About Legislators
The General Assembly of Maryland, as the legislative body directly representing the
electorate, passes public general and public local laws, raises revenues and appropriates
funds to pay for State government services, and oversees the operation of State executive
agencies. In much of this activity, the legislator plays a major role in helping to develop
the public policy of the State.
The state is divided into 47 legislative districts, with each district
represented by one senator and 3 delegates. Some districts are wholly contained in
one county and some districts contain multiple counties.
The General Assembly is divided into two houses: the 47 member Senate and the
141 member House of Delegates. Each member is elected to serve a four year term.
The next election will occur in November of 2018.
The
organizational arrangement
of each house results from a combination of constitutional requirements,
rules adopted by each house, and legislative custom. The General Assembly is further organized into standing, statutory,
special, and select committees, the latter usually known as local delegations.