Senator Mary L. Washington is a Democratic member of the Maryland State Senate representing District 43 . She has served in the Senate since January 9, 2019, after previously serving in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2011 to 2019. She is the first openly gay African-American person to serve in the Maryland Senate and made history as Maryland's first openly LGBTQ+ African-American elected official upon her election to the House.

Notable achievements include sponsoring and passing 67 bills into law, focusing on water justice, housing security, education equity, and protections for vulnerable youth and families. Recent efforts advanced worker-owned cooperatives, housing access via accessory dwelling units, and combating food insecurity on college campuses. She chairs the Baltimore City Senate Delegation, the Education Subcommittee of the Education, Energy, and Environment Committee, and the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review.

Education and Political Experience

Education: Antioch University , Johns Hopkins University .

Political Experience:
- Maryland Senate : Chair, Education Subcommittee ; Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review; member of various task forces including Accessory Dwelling Unit Policy Task Force and Workgroup on Social Worker Requirements for Licensure.
- Maryland House of Delegates : Served on Ways and Means Committee, Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, and Joint Committee on Ending Homelessness ; Deputy Majority Whip .
- Prior public service: Director, HousingStat Office, Housing Authority of Baltimore City ; member, Commission on Sustainability, Baltimore City .
- Active in Legislative Black Caucus, Women Legislators of Maryland, and associate member of Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus.