Karen Lewis Young
Photo: Edward Kimmel from Takoma Park, MD, CC BY-SA 2.0
DemocratIn office since Nov 2022

Karen Lewis Young

Maryland State Senator, District 3 since 2022. Ran in 4 elections between 2014 and 2022, winning 4. Re-elected in 2026. Next on the ballot in 2030.

Maryland State Senator, District 3Born 1951

In office
3 yrs
Since 2022
Bills became law
38
101 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
Votes missed
0.8%
Chamber median 3.2%
With party
99%
On votes splitting the parties
Last margin
+47.6
Won 2026
Next election
2030
Nov 5, 2030

Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET

Committees

As of 2026-10.

  • Special Joint Committee on Pensions · chair
  • Budget and Taxation
  • Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review
  • Committee on Ending Homelessness
  • Committee on Federal Relations
  • Task Force to Study Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures

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

Legislation

2025–2026 session · 101 sponsored · 38 became law
BillIntroCmteSenateHouseLaw
SB 410 Public Libraries - State Library Resource Center - Funding
Appropriations · Became law May 2026
SB 587 Maryland Patient Safety Center Fund - Funding
Appropriations · Became law May 2026
SB 1 Public Safety - Law Enforcement Officers - Face Coverings and Identification
Appeals · Became law May 2026
SB 378 Public Libraries - Young Readers Matching Grant Program, Funding, and Services
Applicants and Applications · Became law May 2026
SB 668 Children's Cabinet Fund - Renaming and Funding for Grants to Local Management Boards
Administrative Agencies · 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 Young sits in the Maryland State Senate

Young is closer to the center than 10% of the chamber's Democrats.

Dem. medianRep. medianYoungMore liberalMore conservative

Closest: Shelly Hettleman, Cheryl Kagan, Joanne Benson

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

With Young’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: Young’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Democrats.

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

Career

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

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.

YearRaceResultMarginSeat+/−
2026Maryland State Senate, District 3WonD+47.6D+33.6+14.0
2022Maryland State Senate, District 3WonD+33.1D+35.3−2.2
2018Maryland House of Delegates, HD-3AWonEven——
2014Maryland House of Delegates, HD-3AWonR+1.7——
2014Maryland House of Delegates, HD-3A (primary)Won−1.8——

Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET

Campaign money, 2025–26

Raised
$93.8K
Spent
$94.1K

Source: Maryland State Board of Elections filings through Oct 16, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 12:44 AM ET

Campaign committees

Open committees can still raise and spend money.

Lewis Young, Karen Friends of
State
Active

Source: Maryland State Board of Elections filings through Oct 16, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 12:44 AM ET

Seats Young has held

Source: 99chambers results archive

Who Young has run against

Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)

How we know Young

One person, matched across every source we use.

Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET