Multi-member delegate districts
Each of the 47 legislative districts elects one senator and three delegates. Some districts elect all three together, where voters pick up to three; others are split into one- or two-member subdistricts.
Maryland › Maryland House of Delegates · State legislature · November 3, 2026 · Updated Oct 16, 2026
Maryland Delegate District 21
D vs D3 seatsSame-party general election. Two Democrats advanced to November: the seat stays Democratic.
Benjamin S. Barnes has no major-party opponent.
Benjamin S. Barnes has no major-party opponent.
3 seats in this district
3.0 D · 0.0 R expected of 3 seats
3.0 D · 0.0 R expected of 3 seats
How this race is decided
The candidates
DemocraticIncumbent
Benjamin S. Barnes
- Experience
- State legislature
DemocraticIncumbent
Mary A. Lehman
- Experience
- State legislature
DemocraticIncumbent
Joseline Peña-Melnyk
- Experience
- State legislature
The district
Lean D+55: how much more Democratic or Republican than the nation it votes for president.
Presidential vote
Precinct results re-aggregated to the current district lines.
Who lives here
- Population
- 148,124
- People per km²
- 837
- Adults with a B.A.+
- 45%
- White, no degree
- 13%of adults
- White 27%
- Hispanic 24%
- Black 34%
- Asian 9%
- Other / multiracial 6%
American Community Survey 2020–2024, aggregated from census tracts.
Past results
Results in the same-numbered district; earlier elections may have used different lines.
2024 President Vote in this district
54,745 two-party votes · D+57.1 · D+58.6 vs. the nation✓ Kamala Harris (D)78.6%
Donald Trump (R)21.4%
2022
66,405 votes · Uncontested by the other party✓ Mary A Lehman (D)33.6%
Joseline A Peña-Melnyk (D)32.9%
Ben Barnes (D)32.4%
Other Write-Ins (—)1.1%
2020 President Vote in this district
53,366 two-party votes · D+58.7 · D+54.1 vs. the nation✓ Joe Biden (D)79.3%
Donald Trump (R)20.7%
2018 Earlier district lines
104,803 votes · D+52.8✓ Ben Barnes (D)26.3%
Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D)25.7%
Mary A Lehman (D)25.6%
Richard Douglas (R)8.1%
Chike Anyanwu (R)7.9%
2016 President Vote in this district
52,158 two-party votes · D+60.6 · D+58.4 vs. the nation✓ Hillary Clinton (D)80.3%
Donald Trump (R)19.7%
2014 Earlier district lines
62,882 votes · D+26.2✓ Barbara A Frush (D)28.9%
Ben Barnes (D)27.4%
Joseline Penamelnyk (D)26.8%
Katherine M Butcher (R)16.9%
Also on the ballot in Maryland
Neighboring districts
HD-13Pam Guzzone—D vs D3 seats>99%Dem.>99%Dem. HD-14Anne Kaiser—D vs D3 seats>99%Dem.>99%Dem. HD-20Lorig Charkoudian—D vs D3 seats>99%Dem.>99%Dem. HD-22Ashanti Martinez—D vs D3 seats>99%Dem.>99%Dem. HD-23Marvin E. Holmes Jr.Michael Riker3 seats>99%Dem.>99%Dem. HD-32J. Sandy BartlettColin McEvers3 seats>99%Dem.>99%Dem. HD-33AAndrew Pruski—>99%Dem.>99%Dem. HD-33BChuck CookStuart Schmidt Jr.D flipD flip92%Dem.90%Dem. HD-47BDeni Taveras—>99%Dem.>99%Dem.