Maryland New Members 2025

Sen.-elect Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.)

Date of Birth / Feb. 23, 1971  
Residence / Upper Marlboro, Md.  
Occupation / Lawyer, Prince George’s County executive   
Education / B.A., Duke University; J.D., University of Maryland School of Law  
Family / Daughter   

Angela Alsobrooks defeated former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan for Maryland’s open Senate seat, making history as the first Black female senator from Maryland and only the third in U.S. history. She will succeed Sen. Ben Cardin (D), who has held the seat since 2007.  

The race in deep-blue Maryland was surprisingly close. But Alsobrooks pulled away in the polls in the final month, picking up endorsements from prominent Democrats like former President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  

Like most Democrats in 2024, Alsobrooks leaned heavily into the issue of abortion. She pledged to support legislation on her first day that would codify the protections of Roe v. Wade and repeatedly blasted Hogan on the issue. But she also focused on tying Hogan to other Senate Republicans and to the broader need for Democrats to control the chamber.  

When she was elected as county executive in 2018, Alsobrooks became the first woman to hold the position in Prince George’s County, and the first Black woman elected to the Office of County Executive in Maryland history.  

— Nathaniel Weixel 

Rep.-elect Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.-2)

Date of Birth / Sept. 10, 1982  
Residence / Dundalk, Md.  
Occupation / Baltimore County executive  
Education / B.A., Goucher College; M.A., George Washington University; Ph.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore County  
Family / Married to Marisa with one child   

Johnny Olszewski Jr. won an open seat to replace retiring Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D) in Maryland’s 2nd District, a solidly blue district that covers parts of Baltimore and Carroll counties and a small portion of the city of Baltimore.   

The Baltimore County executive defeated Kimberly Klacik, a conservative radio host and MAGA firebrand endorsed by President-elect Trump.  

A former teacher who served two terms in the Maryland House of Delegates, Olszewski was the youngest person to serve as county executive when he was elected in 2018. He handily won reelection in 2022, and even with two years left in his term, he was considered a heavy favorite for the open congressional seat.  

Olszewski touted his local ties and working-class roots, having grown up in Baltimore. He campaigned on gun safety and efforts to make Baltimore safer. He gained national attention in the aftermath of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which had an outsized impact on the district.   

— Nathaniel Weixel 

Rep.-elect Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.-3)

Date of Birth / Sept. 9, 1988 
Residence / Annapolis, Md. 
Occupation / Maryland state Senator, adjunct professor at Towson University 
Education / B.A., Towson University; Master of Public Policy, Johns Hopkins University  
Family / Partner, Eric Costello

Rep.-elect Sara Elfreth (D-Md.) will succeed Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) as the representative for Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District. She represents Maryland’s 30th District in the state Senate. Six years ago, she made a place for herself in history by being the youngest woman to earn a spot in the Old Line State’s upper chamber. She has two dogs, Hoosier and Ollie.  

Elfreth has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Towson University and a public policy, education policy and social policy master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. She also works at Towson’s Honors College, instructing in public policy. 

On a campaign website, Elfreth has said as a House member, she is going to keep “protecting choice, ending gun violence, and strengthening democracy,” as well as “focus on issues that matter most to Marylanders, like protecting the Chesapeake Bay and our local waterways, which are so critical to our quality of life and our economy.” 

“I will fight to expand access to affordable childcare and to lower the cost of prescription drugs,” Elfreth continued. “And I will champion the investments in our military bases and federal agencies that provide tens of thousands of quality jobs to Maryland families.” 

— Tara Suter 

Rep.-elect April McClain-Delaney (D-Md.-6)

Date of Birth / May 25, 1964   
Residence / Potomac, Md. 
Occupation / Former deputy administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Education / B.S., Northwestern University; J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
Family: Married to former Rep. John Delaney with four daughters  

April McClain-Delaney, the new Democratic representative for Maryland’s 6th District, was born in Buhl, Idaho, the second daughter of a potato farmer.  

McClain-Delaney attended Northwestern University and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1986. She then graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 1989 with a law degree.  

After her education, McClain-Delaney worked for a law firm and a satellite communications company.  

She served as the Washington director for Common Sense Media from 2006 to 2022, focusing on the impact of social media on children.  

Later, McClain-Delaney was deputy assistant secretary for communications and information at the U.S. government’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration from 2022 to 2023, where she focused on broadband access and addressing online harassment and abuse.  

McClain-Delaney is passionate about protecting abortion rights and investment in clean energy, as well as stopping gun violence and shielding children from the damaging effects of social media.  

McClain-Delaney defeated Maryland Del. Neil Parrott (R) for the seat now vacated by Rep. David Trone (D), who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate.  

— Brad Dress