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Bills/2026 Regular Session

HB 50

Did not advanceConstitutional amendmentCrossfile SB 5
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General Assembly - Special Election to Fill a Vacancy in Office

Sponsor: Linda Foley (District 15)Committee: Government, Labor, and ElectionsSubject: ElectionsStatus: Rereferred to Education, Energy, and the Environment (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Proposing a Constitutional Amendment requiring that a special election be held at the same time as the regular statewide primary and general elections that are held in the second year of a term to fill a vacancy in the office of Delegate or Senator in the General Assembly if the vacancy occurs on or before the date that is 55 days before the deadline for filing certificates of candidacy for the regular statewide election that is held in the second year of the term.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (27)

MGA witness list
FAV 24FavorableFWA 1Favorable with amendmentsUNF 2Unfavorable
PositionWitnessOrganizationTestimony
FAVAntoine, JoannelobbyistCommon Cause MarylandOral + Written (PDF)
FAVMnck, MarijaneIndivisible Howard CountyWritten (PDF)
FAVTyree, NikkiLWVMDOral + Written (PDF)
FAVNorling, RichardMD Sierra ClubWritten (PDF)
FAVBradshaw, LelandMaryland Forward PartyOral + Written (PDF)
FAVPlante, CeciliaMaryland Legislative CoalitionWritten (PDF)
FAVDeLong, MichaelMontgomery County Young DemocratsWritten (PDF)
FAVManevich, DorothyMotgomery County Women's Democractic ClubWritten (PDF)
FAVFischman, EdwardOur Revolution MarylandOral + Written (PDF)
FAVWeinberg, DavidlobbyistProtect Democracy UnitedOral + Written (PDF)
FAVCano, ChristopherlobbyistSEIU Local 500Oral + Written (PDF)
FAVSmith, LizaSelfOral + Written (PDF)
FAVSpiegel, JaysonSelfOral + Written (PDF)
FAVWatson, PatricialobbyistTew AdvocateWritten (PDF)
FAVMcNair, LeeUnitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryPosition only
FAVPellittiere, MichaelVeterans for Maryland VotersWritten (PDF)
FAVKaplowitz, Richard KAPYearWritten (PDF)
FAVCARRICK, SHARONIndividualWritten (PDF)
FAVDelegate Foley, Delegate FoleylegislatorIndividualOral
FAVFoley, LindaIndividualWritten (PDF)
FAVKoul, MichelleIndividualWritten (PDF)
FAVRosen, JulieIndividualWritten (PDF)
FAVSchoenholtz, HowardIndividualWritten (PDF)
FAVTurner, RebeccaIndividualWritten (PDF)
UNFBaines, AliciaN/APosition only
UNFLang, AlanIndividualWritten (PDF)
FWACross, Dr Cashenna ACouncilwoman At-Large, GlenardenOral

Organizations on record

Common Cause MarylandFAV 1
Councilwoman At-Large, GlenardenFWA 1
Indivisible Howard CountyFAV 1
LWVMDFAV 1
Maryland Forward PartyFAV 1
Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1
MD Sierra ClubFAV 1
Montgomery County Young DemocratsFAV 1
Motgomery County Women's Democractic ClubFAV 1
N/AUNF 1
Our Revolution MarylandFAV 1
Protect Democracy UnitedFAV 1
SEIU Local 500FAV 1
SelfFAV 2
Tew AdvocateFAV 1
Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1
Veterans for Maryland VotersFAV 1
YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVAntoine, JoanneCommon Cause MarylandRegistered for: Common Cause Maryland
FAVWeinberg, DavidProtect Democracy UnitedRegistered for: Protect Democracy United
FAVCano, ChristopherSEIU Local 500Registered for: SEIU Local 500
FAVWatson, PatriciaTew AdvocateRegistered for: Black Girls Vote 4 H E R Inc; Prince George's County Council; City of Greenbelt; Maryland Community Action Partnership; Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce (GBCC)