finding a "middle ground" on police reform legislation. During the 2021 legislative session, Wilson introduced legislation requiring police officers to identify themselves and notify individuals of their right to refuse to speak or provide information during a traffic stop.

Social issues

Wilson opposed a bill introduced in the 2011 legislative session to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland, saying "I'm taking the courageous stance. I have not had a chance to take this to my constituents and get their opinion."

Wilson introduced legislation in the 2012 legislative session to make it a felony offense to transfer knowingly, or attempt to transfer, HIV to another person.

During the 2014 legislative session, Wilson introduced a resolution to urge the owners of the Washington Redskins to change the football team's name to something that "is not offensive to Native Americans or any other group".

Wilson introduced legislation in the 2015 legislative session to make March 30 "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day". The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan on March 30, 2015.

During the 2017 legislative session, Wilson introduced legislation extending the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases from age 25 to age 38. The bill was introduced in previous legislative sessions but was blocked by Catholic Church lobbyists and Delegate Joseph F. Vallario Jr., the chair of the House Judiciary Committee. The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan on April 4, 2017. In 2019, he introduced a bill to abolish the statute of limitations on child sexual assault cases, which the Senate Judiciary Committee later voted down after passing the House of Delegates by a vote of 135–3. Later that day, the House Judiciary Committee agreed to include compromise provisions in legislation introduced by Senator Justin Ready, including one to increase the statute of limitations to the age of 58. He re-introduced, and later withdrew, this bill during the 2021 legislative session.

In 2021, he supported legislation that would lower the state's age of mental health consent to 12 years old.

In November 2022, following the conclusion of a years-long investigation by the Attorney General of Maryland into accusations of sexual assault in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, Wilson introduced the Maryland Child Victims Act, a bill to eliminate the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse lawsuits and create a "look back window" to allow survivors to file lawsuits alleging past sexual abuse. The Maryland Catholic Conference, who had previously lobbied against bills eliminating the statute of limitations, said that they would support eliminating the statute of limitations but opposed provisions of the bill creating the look back window. The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Wes Moore on April 11, 2023.

Electoral history

| access-date = June 2, 2022 | archive-date = May 14, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210514215938/https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2018/results/general/gen_results_2018_2_01627A.html | url-status = live | access-date = June 2, 2022 | archive-date = May 14, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210514215938/https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2018/results/general/gen_results_2018_2_01627A.html | url-status = live | access-date = June 2, 2022 | archive-date = July 6, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220706071315/https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2014/results/primary/gen_results_2014_1_01628.html | url-status = live | access-date = June 2, 2022 | archive-date = February 25, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220225034825/https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2014/results/General/gen_results_2014_2_01628.html | url-status = live | access-date = June 2, 2022 | archive-date = February 9, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220209011819/https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2018/results/primary/gen_results_2018_1_01628.html | url-status = live | access-date = June 2, 2022 | archive-date = May 15, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210515003626/https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2018/results/general/gen_results_2018_2_01628.html | url-status = live

Bibliography

• 10,000 Hills : one boy's journey, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014.

