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 his or her 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.^[1] Nine of the current members of the Maryland State Senate were originally appointed, all of whom have since been elected in their own right.^[2] Newly elected senators are sworn in and begin work on the second Wednesday of the January following their election.^[3]

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:

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.^[4] 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,^[5] 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.^[6]

Current state senators

Copyright.sk © 2024

District	Jurisdiction(s) represented	Image	Senator	Party	First elected	Primary committee
1	Allegany, Garrett, and Washington[8]		Mike McKay[9]	Republican[9]	2022[9]	Judicial Proceedings
2	Washington[8]		Paul D. Corderman[10]	Republican[10]	Appointed and sworn in on September 1, 2020; first elected November 2022	Budget and Taxation
3	Frederick[8]		Karen Lewis Young[11]	Democratic[11]	2022[11]	Education, Energy, and the Environment
4	Frederick[8]		William Folden[12]	Republican[12]	2022[12]	Judicial Proceedings
5	Carroll[8]		Justin Ready[13]	Republican[13]	Appointed and sworn in on February 2, 2015; first elected November 2018[13]	Finance
6	Baltimore County[8]		Johnny Ray Salling[14]	Republican[14]	2014[14]	Budget and Taxation
7	Baltimore County and Harford[8]		J. B. Jennings[15]	Republican[15]	2010[15]	Budget and Taxation
8	Baltimore County[8]		Katherine A. Klausmeier[16]	Democratic[16]	2002[16]	Finance
9	Carroll and Howard[8]		Katie Fry Hester[17]	Democratic[17]	2018[17]	Education, Energy, and the Environment
10	Baltimore County[8]		Benjamin Brooks[18]	Democratic[18]	2022[18]	Education, Energy, and the Environment
11	Baltimore County[8]		Shelly L. Hettleman[19]	Democratic[19]	Appointed January 30, 2020 and sworn in on February 3, 2020; first elected November 2022[19]	Budget and Taxation
12	Baltimore County and Howard[8]		Clarence Lam[20]	Democratic[20]	2018[20]	Finance
13	Howard[8]		Guy Guzzone[21]	Democratic[21]	2014[21]	Budget and Taxation (Chair)
14	Montgomery[8]		Craig Zucker[22]	Democratic[22]	Appointed February 3, 2016 and sworn in on February 4, 2016; first elected November 2018[22]	Budget and Taxation
15	Montgomery[8]		Brian Feldman[23]	Democratic[23]	Appointed September 12, 2013 and sworn in on September 17, 2013; first elected 2014[23]	Education, Energy, and the Environment (Chair)
16	Montgomery[8]	Vacant since May 6, 2024[24]
17	Montgomery[8]		Cheryl Kagan[25]	Democratic[25]	2014[25]	Education, Energy, and the Environment
18	Montgomery[8]		Jeff Waldstreicher[26]	Democratic[26]	2018[26]	Judicial Proceedings
19	Montgomery[8]		Benjamin F. Kramer[27]	Democratic[27]	2018[27]	Finance
20	Montgomery[8]		William C. Smith Jr.[28]	Democratic[28]	Appointed December 13, 2016 and sworn in on December 21, 2016; first elected November 2018[28]	Judicial Proceedings (Chair)
21	Anne Arundel and Prince George's[8]		James Rosapepe[29]	Democratic[29]	2006[29]	Budget and Taxation
22	Prince George's[8]		Alonzo T. Washington[30]	Democratic[30]	Appointed and sworn in on January 27, 2023[30]	Finance
23	Prince George's[8]		Ron Watson[31]	Democratic[31]	Appointed August 27, 2021 and sworn in on August 31, 2021; first elected November 2022[31]	Education, Energy, and the Environment
24	Prince George's[8]		Joanne C. Benson[32]	Democratic[32]	2010[32]	Budget and Taxation
25	Prince George's[8]		Nick Charles	Democratic	Appointed and sworn in on December 5, 2023	Judicial Proceedings
26	Prince George's		C. Anthony Muse[33]	Democratic[33]	2022[33]	Judicial Proceedings
27	Calvert, Charles and Prince George's[8]		Michael A. Jackson[34]	Democratic[35]	2021[35]	Budget and Taxation
28	Charles[8]		Arthur Ellis[36]	Democratic[36]	2018[36]	Finance
29	Calvert, and St. Mary's[8]		Jack Bailey[37]	Republican[37]	2018[37]	Budget and Taxation
30	Anne Arundel[8]		Sarah Elfreth[38]	Democratic[38]	2018[38]	Budget and Taxation
31	Anne Arundel[8]		Bryan Simonaire[39]	Republican[39]	2006[39]	Education, Energy, and the Environment
32	Anne Arundel[8]		Pamela Beidle[40]	Democratic[40]	2018[40]	Finance (Chair)
33	Anne Arundel[8]		Dawn Gile[41]	Democratic[41]	2022[41]	Finance
34	Harford[8]		Mary-Dulany James[42]	Democratic[42]	2022[42]	Judicial Proceedings
35	Cecil and Harford[8]		Jason C. Gallion	Republican	2018	Education, Energy, and the Environment
36	Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's[8]		Stephen S. Hershey Jr.	Republican	Appointed September 18, 2013 and sworn in on October 1, 2013; first elected 2014	Finance
37	Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, and Wicomico[8]		Johnny Mautz[43]	Republican[43]	2022[43]	Finance
38	Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester[8]		Mary Beth Carozza	Republican	2018	Education, Energy, and the Environment
39	Montgomery[8]		Nancy J. King	Democratic	Appointed and sworn in on September 5, 2007; first elected 2010	Budget and Taxation
40	Baltimore[8]		Antonio Hayes	Democratic	2018	Finance
41	Baltimore[8]		Jill P. Carter	Democratic	Appointed and sworn in on April 30, 2018; first elected 2018	Judicial Proceedings
42	Baltimore County[8]		Chris West	Republican	2018	Judicial Proceedings
43	Baltimore[8]		Mary L. Washington	Democratic	2018	Education, Energy, and the Environment
44	Baltimore and Baltimore County[8]		Charles E. Sydnor III	Democratic	2019	Judicial Proceedings
45	Baltimore[8]		Cory V. McCray	Democratic	2018	Budget and Taxation
46	Baltimore[8]