Leaving office January 1, 2027.Lost re-election in 2026. This page switches to the former-officeholder layout when the term ends.

DemocratIn office until January 1, 2027

Melissa Wells

Maryland State Delegate, District 40 since 2018. Lost re-election in 2026; leaves office in January 2027. Ran in 2 elections between 2018 and 2022, winning 2.

Maryland State Delegate, District 40Born 1983

Official website Wikipedia

In office: 7 yrs; Since 2018
Bills became law: 34; 103 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
Votes missed: 2.5%; Chamber median 2.8%
With party: 100%; On votes splitting the parties
Last margin: +1.3; Won 2022
Elections: 3; 2018–2026

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

Committees

As of 2026-10.

Government, Labor and Elections · chair
Legislative Policy
Rules and Executive Nominations

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

Legislation

2025–2026 session · 103 sponsored · 34 became law

BillIntroCmteHouseSenateLaw

HB 439 Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Renaming
Administrative Agencies · Became law May 2026

HB 738 Real Property - Transfer-on-Death Deed - Establishment
Attorneys · Became law May 2026

HB 552 Commission on the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children - Establishment
Abuse · Became law May 2026

HB 849 Child Care Scholarship Program - Freeze in Enrollment - Exceptions and Waitlist
Applicants and Applications · Became law May 2026

HB 776 Juvenile Law - Child in Need of Supervision - Mandatory Petition (NyKayla Strawder Memorial Act)
Children (4-12) · 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 Wells sits in the Maryland House of Delegates

Wells is closer to the center than 41% of the chamber's Democrats.

Closest: Charlotte Crutchfield, Joe Vogel, Scott Phillips

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

With Wells’s party

Votes with the chamber's Democrats100%

Black tick: the average of Democrats in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships

Key votes

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

Date	Bill	Wells	Dem. majority	Rep. majority	Result
Apr 2, 2026	HB 191: Consumer Protection - Retail Transactions for Essential Consumer Goods - Cash Payments	Yes	Yes	No	Passed 99–28
Apr 2, 2026	SB 286: Public Safety - Elevator Inspection Certificates - Searchable Database	Yes	Yes	No	Passed 113–21
Apr 2, 2026	SB 249: Tobacco Product Licensees - Additional Licensure for Electronic Smoking Devices	Yes	Yes	No	Passed 106–30
Apr 2, 2026	HB 1109: Public Health Reform Act	Yes	Yes	No	Passed 95–18
Apr 2, 2026	SB 290: Baltimore City - Ordinance Enforcement - Fines and Penalties	Yes	Yes	No	Passed 112–24

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

Career

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

20182019202020212022202320242025202620272028Maryland House of Delegates, District 40

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 Delegate District 40	Lost	—	—	—
2022	Maryland House of Delegates, District 40	Won	D+1.3	D+86.1	−84.8
2018	Maryland House of Delegates, District 40	Won	R+1.2	—	—