References

References

1. (April 7, 2016). "A Maryland lawmaker raped as a child can't get his bill for sex assault survivors passed". [[The Washington Post]].
2. "C. T. Wilson, Maryland State Delegate". Msa.maryland.gov.
3. (March 19, 2014). "From a childhood of abuse to state delegate: C.T. Wilson's painful story". MarylandReporter.com.
4. (April 6, 2023). "To combat child sex abuse, this lawmaker deploys a searing story: His own.". [[The Washington Post]].
5. (December 15, 2010). "The New Black Delegates". [[Baltimore Afro-American]].
6. (December 9, 2021). "After Half a Lifetime in the House, Dereck Davis to Become Md. Treasurer". [[Maryland Matters]].
7. (December 30, 2025). "Peña-Melnyk unveils House leadership shake-up, expands standing committees". [[Maryland Matters]].
8. (December 5, 2025). "C.T. Wilson confirms bid for Maryland House Speaker, others signal interest". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
9. (December 7, 2025). "Peña-Melnyk emerges as favorite to become next House of Delegates speaker". [[The Baltimore Banner]].
10. (January 28, 2021). "Bill Seeks to Teach Black History Differently in Md. Schools". [[Maryland Matters]].
11. (January 21, 2022). "Bill Would Require Md. Schools to Teach More Diverse History Lessons". [[Maryland Matters]].
12. (February 2, 2022). "Senator Stands Alone in Fight Over Regional Community College". [[Maryland Matters]].
13. (January 20, 2016). "Maryland House overrides three of Gov. Hogan's vetoes". [[The Washington Post]].
14. (November 4, 2025). "Gov. Moore announces commission on mid-cycle redistricting". [[WBAL-TV]].
15. (January 20, 2026). "Maryland commission recommends new congressional boundaries favoring Democrats". [[The Baltimore Banner]].
16. (January 21, 2026). "Democrats' redistricting proposal could oust House Freedom Caucus chairman". [[The Washington Post]].
17. (August 26, 2025). "Republicans hail Trump's halt to Ocean City wind farm; Dems call it 'shortsighted'". The Baltimore Sun.
18. (March 15, 2013). "Md. House of Delegates votes to repeal death penalty; bill goes to O'Malley next". [[The Washington Post]].
19. (March 13, 2013). "Maryland House advances repeal of death penalty after defeating several exceptions". [[The Washington Post]].
20. (March 14, 2022). "In Setback for Advocates, House Committee Considering Establishing a Commission on Paid Family Leave". [[Maryland Matters]].
21. (March 30, 2022). "House Passes Statewide Paid Leave Program". [[Maryland Matters]].
22. (April 8, 2022). "Hogan Vetoes Abortion and Paid Family Leave Bills, Allows Climate Measure to Become Law". [[Maryland Matters]].
23. (April 9, 2022). "With Legislative Overrides, Paid Leave and Abortion Access Bills Become Law in Maryland". [[Maryland Matters]].
24. (August 24, 2015). "After Baltimore riots, changes to police 'bill of rights' sought". [[The Washington Post]].
25. (February 10, 2021). "Jones' Sweeping Police Workgroup Bill Receives Criticism From the ACLU". [[Maryland Matters]].
26. (July 13, 2011). "In Maryland, Fight for Marriage Parity Continues". EDGE Media Network.
27. (March 11, 2011). "Maryland House derails bill that would legalize same-sex marriage". [[The Washington Post]].
28. (March 9, 2012). "Md. Legislative Black Caucus, ACLU at odds over HIV 'criminalization' bill". [[The Washington Blade]].
29. (September 10, 2012). "Maryland man faces rarely used HIV transmission charges". [[The Washington Post]].
30. (March 11, 2014). "Maryland delegates propose resolution urging Redskins to change team name". [[The Washington Post]].
31. (March 30, 2015). "Md. Gov. Larry Hogan signs his first law, honoring Vietnam War veterans". [[The Washington Post]].
32. (April 4, 2017). "As a child, he was raped. As a lawmaker, he ensured victims had more time to sue.". [[The Washington Post]].
33. (March 16, 2019). "Md. bill would make it easier for child sexual abuse victims to sue Catholic Church". [[The Washington Post]].
34. (April 5, 2019). "Emotional Wilson Reflects on Failed Predator Bill". [[Maryland Matters]].
35. (April 5, 2019). "With Maneuver, House Panel Tries to Move Laura & Reid's Law and Hidden Predator Act Together". [[Maryland Matters]].
36. (February 5, 2021). "Zirkin Returns to Old Committee to Testify Against Wilson's Child Sex Abuse Bill". [[Maryland Matters]].
37. (March 16, 2021). "Del. Wilson Withdraws Controversial Bill to Alter the Statute of Limitations for Child Sex Abuse". [[Maryland Matters]].
38. (April 8, 2021). "Maryland advances bill that lowers age of mental health consent to 12 years old". [[The Washington Post]].
39. (November 27, 2022). "Statute of limitations reform will top civil law reform in 2023 session". [[The Daily Record (Maryland).
40. (December 20, 2022). "Maryland Catholic Church supports partial lifting of statute of limitations in sex abuse civil cases". [[CBS Baltimore]].
41. (December 20, 2022). "Maryland Catholic Conference will support bill to eliminate statute of limitations, but only for future cases of abuse". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
42. (April 11, 2023). "Lawmakers, advocates celebrate Child Victims Act being signed into law by Gov. Wes Moore". [[The Baltimore Sun]].