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List of current members of the Maryland Senate
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The Maryland Senate is the upper house of the Maryland General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Maryland. One Senator is elected from each of the state's 47 electoral districts. As of January 2023, 34 of those seats are held by Democrats and 13 by Republicans. The leader of the Senate is known as the President, a position currently held by Bill Ferguson, who represents Baltimore. In addition, senators elect a President Pro Tempore, and the respective party caucuses elect a majority and minority leader and a majority and minority whip.
Senators are elected in even-numbered years when the President of the United States is not being elected, similar to most other state offices in Maryland. The most recent election was in November 2022. Senators are not term-limited. Should a Senator resign from office before their term expires, the local central committee of the party to which the retiring senator belonged makes a recommendation to the Governor for whom to appoint to the open seat. It is tradition for the Governor to appoint the recommended person. Nine of the current members of the Maryland State Senate were originally appointed, all of whom have since been elected in their own right. Newly elected senators are sworn in and begin work on the second Wednesday of the January following their election.
Each Senator has at least one standing committee assignment. The first is to one of the four legislative committees: Budget and Taxation; Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs (listed in this table as Education, Health, and Environment); Finance; or Judicial Proceedings. A number of senators have secondary committee assignments, most prominently to the Executive Nominations Committee, which oversees the constitutional responsibility of the Senate to approve nominations by the Governor. Assignment to the Rules or Executive Nominations committees or to any Ad Hoc committees is not noted.
Current party composition
Composition as of the beginning of the 2019–2022 term on January 9, 2019:
| Affiliation | Senators | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party (United States)}}" | Democratic Party | |
| Republican Party (United States)}}" | Republican Party | |
| Total | ||
| 47 | ||
| Democratic majority | ||
| 20 () |
During the 2015–2018 term, the State Senate was made up of 33 Democrats and 14 Republicans. Republicans gained two seats (District 38 in Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties and District 42 in Baltimore County), while losing one seat (District 9 in Howard and Carroll counties) in the elections held on November 6, 2018. Democrats maintain a super-majority in the chamber. Article II, Section 17(a) of the Maryland Constitution specifies it takes a three-fifths vote of both chambers to override a veto, which is 29 votes in the State Senate. The rules of the Senate also permit members to limit debate by a three-fifths majority vote, meaning Republicans would need to gain four additional seats, for a total of 19, in order to sustain a veto or filibuster legislation.
Current leadership
The below table reflects the current leadership of the Maryland State Senate as of October 4, 2021.
| Position | Name | Party | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Senate | Democratic | 46 | |
| President pro tem | Democratic | 47 | |
| Majority Leader | Democratic | 39 | |
| Majority Vice Leader | Democratic | 24 | |
| Minority Leader | Steve Hershey | Republican | 36 |
| Minority Vice Leader | Justin Ready | Republican | 5 |
Current state senators
| District | Jurisdiction(s) represented | Image | Senator | Party | First elected | Primary committee | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allegany, Garrett, and Washington | [[File:Delegate Mike McKay.jpg | 50px]] | Republican | 2022 | Judicial Proceedings | ||||||
| 2 | Washington | [[File:Paul Corderman.jpg | 50px]] | title=Paul D. Corderman, Maryland State Senator | url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/05sen/html/msa17582.html | website=msa.maryland.gov | publisher=Maryland Manual On-Line | access-date=September 29, 2022}} | Republican | Appointed and sworn in on September 1, 2020; first elected November 2022 | Budget and Taxation | |
| 3 | Frederick | [[File:WLB 1821 (49453126858).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2022 | Budget and Taxation | ||||||
| 4 | Frederick | [[File:Officer William Folden.jpg | 50px]] | Republican | 2022 | Judicial Proceedings | ||||||
| 5 | Carroll | [[File:Maryland State Senator Justin Ready (cropped).jpg | 50px]] | Republican | Appointed and sworn in on February 2, 2015; first elected November 2018 | Finance | ||||||
| 6 | Baltimore County | [[File:Johnny Ray Salling.jpg | 50px]] | Republican | 2014 | Budget and Taxation | ||||||
| 7 | Baltimore County and Harford | [[File:J. B. Jennings (November 2007).jpg | 50px]] | Republican | 2010 | Budget and Taxation | ||||||
| 8 | Baltimore County | [[File:Delegate Carl Jackson (cropped).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed and sworn in on February 5, 2025 | Finance | ||||||
| 9 | Carroll and Howard | [[File:Katie Fry Hester.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2018 | Education, Energy, and the Environment | ||||||
| 10 | Baltimore County | [[File:Benjamin Brooks.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2022 | Education, Energy, and the Environment | ||||||
| 11 | Baltimore County | [[File:Shelly L. Hettleman (43851085140).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed January 30, 2020 and sworn in on February 3, 2020; first elected November 2022 | Budget and Taxation | ||||||
| 12 | Baltimore County and Howard | [[File:Clarence Lam.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2018 | Finance | ||||||
| 13 | Howard | [[File:Guzzone 2019 Headshot.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2014 | Budget and Taxation (Chair) | ||||||
| 14 | Montgomery | [[File:CraigZucker.JPG | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed February 3, 2016 and sworn in on February 4, 2016; first elected November 2018 | Budget and Taxation | ||||||
| 15 | Montgomery | [[File:FeldmanHeadshot Web.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed September 12, 2013 and sworn in on September 17, 2013; first elected 2014 | Education, Energy, and the Environment (Chair) | ||||||
| 16 | Montgomery | [[File:Sara N. Love 2023.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed and sworn in on June 13, 2024 | Judicial Proceedings | ||||||
| 17 | Montgomery | [[File:CherylKagan.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2014 | Education, Energy, and the Environment | ||||||
| 18 | Montgomery | [[File:Delegate jeff waldstreicher.png | 50px]] | Democratic | 2018 | Judicial Proceedings | ||||||
| 19 | Montgomery | [[File:Benjamin F. Kramer (5231388739).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2018 | Finance | ||||||
| 20 | Montgomery | [[File:WSmithWiki.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed December 13, 2016 and sworn in on December 21, 2016; first elected November 2018 | Judicial Proceedings (Chair) | ||||||
| 21 | Anne Arundel and Prince George's | [[File:James Rosapepe (2009).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2006 | Budget and Taxation | ||||||
| 22 | Prince George's | [[File:ATW 2014 Headshot.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed and sworn in on January 27, 2023 | Finance | ||||||
| 23 | Prince George's | [[File:Ron Watson Feb2023.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed August 27, 2021 and sworn in on August 31, 2021; first elected November 2022 | Education, Energy, and the Environment | ||||||
| 24 | Prince George's | [[File:Joanne C. Benson (2007).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2010 | Budget and Taxation | ||||||
| 25 | Prince George's | [[File:Delegate Nick Charles Official Headshot.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed and sworn in on December 5, 2023 | Judicial Proceedings | ||||||
| 26 | Prince George's | [[File:C. Anthony Muse (May 2008).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2022 | Judicial Proceedings | ||||||
| 27 | Calvert, Charles and Prince George's | [[File:Delegate Kevin Harris Feb2023.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed December 5, 2025 and sworn in on December 9, 2025 | Education, Energy, and the Environment | ||||||
| 28 | Charles | [[File:Arthur Ellis.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2018 | Finance | ||||||
| 29 | Calvert, and St. Mary's | [[File:Delegate Jack Bailey.jpg | 50px]] | Republican | 2018 | Budget and Taxation | ||||||
| 30 | Anne Arundel | [[File:SHANEKA T. HENSON (3x4 cropped).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed and sworn in on January 8, 2025 | Judicial Proceedings | ||||||
| 31 | Anne Arundel | [[File:Bryan Simonaire (2009).jpg | 50px]] | Republican | 2006 | Education, Energy, and the Environment | ||||||
| 32 | Anne Arundel | [[File:Pamela Beidle (2007).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2018 | Finance (Chair) | ||||||
| 33 | Anne Arundel | [[File:Legislative Breakfast (52663156885) (cropped).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2022 | Finance | ||||||
| 34 | Harford | [[File:Mary-Dulany James (2008).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2022 | Judicial Proceedings | ||||||
| 35 | Cecil and Harford | [[File:Jason Gallion February 2019.jpg | 50px]] | Republican | 2018 | Education, Energy, and the Environment | ||||||
| 36 | Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's | [[File:Stephen S. Hershey, Jr. (2011).jpg | 50px]] | Republican | Appointed September 18, 2013 and sworn in on October 1, 2013; first elected 2014 | Finance | ||||||
| 37 | Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, and Wicomico | [[File:Delegate Mautz.jpg | 50px]] | Republican | 2022 | Finance | ||||||
| 38 | Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester | [[File:Mary Beth Carozza.jpg | 50px]] | Republican | 2018 | Education, Energy, and the Environment | ||||||
| 39 | Montgomery | [[File:Nancy J. King (cropped).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed and sworn in on September 5, 2007; first elected 2010 | Budget and Taxation | ||||||
| 40 | Baltimore | [[File:Delegate Antonio Hayes.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2018 | Finance | ||||||
| 41 | Baltimore | [[File:Dalya Attar (53050486615).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | Appointed and sworn in on January 24, 2025 | Education, Energy, and the Environment | ||||||
| 42 | Baltimore County | [[File:Delegate Chris West.jpg | 50px]] | Republican | 2018 | Judicial Proceedings | ||||||
| 43 | Baltimore | [[File:1mary washington.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2018 | Education, Energy, and the Environment | ||||||
| 44 | Baltimore and Baltimore County | [[File:Charles E. Sydnor III.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2019 | Judicial Proceedings | ||||||
| 45 | Baltimore | [[File:Delegate Cory McCray.jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2018 | Budget and Taxation | ||||||
| 46 | Baltimore | [[File:Bill Ferguson (2011).jpg | 50px]] | Democratic | 2010 | President of the Senate | ||||||
| 47 | Prince George's | Democratic | 2018 | Education, Energy, and the Environment |
Notes
This Senator was originally appointed to office by the Governor to fill an open seat.
The President of the Senate does not serve on any of the four standing legislative committees. He does, however, serve on both the Executive Nominations and the Rules Committees.
References
;General
;Specific
References
- "Article III". Maryland State Archives.
- "Maryland Senate, Appointments by Governor". Maryland State Archives.
- "Constitution of Maryland:Article III, Legislative Department". Maryland State Archives.
- (November 27, 2018). "Maryland Senate GOP re-elects Jennings as minority leader, Hershey as whip".
- (September 29, 2015). "Constitution of Maryland, Article II, Executive Department".
- "Members - Senate".
- "Justin D. Ready, Maryland State Senator".
- "Legislator List – By District".
- (January 18, 2023). "Senator Mike McKay".
- "Paul D. Corderman, Maryland State Senator". Maryland Manual On-Line.
- (January 18, 2023). "Senator Karen Lewis Young".
- (January 18, 2023). "Senator William G. Folden".
- (December 2, 2016). "Senator Justin Ready".
- (January 16, 2017). "Senator Johnny Ray Salling".
- (January 31, 2017). "Senator J.B. Jennings".
- "Members - Senator Carl Jackson".
- (January 23, 2019). "Kathryn A. (Katie) Fry Hester".
- (January 18, 2023). "Senator Benjamin Brooks".
- (February 3, 2020). "Shelly L. Hettleman".
- (January 15, 2019). "Clarence K. Lam, M.D.".
- (February 28, 2017). "Senator Guy Guzzone".
- (January 17, 2017). "Senator Craig J. Zucker".
- (February 28, 2017). "Senator Brian J. Feldman".
- (December 12, 2016). "Senator Cheryl C. Kagan".
- (January 23, 2019). "Jeffrey D. Waldstreicher".
- (January 23, 2019). "Benjamin F. Kramer".
- (January 20, 2017). "Senator William C. Smith, Jr.".
- (January 12, 2017). "Senator Jim Rosapepe".
- (January 27, 2023). "Senator Alonzo T. Washington".
- "Senator Ron Watson".
- (January 11, 2017). "Senator Joanne C. Benson".
- (January 18, 2023). "Senator C. Anthony Muse".
- (January 18, 2019). "Arthur Ellis (Maryland politician)".
- (January 15, 2019). "John D. (Jack) Bailey".
- "Members - Senator Shaneka Henson". Maryland General Assembly.
- (February 21, 2017). "Senator Bryan W. Simonaire".
- (January 23, 2019). "Senator James E. DeGrange, Sr.".
- (January 18, 2023). "Senator Dawn Gile".
- (January 18, 2023). "Senator Mary-Dulany James".
- (January 18, 2023). "Senator Johnny Mautz".
- "Members - Senator Dalya Attar". Maryland General Assembly.
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