DemocratIn office since Nov 2014

Cheryl Kagan

Maryland State Senator, District 17 since 2014. Ran in 6 elections between 1994 and 2022, winning 6. Re-elected in 2026. Next on the ballot in 2030.

Maryland State Senator, District 17Born 1961

Official website Wikipedia

In office: 12 yrs; Since 2014
Bills became law: 50; 101 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
Votes missed: 3.1%; Chamber median 3.2%
With party: 99%; On votes splitting the parties
Last margin: +67.1; Won 2026
Next election: 2030; Nov 5, 2030

Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET

Committees

As of 2026-10.

9-1-1 Specialist Recruitment and Retention Workgroup · chair
Education, Energy and the Environment · vice chair
Audit and Evaluation
Committee on Federal Relations

Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET

Legislation

2025–2026 session · 101 sponsored · 50 became law

BillIntroCmteSenateHouseLaw

SB 148 Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-1 Specialists Act)
Applicants and Applications · Became law May 2026

SB 263 Education - Dependent Children of Active Service Members - Advance Enrollment Procedures
Armed Forces and Uniformed Services · Became law May 2026

SB 507 Public Schools - Individuals With Disabilities - Accessibility and Emergency Planning
Accessibility · Became law May 2026

SB 532 Higher Education Institutions - Over-the-Counter Contraception - Access and Reporting
Birth Control · Became law May 2026

SB 1 Public Safety - Law Enforcement Officers - Face Coverings and Identification
Appeals · Became law May 2026

Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET

Voting record

2025–2026 session · placement by roll-call votes

Where Kagan sits in the Maryland State Senate

Kagan is closer to the center than 16% of the chamber's Democrats.

Closest: Shelly Hettleman, Charles Sydnor, Karen Young

Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:52 PM ET

With Kagan’s party

Votes with the chamber's Democrats99%

Black tick: the average of Democrats in the Maryland State Senate.

Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships

Key votes

Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Kagan’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Democrats.

Date	Bill	Kagan	Dem. majority	Rep. majority	Result
Mar 27, 2026	HB 711: Data Privacy - Consumer Data, Public Records, and Message Switching System (Data Privacy…	Yes	Yes	No	Passed 28–8
Mar 27, 2026	SB 594: Cannabis - Advertising - Alterations	Yes	Yes	No	Passed 38–8
Mar 27, 2026	SB 12: Residential Rental Apartments - Air-Conditioning Requirement	Yes	Yes	No	Passed 35–11
Mar 27, 2026	HB 141: State Personnel - Collective Bargaining - Graduate Assistants	Not voting	Yes	No	Passed 32–11
Mar 27, 2026	HB 1249: Certified Recovery Residences - Refusing Services to Individuals Receiving…	Yes	Yes	No	Passed 36–10

Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls

Career

Offices held, and every time Kagan was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.

199620002004200820122016202020242028Maryland House of Delegates, District 17 Maryland State Senate, District 17

Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)

Elections

Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.

Year	Race	Result	Margin	Seat	+/−
2026	Maryland State Senate, District 17	Won	D+67.1	D+55.9	+11.2
2022	Maryland State Senate, District 17	Won	—	D+61.0	—
2018	Maryland State Senate, District 17	Won	D+58.2	—	—
2014	Maryland State Senate, District 17	Won	D+36.9	—	—
2014	Maryland State Senate, District 17 (primary)	Won	+9.2	—	—
1998	Maryland House of Delegates, District 17	Won	R+0.1	—	—
1994	Maryland House of Delegates, District 17	Won	R+1.7	—	—