In preparation for the upcoming 2026 Legislative Session, Senate President Ferguson announces the following changes to Senate leadership and committee membership. Sen. Benjamin Brooks (D-Baltimore County) is chair of the Senate Executive Nominations Committee, and Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Howard and Montgomery) is chair of the Senate Rules Committee.

Additionally, Sen. Shelly Hettleman (D-Baltimore County) is chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation (B&T) Public Safety, Transportation, and Environment Subcommittee (PSTE) and Sen. Karen Lewis Young (D-Frederick) is chair of the B&T Pensions Subcommittee. Acting State Police Superintendent Michael A. Jackson was previously chair of PSTE and a member of B&T.

Sen. Malcolm Augustine will move to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. Sen. Nick Charles (D-Prince George’s) assumed the role of vice chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Lastly, the newly appointed Senator for the 27th Legislative District, Sen. Kevin Harris (D-Prince George’s, Charles, and Calvert), will join the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment.

“As we approach the fourth year of our term in the Senate of Maryland, it is essential that we have the right people filling critical leadership positions as we prioritize and advance polices to move our State forward,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson. “To that end, the Senate Democratic Caucus agenda will focus on growth, affordability, and protecting against attacks from the federal Administration in the 2026 Legislative Session. We must give Marylanders the certainty and financial relief needed to navigate this avoidable chaos.”

The full list of Senate committee and subcommittee assignments will be distributed on the first day of the regular legislative session, January 14, 2026. For a detailed list, please see the Maryland General Assembly’s public website.