Senator William Folden

William G. Folden was born on April 5, 1972, in Hagerstown, Maryland. He is a Republican member of the Maryland Senate, representing District 4 since January 11, 2023. He won the state senate election on November 8, 2022, with 57.54% of the vote.

Before his election to the Senate, Folden served in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 3B from 2015 to 2019. Throughout his career, he has maintained strong ties to Frederick County, where he currently resides.

Folden is married with three children. He served in the U.S. Army with the military police corps and infantry sniper units.

Education

Folden attended Gov. Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, Maryland. He earned an Associate's degree in Criminal Justice from Frederick Community College and completed training at the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University.

Political Experience and Notable Achievements

Law Enforcement Background:
Folden has an extensive background in law enforcement spanning nearly three decades. He served as a Deputy Sheriff in Frederick County from 1994 to 2011, where he became a founding member of the Traffic Unit as a Crash Reconstructionist. He advanced to Traffic Unit Sergeant, supervising crash reconstructionists. He also served as a team Sniper with the Frederick County Sheriff's Office Special Services Team and worked as a police motorcycle operator and instructor. In 2011, he transitioned to the Frederick Police Department as a Police Officer in Patrol Operations until 2022. In 2019, he was hired by NHTSA as a Crash Reconstructionist, conducting investigations across Maryland with the Shock Trauma Anesthesiology Research Team.

Legislative Service:
In the House of Delegates, Folden served on the Judiciary Committee , the Environment and Transportation Committee , and the Public Safety and Policing Work Group . He served as Chair of the Frederick County House Delegation and as Vice-Chair in 2017. He was also a member of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus and Maryland Veterans Caucus.

In the Senate, Folden is a member of the Judicial Proceedings Committee and the Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families. He also serves on the Maryland Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Policy and Funding Committee and the Frederick County School Construction Master Plan Workgroup.

Recognition:
Folden has received multiple awards for his service, including the Award for Life Saving from the Frederick County Sheriff , the Life Saving Award from the Frederick Police Department , and the Legislator of the Year award from the Maryland Retailers Association .